Re: AI artillery use
What I've noticed is in preliminary bombardment missions it's doing really what the human player is doing and targeting where it thinks you should be. But with that is a tendency for most of the missions to be around the area of the victory hexes your defending, where I'll pre plan around likely lines of departure, observation/cover fire terrain features and rear area reserve/AA areas. Also it tends to do the same near the end of the game as well when the battle isn't going it's way. Also it'll fire missions behind your troops (Thinking it's supporting it's advancing troops.) if you've held the line, it will adjust the fire missions, but at times it seems to take longer then me doing the same. As a campaign progresses it seems to start to figure out (Or it's just getting lucky.) how I'm deploying my troops at the start of the game and I'll take casualties at maybe around 2-4 of my jumping off point(s). Not knowing the AIs comms, observation or experience level issues concerning arty but of course taking these into account as it would affect the human player as well, if anything...
1. Allow AI in preliminary bombardment phase more target options (Based on mission.), at least 85% - 90% of these missions now seem devoted to victory hex areas regardless of the mission.
2. Faster adjustment fires.
3. "Fix" this habit of the AI wasting fire missions to the enemy's rear areas. If the AI is losing it should use those missions on the advancing enemy to cover the retreat of it's units or not at all if trying to save arty units from CB fire missions. I've destroyed AI batteries because these rear area missions in the past towards the end of a battle AI losing battle.
4. More random CB missions should be added. I rely on it myself at times and it's pretty much doctrine in the real world as it's the "cover fire" for otherwise directed arty missions. On the very rare occasions where the AI does this it can be damaging.
I don't know how truly intuitive the AI is when concerning arty or what more can be done to improve it but these are the biggest issues I've seen with it. I do know it uses more dedicated FO arty units than I do as I use zero and makes me wonder about 1-3above because of that. But again I'm just an equipment guy not a software one. The AI is my opponent, so the tougher the better.
Regards,
Pat
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