A.I. Rather poor in Demo

[Alexander the Adequate]

Have you set the AI on VH difficulty yet? You can do so in the preference files.

I agree though, on M the enemy AI was rather lacking in the intelligence department. They would form squares for no reason and then sit in place while I filled them with cannister. Fortunately I have had better luck on VH.

[Sol Invictus]

Compared to earlier TW games, I think it is an improvement. Even in a victory, I have taken quite a few casualties. This battle is also set up to mimic the historical battle, which was a solid British victory. I would like to see how the AI does if the sides were reversed.

[Monk]

Have you set the AI on VH difficulty yet? You can do so in the preference files.

I agree though, on M the enemy AI was rather lacking in the intelligence department. They would form squares for no reason and then sit in place while I filled them with cannister. Fortunately I have had better luck on VH.

I would love to try this battle on VH, does anyone know where the scripts file is located on Vista?

[peacemaker]

I dunno. I think the point of the demo was to split your forces so only some of your army crosses the river. When I did that, I got my butt handed to me even on M. Sure, if you send your whole army one way that the AI doesn't expect, they'll probably make a stupid move one time or another.

Remember, this is still a vast improvement from the AI of Rome and M2

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I was pleasantly surprised by the AI - I last encountered AI so good in M:TW.

[ratbarf]

I also think the AI was rather poor, on VH I sent my three units of cavalry along the alternate route and as soon as they crossed the river the entire yank army up and left to that side even though I had all of my infantry right infront of the first river crossing! IF it was scripted I can forgive them but if it wasn't this isn't shaping up to be to good, after they killed my cav I had already taken out all of their arty (as the arty was shooting at the cav across the map at the time) and then took the village and killed them as they came back in ones or twos.... It was most depressing.

[A Very Super Market]

It is scripted. As soon as you cross the other ford, the majority of the army runs back to the town.

[quadalpha]

I would love to try this battle on VH, does anyone know where the scripts file is located on Vista?

In vista, you go to C:\Users\[name]\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\[etc.] You will need to show hidden folders to see AppData.

[Monk]

In vista, you go to C:\Users\[name]\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\[etc.] You will need to show hidden folders to see AppData.

You're my hero.

[Masek]

Hi,

the AI (better term AS) is unluckily like most AIs in tactical or strategic games: weak. Since
"depth search" is not viable, it restricts itself to a number of heuristics. Don't get me wrong,
i love the TW series, but the AI never ever impressed me. I've done 1000's of battles from
Shogun to M2. I can never recall being genuinely surprised by a move of the AI (except by
those "how can it be so stupid"-type of moves).

Typical shortcomings are:

• It fights in pennypockets. I stand there with 4-5 units in plain sight and it sends 2-3 units to attack. Naturaly they get slaughtered.
• The AI completely lacks the concept of "Schwerpunkt", a main focus for an attack. The only tactic known seems to be "All units advance" and "We make a frontal at their strongest point".
• I have never ever seen something like a "fighting retreat". Sometimes you're doomed: The best thing in those cases is to sacrifice some units (least mobile or worst positioned) to buy time for other units to flee. The AI instead loves to make a "final stand".
• In attacks, the timing is often poor. When the last unit attacks, the first is already battered. When units arrive sequentially in firing range, it allows me to concentrate my fire.
• The AI is too easily flanked. There are nearly never keeps enough reserves. Even with numerical superiority, it can be flanked by drawing out the line and using the reserves on a flank attack.

A positive point for the AI in E:TW is, that it feels "nimbler" to me.

Sincerely yours, Martin

P.S. I hope i got all "tactical" terms correctly, english is my second language.

[Gaius Terentius Varro]

I was able to win every time by just sending my cav, the cannons and a unit infantry: grenadiers to protect the cannons around the back i set up a def position(which i slowly pushed forward) and the AI sent 2-3 units at a time to get slaughtered untill it had only cannons left. Then i sent the all my remaining infantry to zerg the cannons. Now explain to me the good AI part please. I understand its new and shiney but in 2 months we'll be sitting here waiting for a patch ... AGAIN

[NimitsTexan]

I do believe there is a fair amount of scripting handicapping/helping (who knows?) the AI in this battle, as, regardless of my moves or force composition of my wings, the AI pretty much never changes its moves.

Also, I think, despire the American numerical advantage, they rather stacked the odds against the Americans. In one play through, I pretty much got a stand up firefight with my 6 British battalions (with the Hessian brigade in reserve and out of the way) against the whole of the Yankee line on the plain behind the inital American MLR. Needless to say, I routed them all with pure firepower, while sustaining acceptable losses and no routes on my part.

[X6_861]

I think this is more of a quirk than anything, but I've played the Battle of Brandywine 4 times, and each time those stupid long rifle men turn around, lay down their stakes, and the turn back around to fire. So, in essence, the stakes are pointed toward them instead of toward my charging cavalry.