Looks interesting! Keen to hear any more tips and tricks for using the AI, as I'm hoping one of my own future AARs will use it more.
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Oh I know you did that. But the USN, the Pacific military, etc. Everything.
But the point of the AAR is to see what the AI can, and can not do, testing out ideas, while finding ways to help direct it, focus it, and allow it to do its job. If I step in ALL the time the Commanders can't build up Skill Points or Traits are fast as they could. It just becomes another American AAR if I took over everything.
The Pacific continues to be a bit of a fiasco.
That future AAR looks interesting, I once did something similar in a play-through with that same nation, with similar results (I didn't get any screenshots, and it was in Semper Fi).
I don't let the AI trade however, because it seems to use up more diplomatic points than I would, for a similar result. (I do the maths myself.)
That future AAR looks interesting, I once did something similar in a play-through with that same nation, with similar results (I didn't get any screenshots, and it was in Semper Fi).
I don't let the AI trade however, because it seems to use up more diplomatic points than I would, for a similar result. (I do the maths myself.)
AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter Two Hundred-Forty-Eight : Defeat After Defeat
How Can The Japanese Do So Well Against Tanks?
Chapter Two Hundred-Forty-Eight : Defeat After Defeat
How Can The Japanese Do So Well Against Tanks?
This chapter starts off with some pretty bad news. The Battle of Phoenix Island has come to an end. The American soldiers were defeated. 1,160 were killed in the Land Combat. Another 1,267 were killed by Japanese Ground Attacks. And 8699 Americans survived to become prisoners of war.
The Japanese invaders lost 942 of their own men. This is not just a defeat but a major defeat.
It only took them a hour to raise their flags up all the flag poles, make Japanese the official language, and start educating the natives on Japanese culture. Funny enough the Submarines are still in Port. Nobody noticed them yet I guess. Or maybe they failed to notice the change in management?
Then one of our crazy CAG Wings went after a Japanese Fleet all by itself.
At the same time we lost the Battle of Butuan. Again. At least the Americans killed 11 Marines and lost nothing. But look at that Yellow.
Of course the 7th Armoured Division decided to go north again. But look! The Japanese are trying to cut them off again!
But I received some wonderful news early in the morning of the 13th. The US won the Battle of General Santos. The Americans lost 237 soldiers while the Japanese lost 565 soldiers.
But then there was bad news. The Marine Corps HQ are lacking troops. Also they want 154 Divisions. Isn't that like nine Armies?
Then the Japanese took the Province of Tandag. Well....not really surprised.
Wishing, no doubt, to force the American forces even farther apart, they also launched the invasion of the Province of Bislig.
And then we lost the Battle of Tangum. The Americans lost 439 soldiers while the Japanese lost 403 soldiers.
It looks like the Front in the Philippines is about to be sliced into tiny pieces. And we close this chapter with me sighing a lot.
I think it is 154 brigades they are after - so only 2-3 armies? Mindanao is looking rather bad at the moment - it will be a great shame if both armoured divisions run out of supplies and are wiped out. 
AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter Two Hundred-Forty-Nine : Operation Hercules
Surprise Bitches!
Chapter Two Hundred-Forty-Nine : Operation Hercules
Surprise Bitches!
So, as you can see, the Pacific Front is not going well. But don't worry. Much of this chapter will not be focusing on that Front. But our new, about to be open, Front.
For in the Mediterranean Sea our 1st Army Transport Fleet is about to arrive at the Port of Cagliari. And when that happens I plan to move quickly.
While waiting for it to arrive I got a report from the Pacific Front. A Japanese Transport was sunk on its way to Lulea, Sweden. Sweden? What would Sweden need from Japan?
Anyway, the 1st Army Transport Fleet finally Rebased in Cagliari by the morning of the 14th. Time for me to get to work!
First I split them into two Fleets. The NEW Fleet was called the 1st Med. Fleet.
The 1st Army Transport Fleet, with six Divisions, was ordered to carry out Operation Hercules which was the German...er...American invasion of Malta.
While trying to decide where to send the 1st Med. Fleet I received news that Tibet was thinking about joining the Allies.
