A few questions...

[Knight of the Realm]

Pre-amble

Firstly to say that I think it's a great game, and I wish that there were more like it!

Just a couple of questions arising out of the most recent campaign game I played as the USA (of the four campaigns I've played to completion, I've played as the USA in three of them). I've played as the CSA once and found it to be the most challenging, and was surprised this time how easy the USA has it by comparison to playing as the CSA (and I learnt a lot more of the game mechanics as a result).

I played the previous campaign as the CSA using 1.10 - my most recent campaigh I fought as the USA on 1.15.

Anyway, on to the questions...

1) Is the AI more aggressive now?

I was dismayed to find it attacking northwards to Pittsburgh (and taking it!), and also taking Lancaster. It seemed to me that the result of this was an easier victory for me (a year earlier than on the previous two occasions!) - there was less to defend Richmond. It's a shame that the game didn't continue then, because it was just getting interesting in the West!

2) Does the AI ever move the capital?

This is the third time I've taken Richmond with catastrophic morale deficits (a year earlier than previously, which didn't end the game this time, though when I retook Pittsburgh and wiped out the force that had taken it, the game did finish). When I played as the CSA, when it was obvious that I wasn't going to be able to save Richmond I moved the Capital to New Orleans thereby reducing the morale deficits (and enable me to continue fighting).

Cheers

P

[Knight of the Realm]

This was the main reason I posted in the first place!

3) The roster has changed?

(I've not gone mad have I - it is different between 1.10 & 1.15?).

I found the previous version a lot more useful, as there were a few more options on the filters (eg HQs and leaders). As en example I was trying to find a particular general (he was causing me problems with regard to promotions, so I wanted to move him to a position where there would be more chance of him getting killed or injured or lose), and he didn't appear on the roster! And also the option to sort on Rank has vanished... Per Que?

I don't suppose we could have it back with the next version?

Cheers

P

[arsan]

This was the main reason I posted in the first place!

3) The roster has changed?

(I've not gone mad have I - it is different between 1.10 & 1.15?).

I found the previous version a lot more useful, as there were a few more options on the filters (eg HQs and leaders). As en example I was trying to find a particular general (he was causing me problems with regard to promotions, so I wanted to move him to a position where there would be more chance of him getting killed or injured or lose), and he didn't appear on the roster! And also the option to sort on Rank has vanished... Per Que?

I don't suppose we could have it back with the next version?

Cheers

P

Hi and welcome around!
Let's start with the easy one
Now you have both rosters, the old "Units" roster and the new "stacks" roster. Just hit F1 to change from one to the other or click on the empty tab on the roster page (the lower one)
The new roster was developed for Wars in America game and retrofitted for free to AACW
It's explained on the readme list of changes (you should take a look at it, as there has been a ton since 1.10. You have all of them on the updates.rtf file you can find on the game installation folder)

Regarding the other questions... yes i've seen the AI move her capital on a couple of occasions when Richmond was in danger. Not on 1.15 but before (haven't played much lately).
The AI has been tweaked several times on the recent patches and supposedly it has improved. Still, form time to time she likes to make those "end runs" you explain. This happened also on older patches, so porbably its not a 1.15 issue.
Try setting the CSA AI to low aggression on the options menu. Some players say this improves the CSA AI (as she is mostly on the defensive) but don't make her passive in any case. Just less daring.
Cheers!

[Knight of the Realm]

I wasn't expecting such a quick reply!

Thanks again, that was really useful!

F1 didn't work on my (wireless) keyboard because the F keys are defaulted to other uses. I had to (un)lock them to enable that feature!

I have the update file open, but as it has all the updates since the start I haven't worked my way through them yet (it's like reading a book!).

Regds

[arsan]

Hi

Check this great manual update
http://www.ageod-forum.com/showpost.php?p=148268&postcount=88
Its only up to 1.14 so you will have to check teh updates file for the lasy patch changes.
The whole thread where the manual update is posted may be of interest to you too
http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=10483

Cheers!

[Knight of the Realm]

I've since discovered the aacw wiki as well, which is also pretty useful - helped me figure out how to create forts...!

Cheers

[Courtenay]

Regarding the other questions... yes i've seen the AI move her capital on a couple of occasions when Richmond was in danger. Not on 1.15 but before (haven't played much lately).

In my current game (1.15), Athena moved her capital when Richmond wasn't in danger. I had moved a large army adjacent to Richmond, then stopped for a turn to recover cohesion. That turn she moved her capital. When I looked I was surprised to discover that she had as large an army in Richmond as the USA had outside it. There was no hope of my even establishing a siege, much less capturing the place, but the Confederate capital is now in Atlanta.

I am playing on passive because Athena's habit of deep raids bothers me as it makes things too easy. Doing so has not completely cured her of the habit. Instead of the whole (Confederate) Army of the Potomac heading for Pittsburgh, as happened in my previous, aborted, game, Joe Johnston and Stonewall Jackson took off for an early strike on Pittsburgh with a division sized force. The initial battle there was a Confederate victory (despite the combat results screen saying Union Victory) that left both sides' armies in the region. Johnston was never able to leave or retreat because of ZOC, and the whole force was wiped out three turns and seven battles after the initial battle.

