Some suggestions for the AI

PantherCub · #1 August 8th, 2017, 04:13 AM

I have played the game against human opponents but due to time and other constraints, I usually play against the AI, mostly the random campaigns. While the AI is decent, it has some shortcomings, like all computer wargame AIs.

Here are some suggestions for possible improvements to the IA. Not sure if they are possible to implement in the code, but I have tried to make them reasonably simple.

AI tank - infantry coordination when attacking
The AI is notoriously poor at tank - infantry coordination. The tanks usually arrive first and then the wave of infantry comes a couple of turns later. This is probably realistic for early British and Soviet forces, but things improved later in the war and was always good for the Germans.

Suggestion: AI tank forces in the attack should reduce their movement rate so that they stay with the infantry, at least until they have breached the first defence line. If this is hard to define for the AI, then releasing the tanks from the infantry after a certain number of turns should probably work well enough.

This could well be adjusted according to nation:
Germans: Always
Soviet: From 1943
British and US: From 1944

AI firing when defending
The AI is prone to open fire at too long range, which will reveal its positions.

Suggestion: AI defending infantry should have their range set to 1. Exceptions could be made for enemy engineers adjacent to minefields, which could be engaged at greater ranges.
AI defending anti tank guns should not open fire above 1/3 range, possibly adjusted according to calibre.

AI use of APCs
The AI will tend to charge with infantry mounted in halftracks, and the halftracks often arrive before the tanks due to their higher speed. This leads to AI halftrack mounted forces being easily massacred.

Suggestion: AI halftrack mounted infantry should keep their rate of advance down so that they will be behind the tanks (if any are available). If there are no tanks, there should be no halftrack mounted infantry in the AI force (the AI can't handle them).