Yes, Tibet, join us. Join us. What could go wrong?
In the end I decided to send the 1st Med. Fleet to Tripoli. I was guessing that the Port was undefended. My logic was that the Italian forces had moved out of North Africa and into the Middle East. Any forces left behind were few and far between. It was a guess but I figured four Infantry Divisions and two Cavalry Divisions should be able to handle whatever was waiting for them.
On the 15th of August, at Midnight, the American forces started to storm the beaches of Malta. Sadly, the Italian Defenders had all the cards. True, the Americans had numbers and the Fleet's big guns. But the Italians were fighting from dug in positions and forts as the Americans tried to reach the shores.
And on top of that Major General Messe must have been picked for his Skill and Traits. Of course the Italians had been at war, on and off, since 1936. They likely have many veterans. While the 1st Army....had no experience outside of the Air Wings.
Then back on the Island of Mindanao the Japanese occupied the Province of Tagum. Darn it Pacific Front! You are bringing me down! I was so happy in the Mediterranean!
Oh. It looks like the Americans want it back. But how well will Cavalry do against Marines? Well, it looks like the Japanese don’t have any Leadership on their side. That should help the Americans.
So we close with the invasion of Malta and the continued struggle in Mindanao.
Good start to your operations in the Med. I'm honoured to see that the USS RoverS3 has become the flagship of Nimitz's fleet, after USS Bullfilter became McCollum's flagship.
We don't talk about the Philippines... let's just focus all of our attention on the Med, it's more fun that way... for now.
We don't talk about the Philippines... let's just focus all of our attention on the Med, it's more fun that way... for now.
Yes, good to see the USS Bullfilter in the action, and the RoverS3 and Stnylan too. Don’t give the Cav much chance in Tagum without reinforcement, even though the Japanese marines are still disorganised from their fight for it. Hope the AI can clear the east coast again and re-establish supply to those exposed armoured units.
For those of you interested in my practice run with Japan....
Back at the Japan I finally took the People's Republic Of China. And when I mean "I" I do mean me. The AI, now with many little Fronts, had no idea where to put its troops and when the war started with the Chinese Communists victory only happened because I rushed my Special Forces to the battle front while my Air Units blasted the enemy before they could leave their provinces.
My strategy was to ignore the spreading Chinese Divisions and ram my way to the Capital. Which worked - the People's Republic of China has little in the way of Victory Points. Also most of their Divisions were Militia with little Organization.
The end result is me coming to the conclusion that the level in which the AI is set is as important as the Army's equipment and numbers. If, for example, playing Germany while invading Poland or the USSR, you are going up against a large Front, yes, but only ONE Front. So turning on the AI on the Theater or Army Group levels is best. Even giving them control of some of the Air Units isn't a bad thing as long as they have airbases and you keep an eye on them.
But when facing the Western Front you have to look at it differently. A human player may see it as one Front. But a AI sees a bunch of tiny Fronts. Which may, or may not, become active War Fronts. So it is best to set up AIs for each of the National Borders. While allowing them to exchange information via a Theater HQ which is controlled by the player.
The farther down the AIs is activated the more PRECISION and CONTROL you will have on the Fronts. And for those with OCD the OOBs are easier to keep neater.
My Pacific AI (in the American AAR) is having issues because every Tag I put on every Island is a another small Front. While a, let us say, Germany Theater with Tags within the USSR can be seen to be dealing with only ONE Front. The size of the AI's forces needs to be based on the Front they are facing. If Denmark declares war on Germany the AI facing Denmark can handle it without the WHOLE Western OOB having to react to it. The other AIs will KNOW about but will likely stand their ground unless the AI facing Denmark needs help.
Yes, AI will send forces to help in other Fronts if they feel it is needed. I have no problem with that and will even reassign the reinforcements to the AI they are trying to help.
Its almost like a single AI can only handle one Front at a time. After that it has problems weighing the importance of where to puts its units. And in the end decides to mass its troops on the Front with the Nation with the highest threat level is. Or if many Fronts are equally threatening it moves units about. It just panics.