(Here is my own question: How is it possible for Johnston to get to Pittsburgh without establishing any military control in any surrounding region? He manged to do so somehow, which was fatal. No Union force followed his path, nor did he use river transport. I want to make sure none of my armies ever follows his example.)

[W.Barksdale]

As with all AIs don't expect too much of her. She is best used for learning how the game works. Once you have a firm grasp pbem against a live person. It is the only way to get rational play.

[Knight of the Realm]

I've been playing as the USA with the AI on a passive setting, as a result of the above recommendation (1.15) and am losing pretty badly.

It attacked towards Pittsburgh again, though I had it well defended as a result of my previous game, and it failed to take it.

Having beaten the AI fairly easily on previous occasions, I think I've seriously under estimated it this time - it has been building huge armies, and still making deep penetrations into the northern states, taking Pittsburg, and Chicago, the latter very much to my surprise. Plus a few others! I find myself using a lot of troops to defend places, which obviously diminishes my ability to mount strong attacks, and obviously you can't defend everywhere... But apart from in the East, I haven't even been able to mount any serious attacks because I've been too busily responding to its attacks!

I've managed to take Richmond with a large Corps under Meade, but I still have a long way to go, as I have lost a lot of NM points due to various defeats (large Confederate armies seem to be turning up everywhere!). Is the AI cheating in some way? I can't remember having the ability as the CSA to create such huge armies... Or rather so many of the damn things...

I am still baffled sometimes at the size of the loss of NM - how are these determined?

Anyway, it's nice to have a bit of a challenge for a change!

[Pocus]

As with all AIs don't expect too much of her. She is best used for learning how the game works. Once you have a firm grasp pbem against a live person. It is the only way to get rational play.

I think we all agree that an AI, in a complex strategy game, will never be a tough challenge, once you have mastered the game rules (unless the initial setup is assymetric, which is the case at ACW if you take the South against an Union AI)...

but... don't just (please) scrap easily the thousands of hours poured into developing it. The AACW (and the AGE AI) has not been made just to be a roadblock on your path of victory, or said otherwise, has not been programmed in 3 weeks just because a game should have an AI, any AI... (as part of the feature list 'this game has an AI'!)

The AI has really been done with the intent of being a challenge to many people. Now, it is clear that she won't be able to compete on equal terms with a veteran player, but that's is acceptable... Unless you have the budget of the Deep Blue team, there is no miracle to expect (for complex games... some AIs are very good for games which can be precalculated several turns in advance).

Give here some quantitative advantage and you'll see... yes it is cheating, but are you not cheating as players with your big expert brain, to play against some thousands lines of code?

[Colonel Dreux]

I think we all agree that an AI, in a complex strategy game, will never be a tough challenge, once you have mastered the game rules (unless the initial setup is assymetric, which is the case at ACW if you take the South against an Union AI)...

but... don't just (please) scrap easily the thousands of hours poured into developing it. The AACW (and the AGE AI) has not been made just to be a roadblock on your path of victory, or said otherwise, has not been programmed in 3 weeks just because a game should have an AI, any AI... (as part of the feature list 'this game has an AI'!)

The AI has really been done with the intent of being a challenge to many people. Now, it is clear that she won't be able to compete on equal terms with a veteran player, but that's is acceptable... Unless you have the budget of the Deep Blue team, there is no miracle to expect (for complex games... some AIs are very good for games which can be precalculated several turns in advance).

Give here some quantitative advantage and you'll see... yes it is cheating, but are you not cheating as players with your big expert brain, to play against some thousands lines of code?

The AI is very good Pocus. Something to be proud off. Can't wait for Athena II.

[tagwyn]

I agree Pocus!! Haven't played for a while since the fire. Will get started again. t

[Rexor]

When you guys use the word "passive" for the CSA AI, can I assume you're referring to the "activate AI" part of the preferences and not the "aggressiveness" part? I only ask because I've been playing a CSA AI with "activate AI" unchecked ("passive") and Athena has literally not moved an army at all. She won't even respond with local counterattacks. Is this right? (It's still late 1861.)

[arsan]

When you guys use the word "passive" for the CSA AI, can I assume you're referring to the "activate AI" part of the preferences and not the "aggressiveness" part? I only ask because I've been playing a CSA AI with "activate AI" unchecked ("passive") and Athena has literally not moved an army at all. She won't even respond with local counterattacks. Is this right? (It's still late 1861.)

No, no, your are wrong!
If you uncheck the Activate Ai you are in fact shutting off the AI completely, so the other side will be completely dead.
That option is thought for people who like to play with both sides at the same time, to do tests and the like.
What they talk about is to the AI aggressiveness option
The AI is active but will behave less "daringly"

Cheers!

[Rexor]

No, no, your are wrong!
If you uncheck the Activate Ai you are in fact shutting off the AI completely, so the other side will be completely dead.
That option is thought for people who like to play with both sides at the same time, to do tests and the like.
What they talk about is to the AI aggressiveness option
The AI is active but will behave less "daringly"

Cheers!

Got it. Thanks arsan!