Axis AI getting destroyed in recent games?

[Hungrydingo]

So I've started up 2 different games at the U.S.. I adjusted no sliders to buff any AI nations or myself. The summer of 1941 rolls around and I enter the window where Japan declares war on America. Just looking at the map you can tell something is way off. In the 1st game China completely pushed Japan out of mainland Asia, capping Mengchukuo + Manchukuo and liberating Korea. The war actually ended between Japan and China as they apparently made a peace agreement before I could even enter the war as the U.S. Meanwhile Germany and Italy have already been beaten in Africa and the Germans barely push into the Soviet's section of Poland.

In the 2nd playthrough, it was nearly the same thing. China has Japan pushed near Korea and the British and Free French have almost completely wiped out the Axis in Africa. This time Japan actually finished 'Secure the Phillipines' but they did not even declare war on the Phillipines or U.S, which is typically where America enters the war in all of my playthrough. I know in the game the U.S. enters the war around June/July of 1941 which is a lot earlier than they actually did but I've never seen that since Man the Guns was added.

I usually enjoy coming into the war as Africa is still under heavy contest and Japan is pushing half way through China and that is what I am used to seeing. Did I have a couple really unlucky games or did a patch somewhere completely neuter the Axis AI?

 

[walt526]

The patch introduced the new resistance system, which was a major nerf to Germany's industrial capacity since it doesn't accumulate as many factories as it conquers Europe. I have only played as Germany since the patch and have no trouble with Western Europe and Poland, so I can't speak to how the AI performs there. I do agree that Japan does appear to be much weaker than previous versions and historically in v1.9x.

 

[sekelsenmat]

The AI has a crazy usage of MILs. It's 1942 and Germany has: 132 MIL in infantry eq/artillery, 28 in tanks, 29 in aircraft. Not sure why exactly they build so few aircraft... Their tech is also bad, researched 1942 armoured car (no idea why, since it is more expensive then the early one so worse for anti-resistence and useless in combat), but couldn't bother to research 1940 subs, 1940 CAS, 1940 mech.

Maybe the AI doesn't do collaboration missions and ends up with tons of dead from garrisoning?

Also the UK and USA seem to not build tanks, UK often has 2 or zero MILs in tanks. In reality they loved tanks and this is probably a reason why conquering North Africa as the axis is easy.

The shipbuilding is also abismal, most countries cancel all started heavy ships and start building early destroyers...

 

[GermanDave]

Seeing problems here too. ai Germany just choking on Belgium unable to conquer Brüssel.
Wasted my time across two games building up the Soviets as no Barbarossa was even attempted. I tag-switched to GER to see what was going on. Basically a million divisions and the only equipment in eabundance being rifles artillery and about a hundred AA guns.
Good thing Paradox is on holiday as the usual competence hasn't helped for four years.

 

[GermanDave]

Happened again today. Frustrating af. Tag-switched to Germany again: Something goes wrong with the battle plans. One General sits on the Dutch border with 20 divisions and they have no order whatsoever. Ocassional attacks only straight into maginot. Whilst this is going on Italy is üpushing itself to death on he southern border.

 

[Beil]

It is funny last expansion the Axis is crazy OP, and now they are back to struggling massively. this balance is hard to find.

 

[GermanDave]

It is funny last expansion the Axis is crazy OP, and now they are back to struggling massively. this balance is hard to find.

It's not really about balancing here. Something obviously fails within the ai. Ai Germany simply refrains from attacking during certain games. I have had a couple of games where vereything worked as intended and the ai Schliefened just fine because it was actually attacking.
I recommend using the mod 'Expert AI' as a temporary fix until the issue is resolved. Other than that I think Axis dountries have sufficient resources to handle the new resistance system.

 

[Cheesecakeczar]

I saw some post somewhere of Japan always winning. For me that's never been the case. They always get pushed completely out of China.

Meanwhile, Germany takes a whole year to take Kiev. Kind of no point of playing Allies/SU if Germany can't manage its historical advance against AI.

Is there a perfect way to weight the countries for the most challenging but not too challenging (i.e. historical) game?

 

[walt526]

As Germany, I usually buff Japan and the USSR one or two notches (although I haven't been doing this lately since I'm still getting acclimated to LaR). Although the problem with both isn't that they're not strong enough with base endowment; rather, that the AI chooses suboptimal strategies. But c'est la vie.

 

[Vlad123]

In my latest modd game (extra spies only). With Fascist Russia I placed spies in Belgium, Holland, France and then China. With the passive malus given by espionage they capitulated in record time.But this is a "stupid trick" and even a very simple one

 

[spartansociety]

Get expert AI then go to the game customisation options and set Germany to win vs USSR and Japan to win vs China. This will ensure you actually get a game when playing SP US.

 

[Voigt]

The ai_weights for high tech armoured cars aren't set correctly, so it happens that Germany uses they tank research boni for armoured cars instead of High Tech Medium Tanks. After getting 1939 Medium the 1941 is to expensive research wise, so instead the weight choses researchih the armoured car, since it is so cheap with the bonus.

The occupation system is also borked, since the ai chooses bad supression templates.

I improved the ai with ai_strategy_plans somewhat (part of "Bardulon" and "IHMP" mod) but there is only so much you can do.

 

[GermanDave]

The ai_weights for high tech armoured cars aren't set correctly, so it happens that Germany uses they tank research boni for armoured cars instead of High Tech Medium Tanks. After getting 1939 Medium the 1941 is to expensive research wise, so instead the weight choses researchih the armoured car, since it is so cheap with the bonus.

The occupation system is also borked, since the ai chooses bad supression templates.

I improved the ai with ai_strategy_plans somewhat (part of "Bardulon" and "IHMP" mod) but there is only so much you can do.

VOIGT! So glad you're still here. How do I remove the reduced focus tree part from your bardulon mod? It also removes viable options for the uk.

 

[Spelaren]

Good.

 

[Voigt]

@GermanDave Either just remove the the focus file in common/national focus of the mod dir so it loads the the vanilla file or change the game rule at gamestart to either Static or Dynamic (this includes ahistorical paths at start)