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Thread: Naval battle AI

  1. #1

    Default Naval battle AI

    After playing a few custom naval battles to test the AI (on expert, of course) I found the quality of the AI very good. The AI makes very good use of wind direction in plotting course, and takes into consideration weather factors as well in planning its attack (at one point they waited for me to come about on a hard starboard tack in a westerly gale and holed me under the waterline with a well-timed broadside). The timing of their tacks is very good, and they almost never allow themselves to be in irons; generally difficult to get a raking broadside into the stern (this is a huge morale downer for the affected ship).

    Fleet battles are a bit more micromanaging but probably has the simplest controls I've seen in game about fighting sail. Controlling fleets in line has never been easier (any admiral of the age would've probably given two limbs to have such tight control over their lines of battle ). The only complaint I would have about fleet battles is that the AI tends to keep running all of its ships as a group throughout the battle. Problems arise when a ship is disabled in the path of their fleet, and while they do try to change course, they try to do it grouped thus a general course change is taken rather than evasive maneuvers and consequently a few of them would inevitably get caught in the explosion to come.

    Overall, very satisfied with the expert AI on naval battles; its definitely challenging from a tactical standpoint in both solo and fleet battles, and you can't hate the graphics either

  2. #2
    Senior Member Senior Member Fisherking's Avatar
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    Default Re: Naval battle AI

    That sounds really promising .

    I can’t wait until my copy arrives…

    Tell me, is there a way you have found to have your fleet to a turn about or have you had to just reverse the line?


    Education: that which reveals to the wise,
    and conceals from the stupid,
    the vast limits of their knowledge.
    Mark Twain

  3. #3

    Default Re: Naval battle AI

    Quote Originally Posted by Marquis of Roland View Post
    Controlling fleets in line has never been easier (any admiral of the age would've probably given two limbs to have such tight control over their lines of battle ).
    Can you explain how to get the ships to behave as a group? I'm having major problems getting the group and group formation buttons to work

  4. #4

    Default Re: Naval battle AI

    In line of battle formation, all ships will follow the exact course taken by the lead ship, so tacking while keeping line formation is not a problem. I haven't gotten into a situation where I had to reverse the line as a fleet yet. Its not a formation option, but perhaps you can do it by ungrouping and then regrouping your fleet in in such a way as to have the last ship become the lead ship; not really sure about that right now though.

    IsItStillThere, what kind of problems are you having with grouping/formation?

  5. #5

    Default Re: Naval battle AI

    Starting with the 1vs.1 naval battle scenario. I have four ships. If I group them and click the line formation button, they all start turning in random directions. So, I restart the battle, figuring they are already in that formation. I group them again, then give sailing orders to the first ship in line. The rest of the ships ignore the orders.

    Grouping the ships and giving them other formation orders leads to equally random results. They never actually end up in formation.

    Thanks for any advice you can give!
    Last edited by IsItStillThere; 03-06-2009 at 22:36. Reason: gratitude

  6. #6

    Default Re: Naval battle AI

    Wow, I really don't know why it does that .

    Are you grouping them into formation before or after the battle starts? Maybe if you grouped afterward they were getting into position? Or maybe you reclicked on the lead unit when you gave orders? Long shots I know but mine doesn't behave that way at all. If all else fails, might wanna try reinstalling or something.

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