So I planned to reorganize the Chinese Theater. On the hopes that instead of massing its troops around Guangxi Clique it will also place units on the border with Yunnan and Xibel San Ma and British Southeast Asia. At least I was planning to but I joined the Axis and German started World War Two. And then I had to see how well the Imperial Japanese Navy could handle the British Asiatic Fleet.
My strategy was to ignore the spreading Chinese Divisions and ram my way to the Capital. Which worked - the People's Republic of China has little in the way of Victory Points. Also most of their Divisions were Militia with little Organization.
The end result is me coming to the conclusion that the level in which the AI is set is as important as the Army's equipment and numbers. If, for example, playing Germany while invading Poland or the USSR, you are going up against a large Front, yes, but only ONE Front. So turning on the AI on the Theater or Army Group levels is best. Even giving them control of some of the Air Units isn't a bad thing as long as they have airbases and you keep an eye on them.
But when facing the Western Front you have to look at it differently. A human player may see it as one Front. But a AI sees a bunch of tiny Fronts. Which may, or may not, become active War Fronts. So it is best to set up AIs for each of the National Borders. While allowing them to exchange information via a Theater HQ which is controlled by the player.
The farther down the AIs is activated the more PRECISION and CONTROL you will have on the Fronts. And for those with OCD the OOBs are easier to keep neater.
My Pacific AI (in the American AAR) is having issues because every Tag I put on every Island is a another small Front. While a, let us say, Germany Theater with Tags within the USSR can be seen to be dealing with only ONE Front. The size of the AI's forces needs to be based on the Front they are facing. If Denmark declares war on Germany the AI facing Denmark can handle it without the WHOLE Western OOB having to react to it. The other AIs will KNOW about but will likely stand their ground unless the AI facing Denmark needs help.
Yes, AI will send forces to help in other Fronts if they feel it is needed. I have no problem with that and will even reassign the reinforcements to the AI they are trying to help.
Its almost like a single AI can only handle one Front at a time. After that it has problems weighing the importance of where to puts its units. And in the end decides to mass its troops on the Front with the Nation with the highest threat level is. Or if many Fronts are equally threatening it moves units about. It just panics.
So I planned to reorganize the Chinese Theater. On the hopes that instead of massing its troops around Guangxi Clique it will also place units on the border with Yunnan and Xibel San Ma and British Southeast Asia. At least I was planning to but I joined the Axis and German started World War Two. And then I had to see how well the Imperial Japanese Navy could handle the British Asiatic Fleet.
I think this problem is a direct result of the AIs being under the same problem that the human has: it cannot see an estimate of how large any particular foreign power's military is, it only sees what is on the border. Especially the naval problem, as one can't see what other nations are building. For example, in my Stahlpakt AAR, there is no way that the Allied AI should have so casually seen that Germany was building two batches of three powerful battlecruisers (then up to nine) and done nothing in response... granted the way the game builds things is ridiculous anyways, so meh.
Taking Malta - how many more convoys will be sacrificed supplying units in this endeavour?
AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter Two Hundred-Fifty : Operation Tripoli
Tripoli - 1942
Chapter Two Hundred-Fifty : Operation Tripoli
Tripoli - 1942
This chapter starts with the Italians taking notice of our assault on Malta and sending in two Wings of Naval Bombers.
Shortly after lunch Operation Tripoli, the second Operation I planned, becomes a reality as the 1st Med. Fleet starts sending the Transports in to unload the American Infantry and Cavalry Divisions. There are no enemy units in the Province to notice this "invasion".
On the other hand the Italian ships in Port have surely noticed this and, as you can see, a Militia Division seems to be on its way. In fact, along with the Militia, is a Garrison Division which is also moving westwards.
About an hour later the Italian Naval Bombers withdraw from their Naval Strike on the 1st Army Transport Fleet.
Later, in the afternoon, the Germans attacked another Convoy of Boston Baked Beans heading for Europe. They sunk a Cargo ship and a Escort ship. Boston must feel very picked on.
Back in Cagliari I have ordered all three Groups to stop operations. I want them to be ready for the move to their NEW airbases when the time comes.
