Will we ever see a truly aggressive AI Axis?

[him_15]

As we all know, the main problem with the game right now is the Axis power being too weak and passive, which basically make playing Allied nation super boring.
I was initially excited with the TFV expansion with the introduction of Commonwealth nation, but soon became disappointed since most of the time the war is well over before you get to participate. Germany and Japan normally got bogged down and defeated in Russia and China respectively. You never feel you are in a threat to be invaded. Let's say playing as the Allied nation such as Australia and RAJ, I really want to face a more scary Japan, which means there are chances that I might get invaded and annexed if I don't defend my nation well. But this is certainly not happening in the game right now.
Though I am quite looking forward to the next DLC which focus on the Axis, hopefully the Axis would be more powerful and aggressive, making playing the Allied nation more fun.
Any thought?

 

[Captured Joe]

I'm looking forward to the DLC as well, but mainly for playing as minor Axis country. I remember back in HoI3, when Barbarossa starts off, Axis Romania being a great asset if they support Germany. With some effective allies and their nice manpower, Germany should be able to do better in the east, and with the closing off of the Sahara desert there should be less wasteful war in Africa.

However, the upcoming DLC might also unlock some alternative paths for countries like Romania to go on, like the Little Entente, which might significantly weaken the Axis on the Balkans if the AI goes down that path. If done right, Finland and Hungary should be pretty much guaranteed to go Axis though...

Overall I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

[melkor88]

Yeah I am also hoping we can get the Axis AI up to scratch, they need a big boost to earlier production, as I feel they are still running out of equipment too quickly.

 

[scroggin]

Im not expecting a huge improvement in AI with the next dlc. Trying to program an AI to act as inteligently as a human is beyond current computing capabilities. We should expect improvement with every new dlc or patch. But getting a good AI is a huge task that will take a long time. Steelvolt is doing very well but we should remember its a massive task that will never be finished.

 

[Tomnoddy]

Try playing historically as France, you do indeed feel threatened for the first year or so of warfare. Germany cheesily attacks the low countries one at a time (as if Belgium would still maintain neutrality, and refuse to allow French troops onto their territory after Germany attacks Netherlands and Luxemburg..) then subjects the player to an utterly insane barrage of assaults, attacking with max width until the troops run out of org then immediately attacking with another width limited stack the very next hour.

Germany ends up taking over 2 million casualties in the first 12 months of war and runs its equipment reserves into the ground. After that they crumble rather easily, and the Soviets a little too reluctant to kick off WWIII, but things would have been entertaining to that point.

The problem is if you play as one of the other Allied powers expecting to do an Overlord, since Germany nearly always gets a kicking from Russia or succumbs to the UK's whack-a-mole micro invasions.

 

[Captured Joe]

Try playing historically as France, you do indeed feel threatened for the first year or so of warfare. Germany cheesily attacks the low countries one at a time (as if Belgium would still maintain neutrality, and refuse to allow French troops onto their territory after Germany attacks Netherlands and Luxemburg..) then subjects the player to an utterly insane barrage of assaults, attacking with max width until the troops run out of org then immediately attacking with another width limited stack the very next hour.

Germany ends up taking over 2 million casualties in the first 12 months of war and runs its equipment reserves into the ground. After that they crumble rather easily, and the Soviets a little too reluctant to kick off WWIII, but things would have been entertaining to that point.

The problem however isn't just Germany, it's mostly having to worry about Italy attacking with usually huge Hungarian and German support, and Nationalist Spain threatening to stab you in the unprotected back (especially if the Spanish Civil War has been short). You can't afford to have any breakthrough happen because you most likely won't have reserves to restore the line.

 

[Alex_brunius]

As we all know, the main problem with the game right now is the Axis power being too weak and passive

No it's not.

Actually one of the biggest issues is that the Axis AI (actually all sides AI) is way too aggressive and throws all their infantry repeatedly against extremely bad odds grinding their own equipment and manpower levels down into nothing, and that they never pause to let production catch up which leads to a downward spiral.


When it comes to naval invasions or Japan attacking RAJ/Australia it's most of the time not lack of aggressiveness that's the issue either, it's lack of resources and industry to be able to secure naval superiority and the convoys they need to launch invasions that is missing after a few months of war. The reason for this is actually because USA and UK is too aggressive in fighting them rather then staying passive and gathering forces for a counterattack as they did historically.

 

[Dalwin]

As we all know, the main problem with the game right now is the Axis power being too weak and passive, which basically make playing Allied nation super boring.
I was initially excited with the TFV expansion with the introduction of Commonwealth nation, but soon became disappointed since most of the time the war is well over before you get to participate. Germany and Japan normally got bogged down and defeated in Russia and China respectively. You never feel you are in a threat to be invaded. Let's say playing as the Allied nation such as Australia and RAJ, I really want to face a more scary Japan, which means there are chances that I might get invaded and annexed if I don't defend my nation well. But this is certainly not happening in the game right now.
Though I am quite looking forward to the next DLC which focus on the Axis, hopefully the Axis would be more powerful and aggressive, making playing the Allied nation more fun.
Any thought?

The problems with the AI Axis have nothing to do with passivity or lack of aggression. Its problems lie mainly in the area of economics. The AI cannot run a decent production scheme. Although this affects all sides, it is the Axis upon whom the burden of the early initiative falls. They have to have a successful early buildup to achieve any significant success.

The Axis is also singled out when it comes to resource shortages. Since the importance of such shortages was magnified in v1.3.3, it is no wonder that the Axis suffered as a result.

These economic problems are again magnified by the Axis powers' eagerness to ship troops through hostile waters. They cannot afford the luxury of throwing away so many troops, especially with them being sent to secondary fronts.

Aggression is not the problem, not at all.

 

[fabius]

No it's not.

Actually one of the biggest issues is that the Axis AI (actually all sides AI) is way too aggressive and throws all their infantry repeatedly against extremely bad odds grinding their own equipment and manpower levels down into nothing, and that they never pause to let production catch up which leads to a downward spiral.


When it comes to naval invasions or Japan attacking RAJ/Australia it's most of the time not lack of aggressiveness that's the issue either, it's lack of resources and industry to be able to secure naval superiority and the convoys they need to launch invasions that is missing after a few months of war. The reason for this is actually because USA and UK is too aggressive in fighting them rather then staying passive and gathering forces for a counterattack as they did historically.

That's a big issue. The AI needs to pick areas to go on the defensive.