New Division Behavior In 1.4

[Marching Thru Georgia]

I played another army vs army game last night in command of a corps. One of my divisions was held in reserve and had deployed to defensively to meet the threat axis of the enemy. The enemy AI sent brigade in the vicinity, (600 yd) of that division's flank. The division commander spotted this and calmly ordered his reserve brigade over to the flank and refuse it with the entire brigade while maintaining his other brigades in their original posture. My mouth literally dropped open. I have never seen this level of sophisticated maneuvering at the division level before. It may not sound like a big thing, but it indicates that the AI knows tactics. Hats off to Norb & Co. for this great AI improvement.

[gbs]

Wow!

[Jack ONeill]

Wow indeed!... :woohoo:

Jack B)

[Amish John]

It's almost like magic.

[Marching Thru Georgia]

Even better, the division commander actually takes care and spaces out his brigades. No more crowding them together and sending them forward. He really handles his forces intelligently. For TC abstainers, there is a significant learning curve. The corps player must make sure his divisions have plenty of space all around them for deployment. Otherwise, it takes a very long time for the division to sort itself out.

I played in my usual style and moved one of my divisions close to another one from a different corps. It took ~15 minutes for him to untangle himself, when I gave the order to deploy and begin moving. At first I thought something was wrong, troops and arty batteries were just standing around. I was right there was something wrong. My generalship was poor at best. I gave plenty of space to my other two divisions, and they deployed, moved forward and dismantled the enemy is short order. I was essentially a spectator. As any corps commander should be if he has good subordinates.

This new behavior is very realistic. The player will be punished for placing his troops poorly.

[Jack ONeill]

OMG! I.....May....Have.....To....Let....My......Brigade Commanders.....actually operate....(Gasp!)on their own....Swoon!

Jack B)

[Marching Thru Georgia]

More news from the front.

As corps commander I received a request to help out a fellow commander who was in trouble. When I get to the scene I deploy my two divisions in a very long line. On my left flank an enemy brigade deploys and just watches me. They don't move a muscle. That's remarkable, it's a brigade from Hood's division. In all previous versions, the AI would advance regardless of the odds. When I saw that the AI wouldn't attack I ordered an entire division to advance. I wanted to take them out fast. As the division moved out another enemy brigade came over the hill and extended the line to protect the flank. My division commander sees this will no longer be a walkover, stops the advance and then begins to deploy more troops to meet the added threat. The enemy still doesn't move. Unfavorable odds?

My men advance again and come within range. The enemy finally moves, but stops at stone walls! The AI now knows about cover?! At first I thought it just an accident, but 4 regiments did exactly this. No accident. As the battle began, I looked down and notice I already had nearly 3,000 casualties! WTF. While I had been watching the show, two enemy divisions were assaulting my right flank, which was out of my sight. They were cooperating very well, not getting in each other's way as they would previously. I began ordering all the artillery to that flank to try and shore up things. Suddenly, men in blue suits begin running past me coming from the other flank. Galloping back there, I see that the enemy AI has bought up two more brigades. Now they are not just standing there, but advancing. The AI does knows about odds!

At this point, like a cruise ship captain, I decide to man the lifeboat and find a bar. I haven't been spanked that badly in a long time. In fact, it still hurts to sit. :laugh:

I thought we were told that 1.4 was just a minor patch. Can't trust anyone. :ohmy:

[Blaugrana]

Interesting about the cover. I've found this one of the most disappointing gaps in the AI's knowledge in previous versions.

Since 1.4 I have seen some regiments using cover, but I'm still seeing regiments trading fire with their flagbearer a few yards from a stone wall and thus not benefitting from it. It would be good to know what has been done.

[Marching Thru Georgia]

Blaugrana wrote:

Interesting about the cover. I've found this one of the most disappointing gaps in the AI's knowledge in previous versions.

Agreed. However, I just finished another battle and another embarrassing defeat. Initially, I ordered a division to form a double line up one side and down the other side of a hill. The division commander did so BUT ordered the brigade at the end of the line to form up at a right angle along the hillside to refuse the exposed flank. And this was with no enemy in sight. He knew the hill had good defensive value and made use of it! I've never seen that happen before. Now I just need to learn how to be a better general. :pinch:

[Blaugrana]

Nice - it is interesting to see what AI subordinates do. One of the things I like about flying around the battlefield is being able to watch things develop - when in the saddle I find out what happened from the newspapers ...