Sadly, action in the Pacific Front dragged me back to the Island of Mindanao. It seems a enemy CAG have launched a Ground Attack on the Province of Bislig. Which is bad. But also tells me a Japanese Carrier is close by!
The Japanese CAG withdraw back to their Carrier after killing 21 American Tankers.
The Japanese pilots came back for two more Ground Attacks on the 6th Armoured Division.
They ended up killing a total of 72 Americans in those two attacks. Not looking good for the Battle of Bislig.
Then the 7th Armoured Division did something that, normally, would have annoyed me. Once again they turned around and attacked the Marine Division.
But after a few seconds I realized that might not be a BAD idea. The 19 Rikusentai was the enemy Division attacking the 6th Armoured Division. It had no Commander and was already low on Organization. And now it was involved in TWO Battles.
As I pondered this the Japanese Carrier, or Carriers, launched a Ground Attack on Davao. I guess they wanted to go after a lot of targets. Unless they are planning to attack the Port from the sea?
The Province of Tripoli, along with its Port, Anti-Aircraft guns, Coastal Forts, and Airbases now belonged to the Allies. Without a shot being fired the 1st Army had opened up a NEW Front.
So we close this chapter with one of my planned Operations finished, one being carried out, and one yet to be started. Then I will hand the 1st Army back to the AI.
Americans in Tripoli! Let's pop the champagne! Sadly there will be no beans with that champagne as the vessel that was supposed to bring them got sunk by a U-boat... (Great to see the beans make a comeback.)
And it’s a long way back for the bulk of the Italian army in Africa. I wonder if they will try to ship new forces across from the mainland to contest the invasion of Libya? In Mindanao, I’d be applauding the diversion by the AI: I’m thinking that armoured div would never make it to another port before running out of supplies, so they’re better off trying to reestablish supply lines. Then hope an infantry unit is given the task of going north.
AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter Two Hundred-Fifty-One : The Fronts Heat Up
The Regia Marina Clashes With The US Navy
Chapter Two Hundred-Fifty-One : The Fronts Heat Up
The Regia Marina Clashes With The US Navy
This chapter opens with me telling the 13th USAAF Dive Bombing Group to Rebase at Tripoli. I wanted to give the Divisions there some air support.
I also told the 1st Med. Fleet to stop trying to return to Cagliari. The Italian ships would be forced out of the Port of Tripoli soon and I wanted them to receive a warm welcome from our Carriers.
Back in the Philippines the Japanese launched two Ground Attacks. One on Bislig.
And one on Surigan. Oh boy. This is going to hurt.
Back in Tripoli I order all but two of the Infantry Divisions to advance out of the Province. I want to set up defenses before handing it over to the AI.
Then it happened. The Italians flee the Port and into the welcoming arms of the Carrier Attack Groups. Looks like the Italian Fleet was made up of only Destroyers and Transports. Their heavier ships must be elsewhere.
At the same time the American pilots were attacking the Italian ships the American ships moved in to engage. The Naval Battle the Gulf of Gabes, the first naval engagement between the US and a European Axis power, had begun.
And while this was going on the Japanese Ground Attack on Davao finally came to a close and the result was 68 Americans killed.
Then I remember that CAGs, while on CAG Duty as a default settings, needed to be told to do anything else. So I ordered the CAGs of the 1st Army Transport Fleet to start Ground Attacks on Malta. In hindsight maybe I should have ordered a few to Air Intercept?
I also gave them Priority for Upgrades and Replacements. Just in case.
And to add to the Italians' pain I ordered the 13th USAAF Dive Bombing Group out on a Naval Strike. Why not just pile on the bombs? And yes, they were Prioritized for Upgrades and Replacements also.
And so we close with a LOT of events happening on both Fronts. Which Front will give me good news and which Front will give me bad news?
Hey folks,
For those of you interested in my practice game...
For those of you interested in my practice game...
Events started to happen quickly after German and Italy formed the Axis and I have Japan join it. My Neutrality dropped like a stone and I found I could declare war pretty much on anybody I wanted! So, of course, I declared war on Guangxu Clique. My Special Forces tried to fight their way to the enemy capital, my Carriers launched ground attacks on the enemy, and so on.
