AI tank heavy on or off?

[Wdll]

I was wondering what you guys use in battles or campaigns between "normal" sides. (country X vs Y)

I noticed that I have it ON and was wondering if I turn it off if the AI will buy far less vehicles that would make it eh, too few?

I mean, is AI Tank Heavy OFF the normal and AI Tank heavy ON the special parameter or what?

Also, is it just for Tanks or any armoured vehicles?

I know the manual says the AI will buy more tanks than normal, but I would like to listen from your experience.

[hoplitis]

Never tried the "off" option. I considered it an insult for a game called Main Battle Tank!

[PlasmaKrab]

Same here

As far as I can tell the IA buys more armored infantry as well.
I guess there's no real 'default' for this setting, as for others, it is entirely to the player's taste.

[Mobhack]

OFF is the normal setting.

If ON, then the AI will buy its leg infantry by the platoon (not company) in general, and if it has the points, it will tend to buy more tanks (a company buy more often than e.g. a platoon). So you will only notice the difference on higher points battles (for whatever value is "high" for AFV of the period - less points needed in 1960 than 2005, obviously). And AI tank heavy has a second opportunity to buy tanks per pass through the purchase loop if there are sufficient buy points remaining. At the end of the buy cycle, it'll still buy cheap stuff to use the remaining points (rifle platoons, scouts, inf-AT teams, snipers etc) till points are expended.

But don't expect a 2000 point skirmish buy to show much of any difference in any period - 10K points, maybe, 30K in the 1990s etc with 500 point MBTs probably.

Also - some leg-only type armies will use infantry forces in the AFV AI pick slots, so all that AI tank heavy would do for some tribesmen type armies, is produce more warbands !. AI tank heavy is only relevant to armies which have access to proper tank 'fleets'. No Mujadeen panzer divisions!.

Cheers
Andy

[Wdll]

Thanks for the replies all.

I did a quick set up battle with the option turned off. I noticed the AI did not buy any APCs, but few tanks and mainly leg infantry. BUT, I bought only about 5000 worth of tanks quickly just to start the game, so the AI only used that much too, so...haven't actualy learned anything, failed experiment lol.

[Ramm]

LMAO mohhamed jihad panzer armies!

[Cirdan]

Depends on whom I'm facing. It may be irrelevant due to AI picklist or somesuch, but if I'm facing an AI opponent that would be tank heavy in real-life--e.g. Israel--I'll have it on, if facing an army that gets to walk around alot--say, Uganda--then it's off. I'm not sure if it makes a difference but I wouldn't want to see the fearsome Ugandan T-34s mass rushing my T-90s. The ensuing pigeon shoot would soon become boring.

[Wdll]

Yes, but, what about during a campaign with more than one opponent? What are you going to do when you don't know who the next opponent will be. Or does the AI buy after you have bought yours? In which case you can change the option before every battle I guess.

There is there is the issue that when you have AI tank heavy, the AI also buys more APCs, where when it is off, the amount of APCs is, let's say...limited.