Why does the AI not build reserve divisions?

[JScott991]

And can I make them?

Reserve divisions are cheap and extremely effective. So why does the AI not build them?

The small Balkan countries can't build real divisions because of the cost. Why don't they compensate by building reserves? The same goes for Japan, Turkey, Holland, Sweden, and other middle powers. It doesn't make any sense.

In the AI file there is a percentage of divisions that should be mobilized command. Can you force the AI to build reserves by reducing this number? Would this work for Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania or would they simply still not build units?

Anyone have any thoughts on this issue?

 

[unmerged(19673)]

I was under the impression that they could. They always seem to *mobalize* when someone declares war on them

 

[Darkrenown]

I seem to recall seeing either canned food or small arms commonly set to sell over 30 when switching to AI countries, it could be that they just never have enough goods to build them.

 

[JScott991]

That's probably the reason, but that seems kind of a silly AI quirk.

They should fix it.

 

[Stonewall]

The ai builds reserve divisions.

 

[Darkrenown]

Majors build some, but many don't.

 

[Narug]

Bavaria certainly builds them

 

[unmerged(25053)]

It depends. In one game, Austria had approximately 50 reserves. They buily line units rather well. In another game, Austria had crap for line units, but over 100 reserves.

The difference? Well, maybe random rolls. Then again, I was Prussia in both games. In the first game, I had large reserves and sold a small amount of artillery and small arms on the WM. In the second game, I did not sell this equipment on the WM and keot most of it for myself. I also had a smaller reserve force (I don't use reserves unless against Russia. The POPs come back as labourers and farmers I read, messing up my econ strategy.) So, in the second game there was not much artillery/small arms on the WM.

Also note that small countries have smaller populations and that is also a factor.

PS: In first game, Bavaria had such a large reserve force they were a Great Power. They had Mil rating 100+ and was like 3rd in mil power. In the second game, they had like nothing for a reserve. Again, since I believe there was a shortage of small arms on the WM, Bavaria was limited in reserve growth. Also, I keep canned goods production low.

Hey, when forming Germany, has anyone noticed many small arms and artillery and ammo factories all over Germany? or no.

 

[JScott991]

It has very little to do with goods availability. As France, in all my games, I always export artillery and small arms in great numbers. I never limit my export of those goods and I seldom build artillery divisions of my own or navy until heavy cruisers and battleships are available. Therefore the market always has some supply.

The AI builds a few reserve divisions, but not very many for the most part. The minor power AI builds next to none, even though theoretically, they would get more bang for their buck if they built reserves instead of active units.

Its a problem that would require some AI fixes I guess. I don't think editing the AI file will have much effect on letting the majors and Balkan countries maintain reserves so as to give both the true 1870/1914 feel for how mobilization worked and the size of armies that could be maintained.

 

[pimparel]

Bavaria certainly builds them

They start with a lot of reserve, not build them.

 

[Stonewall]

Technically, the only way to get reserve divisions is to mobilize your army. Reserve isn't a selectable quality, so no amount of ai programming is going to increase the number of reserve versus regular divisions built. The ai is usually pretty good about increasing the mobilization pool and doesn't hesitate to mobilize if involved in a war. I guess I don't really see the problem.

 

[unmerged(25053)]

re Stonewall

I do believe within this thread 'reserve' = 'mobilization'

 

[Stonewall]

re Stonewall

I do believe within this thread 'reserve' = 'mobilization'

Thats what I thought. It just struck me as odd that people wanted the ai to build more reserve divisions but never mentioned the drawbacks of mobilizing armies. Talk about an economy killer.

 

[Gwalcmai]

But it's better for the economy to hurt for a while than it is to be defeated in war and have the enemy conquer away your economic base. And the small countries that don't get in war all that much would be better off being ready to make an attacker hurt.

 

[unmerged(25053)]

Mobilization works well for some AI contries, like Austria and Russia. Basically, although they have factories, they have far more POPs in RGO, so, no big deal after demobilization. I have seen Russian industry level take huge up-down swings, but the AI still does well as Russia. Austria, too, except both have literace problems and thus tech probs.

I think the AI makes certain that it has at least one POP in an RGO, even during mobilization, so small countries won't increase the mobilization pool much beyond what extra POP's they have.

Or, it may be, unless a country has its own factories for small_arms and especiall canned_goods, it can't/won't stock up the required 50-50 needed for increase. Dunno.

 

[unmerged(25454)]

Prussia and Mexico definitely have reserves, or at least reserve potential. As the USA, I invaded Mexico, which only had 3 line divisions, but within four months I was facing 28 divisions. And Prussia can raise 16 at the beginning of the GC.

 

[Waffen9999]

I to have seen Mexico whip out it's reserve divisions. The thing that I don't recall seeing though was the message saying they had mobilized. Imagine my surprise when my 40,000 soldiers were attacked by 200,000 Mexicans at the same time.

 

[unmerged(2238)]

I don't see the AI using as many reserve divisions as it should... I've seen it use some, but given how easy it is to build reserves...