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unmerged(90310)

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Jan 3, 2008
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  • Hearts of Iron III
Welcome to this weeks edition of our Arsenal of Democracy Development Diary.

Today I will talk about the changes we made in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

First of all, let me assure you that we changed a lot regarding the actual execution and calculation of the AI code. We implemented new algorithms that now allow for faster and more efficient resource usage then in previous HoI versions. Actual optimization in the code also affects the strategic level the AI is now able to handle. For larger countries as the US, it now actually tries to keep an eye on the big picture e.g. the pacific and European campaign are no more seen as independent theatres versus multiple enemies but as different fronts against a unified enemy (in this case, the Axis powers). According to this, it now tries
To distribute forces more efficient.

Also AI on an operative scale vastly improved. You are now more likely to run into encirclements or into the risk of getting massively bombed without decent matching air coverage. The AI now proves to be a real tough competition in all areas of the game.
In Land Combat it switches and moves its troops efficiently from reserve positions back and forth to the front line to provide a stable defence line against your attacks. It lays traps in terms of small bad defended gaps in the frontline to lure you away from your original plans and into unfavourable positions – from which it strikes hard at your forces and gives you unexpected resistance.

We have improved the general AI interface of Ground and Air coordination on a massive scale. Air Forces now have a more important impact on the AI strategy at a whole and the AI themselve tends to use them more and also in a slightly smarter and efficient way.

The Garrison AI has also been vastly remodelled. It now tries to optimise the occupation process itself. It processes an intelligent distribution of minimal troops for a maximum effect e.g. best suppression and defence of key provinces and victory points.

On the maritime side, the Naval AI tends to create more efficient fleet combinations for the different tasks it faces. It will create large fleet concentrations by itself with an emphasize on battleships for invasions, depending on resources and doctrines carrier fleets for sea dominance, and for transport, screening, convoy or ASW missions small flexible task forces. The overall coordination between the various fleets of a country has been greatly optimised.

The AI system and files itself can be edited and modified by a mix of static values and dynamic rules.

I hope I could give you a small insight into AoD’s AI system. Stay tuned for next week’s DD when I will introduce you into the aspect of modability and National Ideas.

Attached are some random screens from the diplomatic section for your entertainment.

dd1wa.jpg


dd2qn.jpg
 
Sounds awesome, if the AI does as you promise it will, likely the game will once again be challenging :p

Curious though regarding concrete scenarios: will we see a real Islandhopping campaign by the AI, as if I remember correctly, it needs to do so to be able to gain forward naval bases?
In your estimates, will a AI SU be able to live longer than '42?
 
Sounds great. Esp. Soviet AI has been too easy to overcome. This looks more and more like a completely new game - which means I can no longer rely on those lectures I´ve learnt the hard way *sigh* Hey, we´re up to a new (and real) challenge :p

BTW during the period of delay while changing ministers etc. will there be any bonus from the former minister at all?
 
just a small comment - lots of historical military doctrines were "stupid", for example "Bomber Mafia" in USA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bomber_Mafia), a quote from there "Although flawed and tested only under optimal conditions, the doctrine (originally known as the "industrial web theory") became the primary airpower strategy of the United States in the planning for World War II. Four former instructors of the school, the core of the "Bomber Mafia", produced the two airpower war plans (AWPD-1 and AWPD-42) that guided the wartime expansion and deployment of the Army Air Forces."
Also, for example while strategic retreat was acceptable military strategy in UK, it was nearly impossible in USSR and Germany. So, might there be historical doctrines represented in game in AI's action? Because otherwise this looks similar to DAIM - the AI will do the best course of action it can do, not the realistic or historical. Similarly, historically, as far as I know, during WW1 it was considered that there aint effective weapon against submarines, so if it caches transport, then thats it. Only towards the end of the war strategic thinking changed and convoys were added to the unarmed transports. Stupid, but it's historical and was reasonable at the time. Anyways, the changes look staggering and great!

And I very much hope you have mobilization implemented, some mods have done that, but it should be a system, not just events. Also would be great if "society" would react to military victories, defeats, retreats, nuclear bombings and similar. Similarly, it would be great if countries would react to movements and gatherings of armies on its borders or shores.
 
"Moving this step now, will increase Dissent by: 10.90"

Good Gods. You have implemented a way to quickly shift policies without having to wait a year, haven't you. You have doomed us all. :eek:

I'm speechless. This game seems a must-have.
 
Whoa! 10 dissent for moving hawk?!?!

EDIT: yeah...LeeDub's idea would make more sense, wouldn't it...
 
Whoa! 10 dissent for moving hawk?!?!

EDIT: yeah...LeeDub's idea would make more sense, wouldn't it...

yup... i think he's on the right track.. not that i would know ;)
 
about what Ithron said, this depends on the teh that the nation chooses, so that means there should be more self-expluding military doctrines.

so if USA picks carpet bombing in stead of moskito-strategy, the AI will build many heavy bombers at the expense of CAS

also the newly implemented national ideas should have an effect upon AI (beside bonuses) a very nationalistic faction would tend to resist more, an expansionist country will attack more... but well have to wait a week in order to make comments on that
 
Will the new AI convoy raid effectively? And go after convoy raiders? In vanilla, AI Royal Navy dominance at sea never seemed to diminish Axis supply or resource convoys, which made it easy (albeit gamey) to seize and exploit a resource-rich overseas colony as Germany.

Also, will the AI defend beaches?! So AI UK will no longer leave the home isles barely guarded?
 
Im hoping that dissent is mor important in that case. Elso opening move would just be slider reorganization and spend some time not producing anything, since slider moves are often worth quite a bit of dissent.

Yeah. Germany IIRC has 3 slider moves to full Central Planning in 1936, giving them a +20% IC...which should make up for what looks to be +30 dissent by 1937. Of course, this means GER only gets 2 rounds of IC spamming instead of 3, but the early IC bonus makes up for it.
 
Yeah. Germany IIRC has 3 slider moves to full Central Planning in 1936, giving them a +20% IC...which should make up for what looks to be +30 dissent by 1937. Of course, this means GER only gets 2 rounds of IC spamming instead of 3, but the early IC bonus makes up for it.

I would've guessed that the dissent hit 1) decreases the closer you get to 1 year from the last one and 2) would jump real high if you had just force-moved it, i.e. a base 10 dissent penalty when you have 1 year left (i.e. just moved "normally") and then adding x*base penalty if you force move it. Like for instance, if you force-move it at 10 dissent hit, it resets to the base 10 plus for instance half what you were at before, netting 15, or even 100% of what you had, giving 20 and a net of 30 dissent for three instant moves (including the free normal one).

I'm not basing this on anything though, that's just how I'd design it in order to balance it. Not sure what x would be though.