AI in Flames - A More Challenging Game

[Fernando Torres]

Ever wanted the AI to be more challenging?
There is a mod for you: AI in Flames.
It gives AI hidden bonus at key points of the game.

First version available below.
Play as Germany and defy the Red Bear!

Installation instructions:

Copy/paste into your Darkest Hour folder (it will be installed on Darkest Hour Full).

Good luck!

View attachment AI in Flames.rar

 

[Wowwars]

hmm i'll try this and see what your surprise is all about.

 

[alexiss]

Interesting, I will watch for this)

 

[Fernando Torres]

Any feedback?
This is meant to be integrated into Darkest Hour Full over the medium term. So feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

[Calad]

Instead of actually improving AI, AI receive "hidden bonuses" meaning it cheats.

What a disapointment.

 

[Fernando Torres]

Instead of actually improving AI, AI receive "hidden bonuses" meaning it cheats.

What a disapointment.

Instead of whining, go "improve" the AI and see if you can do better.
For various reasons (mob system, increased build times, etc) that have been discussed tons of times here, the Soviet Union is in a very awkward spot. The most satisfying and easiest way to make it stronger is to give it units to simulate mass levy right after the German invasion.

 

[Limith]

I'm not against giving free units to AI...actually I'm not against giving free units in general. CCIP uses this quite often. It's sometimes necessary to simulate historically accurate mobilizations that are infeasible in DH.

AI is very hard for me to mod though, very confusing to get it to do what I want, imho.

 

[Fernando Torres]

The problem with SU AI is, by contrast with what some people claim on the forum (I'm not blaming them, but they should actually check the file first before posting), it is instructed to set up an in depth defense strategy.
Problem being, given how the game is built, when 1941 comes, Germany has as many units as Soviet Union. So they not being overwhelmed at the frontier first, and think about the reserves second. And by the time the Soviet can build new units to fill in the reserves lines, a good player has already planted the swastika flag over the ruins of Moscow.
Thus, in order not to reinvent the wheel again and break a whole mob/build time system that works like a charm, we either give SU free units when the war starts (just check in a history book how many folks got enrolled at the time...!) or we give them many more units in the starting OOB.
The first solution is the more convenient (no research to make and the AI does not have to supply a large army during pre war).
Now of course, if someone is willing to teach me how to "improve" the AI, I am willing to learn.

 

[Limith]

If you give SU a temporary unit training bonus, the AI might decide to build more units temporarily to simulate mass drafting...emphasis on might. It'd require added events though and a hefty bonus for the ai to decide to focus mostly on infantry or militia. Probably would need a bonus for supply prod or red. supply cons too.

Mostly the result of me tinkering with CHC mobilization. I ended up gifting it 45 free divisions as historically accurate since the ai doesn't like to play ball (although that creates a fun new supply issue for the 3IC country).

 

[Fernando Torres]

That's what we thought about some times ago. But then you would have the opposite problem: too many Soviet units come at once...

 

[Limith]

Have the bonus go away if their army size reaches a unit cap or something in addition to a time one.

NatChi in old/discontinued CCIP had a unit cap system similar to this (if units < number, Natchi gets significant unit training bonus, if it is =/~ number, the bonus gets smaller, and if it is > number, gets a heavy malus).

 

[alekseevic]

The problem with SU AI is, by contrast with what some people claim on the forum (I'm not blaming them, but they should actually check the file first before posting), it is instructed to set up an in depth defense strategy.

It looks like you made some mistakes, then.

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?513108-Awesome-Screenshots&p=13230652&viewfull=1#post13230652

It's not mine, but I don't see any in depth defense.

 

[Fernando Torres]

It looks like you made some mistakes, then.

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?513108-Awesome-Screenshots&p=13230652&viewfull=1#post13230652

It's not mine, but I don't see any in depth defense.

I'm afraid you know very little about game mechanisms, young padawan.
There is a huge discrepancy with what the AI is instructed to do (external AI files which I am in charge of) and what it actually does (takes into account a lot of other factors, and I have briefly explained them above).
So bringing up a screen-shot where "you don't see any in depth defense" is not an argument. If you really want to help out, check the files and tell me where improvements can be made.

 

[Limith]

On a note about free units for ai/ai cheating: I personally find it annoying that ai cheats in games and that it is not turn-offable. Perhaps add a trigger for difficulty level so it only occurs on H/VH?

 

[Tankist/45]

Shorten long unit buildtimes in general and for sovietunion even more in fall of Barbarossa so they can rush in new divisions. Thats better than divisions and org for free imho.

 

[Calad]

Instead of whining, go "improve" the AI and see if you can do better.
For various reasons (mob system, increased build times, etc) that have been discussed tons of times here, the Soviet Union is in a very awkward spot. The most satisfying and easiest way to make it stronger is to give it units to simulate mass levy right after the German invasion.

What if there is a human player and he gets beaten on first year?

 

[alekseevic]

I'm afraid you know very little about game mechanisms, young padawan.

LOL, you got the point, I've just read your first lines before answering. I'm sorry about that.

There is a huge discrepancy with what the AI is instructed to do (external AI files which I am in charge of) and what it actually does (takes into account a lot of other factors, and I have briefly explained them above).
So bringing up a screen-shot where "you don't see any in depth defense" is not an argument. If you really want to help out, check the files and tell me where improvements can be made.

I don't want to be rude, but what it actually does is the important thing, I don't care how it does it (through external files or hard-coded). And what I can understand from those scripts is that the problem is not there.

 

[Fernando Torres]

LOL, you got the point, I've just read your first lines before answering. I'm sorry about that.

I don't want to be rude, but what it actually does is the important thing, I don't care how it does it (through external files or hard-coded). And what I can understand from those scripts is that the problem is not there.

Exactly, this is why balancing out Barbarossa is so hard. Not making it too easy for players, but not too harsh for AI.
It's a balance I need to find (and when someone else brings changes to the game between versions, I need to go all over again through the AI files and rebalance them).
I have ran some tests today and will continue to tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully I will make some progress.
But grand strategic games AI is really a tricky thing to code. It does not always pays back.

 

[alekseevic]

I know that the passage is very narrow (if it exists). You should anyway be proud of what you did in the AI vs AI case, it's perfectly balanced.

Tomorrow I'll give a try to this mod and there will be no mercy.

 

[Twengar]

Tried two times the scenario 1940 as Germany, with and without the change (normal/normal):
First time i got French armistice at 10 of june, without the change
Second time i got it the 4th of june !
I didn't play much better the second time, and i didn't feel the changes, unless it is for the moment only programmed for Barbarossa?