AI And Air Units question.

[Eurasia]

Okay, folks, first the set up.

I like to use the AI in my games and was playing a Germany game where the AI was at Army level. So I had the two Theatre HQs and under them were the Army Group HQs. Then the Army HQ (which had their AIs turned on) and under them were the Army Corps and Divisions.

So it was going okay but instead of controlling every little detail of the Air Units and Naval Units I wanted the AI to do it. So I started to experiment.

I did make a Navy Theatre Level HQ with the AI because, with the subs and ships, you need the longest radio range. It is a little aggressive but I kept control of the transport fleets and the port garrisons are all under the the command of the Army Theatre HQs, so they don't get moved about and destroyed.

I did try to make a Air Force Theatre Level HQ but that caused a problem. While it reacted to attacks on its airbases it did nothing at the front. I realized it wasn't ATTACHED to the units on the front so it wasn't reacting to their needs for air support and such.

The Navy Theatre HQ didn't have that problem because it was working on the naval front. It didn't need to know what was happening on the land. But my AIR UNITS need to know what is happening on the front lines to react so it can protect the ground troops or attack enemy troops, and so on.

Now, here is what I am thinking of doing. I plan to keep the Tactical Bombers and Close Air Support under control of the Army HQs. But the rest will be put under the control of a Army Group HQ (Or maybe I should call if a Air Group HQ) with the AI switched on, linked to the Theatre HQ so it KNOWS what is going on.

Does that make sense? Does anybody who has dealt with the AI a lot more than me know if that would work?

So it should look something like this:

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While the Navy would be just a Oberbefehlshaber des Marine (Theatre HQ) with the AI on and the subs, Naval Bombers, CAGs (if any) and surface warships (not already assigned as escorts to the Ship Transports) under it's control. I think any Marine Divisions would likely be kept under Heers theatre control.

Does that make sense? I have been playing with the AI a lot and wonder if this is the best way to have a balanced, combined arms, command structure. I would still have to do some work at picking operatives and when the need come out carry out airborne or beach landings but I figure the AI can handle the rest pretty well.

Any suggestions?

 

[Kovax]

I put the navy under its own Theater command, but I wouldn't dare let the AI control my ships. It has the distressing tendency to pick fights it can't win, which is a critical problem for a heavily outmatched navy.

As for air units, I've put my tactical and close support bombers at Army level, but the AI is rather sporadic about supporting them with fighter protection, so expect a lot of damage. If you're trying to "balance" the game by not manually running things, I guess that's OK, but it's far from an optimal approach otherwise.

Personally, I tend to run everything except some of the basic infantry myself, and prefer to play smaller countries where I can easily handled everything manually.

 

[Pugmak]

I tend to stick my fighters and intercepts at Army Group level, but only for logistics reduction. I put my interceptors on intercept duty with the ranges specified and let them run on their own. Same with fighters, but I put them on air superiority and run two groups per area of concern. 1 on day missions and 1 on night. Since those on night missions often don't get repair, I'll switch them back and forth with the day mission set.

I manage the Tactical aircraft, dive bombers and naval bombers myself, but I also micro manage the crud out of all my forces. The only thing I use AI for is intercepts and fighter sweeps.

 

[Kovax]

The problem with night missions is that all repairs occur at midnight. Since the planes are flying at night, they're usually away from their air base at midnight, and get no repairs. Occasionally, they'll land for rearming/refueling and happen to be there at midnight, but you can't depend on that.

 

[EllisDee]

The problem with night missions is that all repairs occur at midnight. Since the planes are flying at night, they're usually away from their air base at midnight, and get no repairs. Occasionally, they'll land for rearming/refueling and happen to be there at midnight, but you can't depend on that.

Don't planes repair regardless at midnight? I'm fairly sure they do at least.

 

[marxianTJ]

They'll regain ORG, but they won't regain STR - or at least they shouldn't due to not being landed, but who knows I wouldn't put it past the game to ignore that; can't say as I've ever paid that close attention to it lol.

 

[Pugmak]

In my play, the only air units that take any real damage in my force is the fighters on air superiority. The str levels can deplete fair quick for them. That's why I double up with one group flying day and another flying night. When the night mission group starts getting beat up, I'll switch it to day missions and the day group to night.

That doesn't fix the issue perfectly, as I'll lose str in both groups but it slows down the str loses depleting one particular group and allows some recovery.

 

[Lightfighter]

Does that make sense? Does anybody who has dealt with the AI a lot more than me know if that would work?

I don't think it will make a difference. The aircraft will act the same way no matter which level of the hierarchy they're assigned to. I used to use Army level AI in an attempt to trick the AI into not acting like the AI but it always did anyway.