CO2 BEDA FOMM Quick AAR

[john connor]

Myself, I'm particularly interested in what the AI does or does not do with all the available space in this game. We're all concentrated on hunting down bugs etc in the UI at the moment, but what would be really important, for me, is the continued development of the AI. And I don't just mean adding new features like mounted ops etc. I mean in terms of how the AI handles the challenges with the features it already has. So, for me, I have long wanted the AI to be better at defending and not to simply group itself over objectives when it is defending. That only works at all, after all, if the enemy's objectives are the same as your own. In the big scenarios like From the Meuse to the Rhine, for me, the AI as Axis does a fairly poor job. The scenario is set up with many objectives for Axis AI and it will spend all its time and energy trying to contest the top rated ones, mostly. This quickly leads to a kind of paralysed AI, which only mounts small, sporadic attacks. This was very apparent in Daz's (fairly) recent huge win playing FTMTTR (now over in the Matrix forums) .The AI doesn't seem to have a bigger tactical picture. If it could ignore the objectives - or some of them - and concentrate to form an attack on the relatively weak para units it could repeat history easily, but it can't do this, it seems, especially not on really big maps. Reducing the number of objectives only makes this behaviour more pronounced. And substituting 'kill the enemy' as a main objective is not completely possible (you have to have at least one ground objective). I would like to see Dave try to develop a greater defensive tactical range of possibilities. Ditto attacking. The AI doesn't seem to be able to concentrate force really well to put together big planned attacks, especially attacks using flanking moves, for example. In the present, Beda Fomm, scenario what I would like to see is the Italians (AI) stopping once they find the road blocked then using all the space on this huge map, as happened in the desert war, at least with their motorised units. I know that the Italians have a single objective - to Exit at the bottom of the Via Balbia. And they could do that for a substantial force, by night, sneaking around me, if the AI would only think of that. We'll see if that happens!

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

Well, in an attempt to cover at least the road that runs down the eastern portion of the map, and now that my most forward tank unit has rested to 33% fatigue, I'll move it over to the road. That still leaves all the land to the east of the road for the Axis AI to exploit....



I know - from looking at this scenario from the Axis side - that their single Exit location is at the bottom of the Via Balbia, but since that's black knowledge I won't act on it. For all I actually know as the commander of these forces they could be trying to exit anywhere roughly near the road, I would have thought. I will detach a unit and send it down there, slightly to the East of where I might guess their exit is, just in case.

 

[john connor]

In fact, to be safe (ish) I'll make these 3 changes:
1. 7 Hussars (the lightest armour unit) to the Eastern road.
2. 3 Hussars to re-join 4th armoured HQ as a reserve
3. 106RA AT unit to guard lower reaches of Via Balbia



That gives me an even bigger reserve armour force. I can wait and see where they apply most pressure now.

 

[john connor]

Dawn. Day 2. All my units had an uninterrupted night's sleep! Incredible.



The Italians look like they haven't moved, that they basically went to bed around 9pm and slept until 6pm. Now that's what the English would call a 'continental' approach.....

 

[john connor]

7am. Aside from the 122 men in the circle marked 1, who are pushing east, trying top get between my units, the main Axis line of advance (marked 2) has started up again and seems to be shifting west....



I'm worried the unit pushing east might be armour. It is shown as a motorised infantry company, which would make a lot of dust, I guess, which is the only justification I can see for the spotting being rated 'poor' when there's only 250m or so between my men and the enemy unit. It's raining too.

 

[Daz]

You know that's going to turn out to be a Coy of tanks right?
You need to give it a few more minutes, as its only just flipping form dawn to sunrise. You should get better Intel in a few minutes?

Looking at the axis crosses, I would say you have destroyed a fair amount of their line units.
They probably don't have the strength to remain on the offensive, that's why they have stalled.
It looks to me as though you have as good as won already, and should probably switch to the offensive yourself.

 

[john connor]

Offensive? Get thee behind me, satan. I expect there is a full Italian Division behind the force we have so far destroyed. I will wait and see....

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

I order the 25 pounders to shell this irritating enemy unit, max rof, and task an AC company to Probe it.

 

[john connor]

The 25 pounders don't put them into retreat, and the AC company takes a thrashing as soon as it nears!

 

[john connor]

Since I'm certain this is a tank company and the intel is porked, I surrender to test my theory:



What a surprise!!! It's a tank company.

I guess this is a significant bug, not just because my units cannot identify tanks, it seems, from very close in, but also because I suppose there's no chance, consequently, of them using the right weapons or tactics. I've posted about it in game support.

In my view this unit should have been identified as a tank unit when it was back over by Via Balbia ( a km away) and then I would have sent tanks to block it.

 

[Daz]

That was quite entertaining actually mate, you should have drawn it out longer
Of course I knew all along I would be right

 

[john connor]

It's a nasty problem this, I think. I hope Dave can fix it soon. Until then I'll stop playing this AAR I think, as there's no point when I won't be able to effectively deal with the tanks that are coming and can't properly use the armoured reserve I've so carfefully rested etc

 

[john connor]

Well, maybe I'll\ continue anyway, just to root out other bugs. From now on I'll assume an Engineer unit is a tank unit though. #

I reset to the save before I ordered the armoured cars forward.

Things of note:

1. 3 Hussars to eradicate the tank threat
2. Note that the Italian 'column' really is shifting west. At this point I'm not sure I need to move any units to head it off as the west is already covered. But if tanks (Engineers) appear then I'll order some tanks in. There are 2 'Engineer' units already 'spotted' in that long snake-like column, of course, plus the one on the Via Balbia, but I would like to see where exactly they're headed before committing anything against them.

 

[Daz]

Good opportunity to trap them against the coast maybe?

 

[john connor]

That's a nice idea. But there's 3km between the back of the column and the coast - a lot of space to move in - not sure that trapping them will work. I might try though.

A lot will depend, for me, on how the upcoming tank battle shapes up. I'm wary of their armour so far, not having gone against it. But that's about to happen with that unit that battered my mortars. Then I'll know how cagey I need to be about their tanks.

 

[Daz]

Defence has never been my strong point,
I'm always to eager to get back on the offensive

 

[Robert Ward]

Great AAR John. Following this and Daz's AAR closely.

 

[john connor]

Very kind, Robert. Thanks.

1. I have ordered 2RTR over to the coast road. Those Engineer units in the Italian column have frightened me a little, since they're probably tanks.
2. The attack against the 'Engineer' unit sth of my retreating mortars is going in.