Then World War Two broke out and I found myself fighting the English and the French. Oh boy. So all the Fleets got pulled out, including the Carrier Task Forces, to patrol the waters between my territories and Singapore to find and fight Allied Naval Forces. As this was happening my first Marine Division was created and, before it was 100 percent ready, it was loaded on a Transport Fleet and was heading towards Hong Kong. I also started bombing it to soften it before the invasion. And without me noticing the Beiping HQ sent a Cavalry Division to hit it from the north!
At the same time the Beiping HQ had capture the French province of Zhanjiang and some of my Air Units, having been given general orders to attack ground targets, had started attacking the French Colonial forces in Indochina. At this time a British Fleet had entered my waters and was defeated twice. The British AI must have overestimated its power when compared to mine and the enemy fleet was soon fleeing to Hong Kong. Right when it was being invaded by my Marines! Of course once it was docked in Hong Kong I ignored it - I didn't want to damage the PORT!
The UK and France started sinking my convoys in European waters but there was not much I could do about that. In the end Guangxu Clique's capital fell to the Special Forces, the British Fleet was forced to flee Hong Kong after it fell to the Japanese forces, and it looks like they took a beating. In the end they lost two Destroyer Flotillas, a Light Cruiser, and one of their Escort Carriers. The rest of the British ships escaped. But only after much damage.
I was somewhat impressed by the small things the AI had carried out without my direction. I was starting to think that AIs were able to handle small actions and large wars. But the between conflicts...maybe THAT'S where it had problems? It was almost like operations that required a certain about of judging on the proper amount of force, that needed a certain way to approach the conflict, was beyond it.
So while the Beiping HQ prepared for the next conflict I had to figure out how to attack the British colonies - many of which were outside the range of my older ships!
Also, I realized, now at war with the Allies, I would have to tell the Chinese AI to worry about that red border we had with the British.
Then World War Two broke out and I found myself fighting the English and the French. Oh boy. So all the Fleets got pulled out, including the Carrier Task Forces, to patrol the waters between my territories and Singapore to find and fight Allied Naval Forces. As this was happening my first Marine Division was created and, before it was 100 percent ready, it was loaded on a Transport Fleet and was heading towards Hong Kong. I also started bombing it to soften it before the invasion. And without me noticing the Beiping HQ sent a Cavalry Division to hit it from the north!
At the same time the Beiping HQ had capture the French province of Zhanjiang and some of my Air Units, having been given general orders to attack ground targets, had started attacking the French Colonial forces in Indochina. At this time a British Fleet had entered my waters and was defeated twice. The British AI must have overestimated its power when compared to mine and the enemy fleet was soon fleeing to Hong Kong. Right when it was being invaded by my Marines! Of course once it was docked in Hong Kong I ignored it - I didn't want to damage the PORT!
The UK and France started sinking my convoys in European waters but there was not much I could do about that. In the end Guangxu Clique's capital fell to the Special Forces, the British Fleet was forced to flee Hong Kong after it fell to the Japanese forces, and it looks like they took a beating. In the end they lost two Destroyer Flotillas, a Light Cruiser, and one of their Escort Carriers. The rest of the British ships escaped. But only after much damage.
I was somewhat impressed by the small things the AI had carried out without my direction. I was starting to think that AIs were able to handle small actions and large wars. But the between conflicts...maybe THAT'S where it had problems? It was almost like operations that required a certain about of judging on the proper amount of force, that needed a certain way to approach the conflict, was beyond it.
So while the Beiping HQ prepared for the next conflict I had to figure out how to attack the British colonies - many of which were outside the range of my older ships!
Also, I realized, now at war with the Allies, I would have to tell the Chinese AI to worry about that red border we had with the British.
This looks great - concise, well explained texts and interesting graphics. I look forward to seeing how this develops. The AI throws up interesting results in land heavy powers such as the USSR, and I am interested to see how the AI handles a maritime challenge given the AI US is typically dormant in the Pacific.