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Paul43 -> RE: Being out produced... (11/30/2020 9:44:09 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: MrDave
I usually set up a medium map w/ 3 players, stone age and 1 town to start.
In evitably, the AI is out producing me from the very start and begins it's attack before I can generate the PP's to buy the units to defend with.
Is this what you are experiencing as well? How do you work around this?
Thanks.
Yeah, personally I wish they'd just give the AI more Oil, Raw, and cities to start with instead of having it play by different rules than the player. Not only does it come off as unfair but it negates some legitimate strategies, like strategic bombing. I've read that the AI has as much fuel and raw as it wants, so the only place you use strategic bombers would be on a city and AI cities are bristling with flak and enemy fighters.
But that's how it is. It does create a balanced game in the end so I can't complain too much.
Anyway, there's a few things which can counter this.
1. Never get into a direct arm-wrestling contest with the AI. That is, have only one front, its production lined up against your production. You'll lose that every time. Use diversionary attacks like sea landings which aren't enough to be a major threat, but strong enough that the AI has to do something about them. Have a minor offensive airforce and force the AI to counter it. The energy the AI uses to address these threats will be a lot more than what you used to create them, and that's what you want. I've had no luck using paratroops, either my transports get shot down or I drop the troops on top of a panzer division... but I've heard some other players are really effective with them and they do the same thing my landings do.
2. Never let the AI sit next to you with readiness 100 forces, lining up its attack. Use artillery or aircraft on any potential attacking force. Not with the objective of causing casualties, but to reduce their readiness. That winds up being a big deal. An attacking force with a readiness of 60 will take a lot more casualties than the same force with a readiness 100. Artillery is a massive part of the game and IMO it is impossible to win without being strong in that category.
3. If the AI leaves a piece of land undefended or poorly defended on the front, go take it even if there's no cover and you won't be able to hold it. The main threat from the AI is that you'll just plain run out of land before they tire out. If you take some land cheaply, put some defensive-oriented forces there, and set that force to retreat quickly, it's just another thing that the AI is forced to deal with and diverts their strength for a round or two. It's all about buying time while you get organized, and again, making the AI use more energy than you.
4. A lot of people don't like fortresses, but I do. A fortress might only last a few rounds before it gets shelled into rubble, but its the fortress taking those hits and not your troops. It's especially good when you're the french and have the different fortress options available. Engineers are really important overall. Building bases and fortresses, but also putting up roads and bridges, making the terrain favor you.
5. Last, your units. Don't spend too much on them at first. Assault guns are just as good as tanks in defense, they're a lot cheaper, and they don't get annihilated by artillery like infantry do. Infantry and bazookas are good enough when operating in rough terrain. Don't build more mechanized units than you can supply. If you go into the AI round with 0 oil, your fighters can't intercept and your tanks suffer a penalty if attacked. Also, let new units gain experience if possible. Once a unit is built I turn off TOE for it because I don't want their experience to get diluted by raw recruits. When experienced units get whittled down I merge them. And with new units, I try and put them on garrison duty or have them hold a quiet part of the front until their experience gets to 40 - experience climbs to 40 automatically over time, so sending units with 10 exp into a meat grinder will cost you a lot of resources over time and isn't really productive, since they'll gain that experience anyway without needing to get shot to bits.
A lot of little things like this are needed to overcome the AI advantages, but these extra things add up and are what make the game fun IMO.
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