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I finished my first campaign as the British and found it too easy (all on default except activation which I hat to adjust from default v1.00 setting).

My question is, is the british campaign too easy or is the AI not competent on normal settings? This concerns me because as the british I had to conquer all of the strategic cities, in a rebel infested country, requiring in a lot of planning and taking considerable risks, whereas as the USA I will have to do nothing but defend.

I also see the USA starts with quite a large force and if I dont sacrifice this force in an attack against Boston (as the AI does), I think I will be able to defend behind my rivers quite easily.

This all meaning that I will possibly do better with the USA.

Or what are the recommended difficulty settings for USA/Britain?

Playing the independence war (USA) and on normal and now find the game definitely too easy. Except scripted events the AI failed to take any strategic city, and now I even retook Boston. I am only in the second year and already in a position to destroy the BEF (although the germans have not yet arrived).

I think it has a lot to do with the fact I am still playing with the 1.00b attrition. Plus the AI does not garrison cities in an adequate way, so that I can often retake hard fought objectives a couple of turns later.

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The 1.01b patch will feature a more conservative Continental Army against Boston, and hopefully another tweak on strategic goals assessments.

some things the AI should do better:

for the USA:

- dont attack Boston after turn 1
- put permanent garrisons in strategic points like Richmond, Albany, etc

for the british:

- garrison every conquered town
- keep some large stacks together
- defend along major roads and supply lines

July 1776 and it looks like the BEF will be already wiped out in 1-2 turns!



savegame can be downloaded here

Thank you for your inputs!

Looks like the improved AI is, and will continue to, affect play balance!

Looks like plenty of fun the next few weeks!

I think it is probably better if I begin the campaign not in 1775, but in 1776 when the AI controls at least some part of the map. It seems it can not handle to start with such few towns.

1775 in Massachussetts the AI basically started with 1 base (Boston), which it later on kept only weakly defended so I could capture it. When I took Lexington and Norfolk in a rush movement (that was powergaming I admit), it could never become active in Virginia, so I control that theatre as well. Only in Carolina the AI now has gained some ground thanks to Cornwallis army and other scripted events, but I hold all strategic cities there.

It's just when I think about the large forces it had, and how well I did with the british that I think it is not playing very strong atm.

To some part this might be due to attrition AI forces seem to be always under strength.

Yes attrition is an AI-killer. Also, compared to BOA1, the CA besieging Boston is much more dangerous to the Brits.

Yes it is. Right now AI forces seem to melt away in the sun.

I hope this does not sound like I lamenting, I enjoy the game very much. The lack of difficulty might not be such a problem for absolute beginners, but once you're beyond a certain level the game in its current setup - on normal difficulty - poses no big challenge.

One could already improve that by setting the difficulty higher (though I don't like artificial bonusses for the AI), and hopefully the AI will soon be tuned up to the levels as in ACW.

GlobalExplorer wrote:I hope this does not sound like I lamenting, I enjoy the game very much. The lack of difficulty might not be such a problem for absolute beginners, but once you're beyond a certain level the game in its current setup - on normal difficulty - poses no big challenge.

One could already improve that by setting the difficulty higher (though I don't like artificial bonusses for the AI), and hopefully the AI will soon be tuned up to the levels as in ACW.

I enjoy the feedback. That's how we get better. You have great ideas and clear communication.

The difficulty should be 'icing', not 'base case'. IMHO, a 'beginner' should need to use 'easy' setting.....

Do you have the saved game with several backups on Burgoyne staying outside in winter?

The Burgoyne savegame can be downloaded here

Tell me if you need one 2-3 turns before, when the Burgoyne superstack moved towards Ticonderoga. EDIT: forget, you can use the replay feature

I think he was probing the fort, found it to be too heavily defended and then got entangled with activation / supply just when winter set in. Stupid when instead he should have moved a medium force to Ft. Edwards which was controlled by the british.

I also think the British are severely hampered as long as long as they have not a single transport ship in Lake Champlain, in my last campaign I was sweating myself until I had established a base on the southern shore.

GlobalExplorer wrote:The Burgoyne savegame can be downloaded here

Tell me if you need one 2-3 turns before, when the Burgoyne superstack moved towards Ticonderoga. EDIT: forget, you can use the replay feature

I think he was probing the fort, found it to be too heavily defended and then got entangled with activation / supply just when winter set in. Stupid when instead he should have moved a medium force to Ft. Edwards which was controlled by the british.

I also think the British are severely hampered as long as long as they have not a single transport ship in Lake Champlain, in my last campaign I was sweating myself until I had established a base on the southern shore.

I was just going to post the same thing regarding no naval forces on Lake Champlain. Naval forces on that lake made a HUGE difference in the Northern Campaign.

In 1776, Benedict Arnold and the British both build a fleet (small brigs and gunboats) and fought a battle on the Lake. The Brits won the Battle of Valcour Bay, but Arnold succeeded in delaying their advance until 1777.

When Burgoyne finally launched his offensive in 1777, I'm pretty sure he moved down the lake on bateauxs (I probably butchered that spelling lol). In the game, the British player doesn't have that option at all. In reality it was the only way to do it. As there was enough time to march from Montreal, take Fort Ticonderoga, and then march to Albany in one campaign.

I played one game as the British up through 1777. I took Fort Ticonderoga that year, but it took me 2 or 3 months to march there from Montreal. Had it been defended by a decent sized force, I wouldn't have been able to take it at all because my cohesion was so weakened. I did take it because it was defended by just one regiment. But my army was so weakened by the long march that I had to build a depot there at stop until 1778, at which point the drive to Albany would resume.

So yeah, I think the British should have transports on the lake. More than the one unit that starts at Ticonderoga. Either that, or the option to build transports on the lake should be included in the F3 options. Just my humble thoughts!

Whatever happened to Lodifly's idea of a transport link to get batteaux and Ships from Montreal to Lake Champlain?
I guess Arnold aint building a fleet at Skeenesboro for the Battle of Valcour Island, either. I'm disappointed.

StatboyVT wrote:So yeah, I think the British should have transports on the lake. More than the one unit that starts at Ticonderoga. Either that, or the option to build transports on the lake should be included in the F3 options. Just my humble thoughts!

A "build bateaux" button would be heaven. Just imagine the options for the great lakes if we could do that! Though it's probably not going to take place because it means too much work on the AI.

Otherwise I would be happy with new military options:

- Build ship ( Lake Ontario )
- Build ship ( Lake Champlain )

Great idea StatboyVT!

I also wondered if there could be a new unit: Indian Canoes. Being able to transport a tiny number of men, lets say a transport capacity of 1. That would be so .. athmosperic , especially for the FIW.

Question to those in the knows: is it possible to mod in new units like the one described, or can we only use units already available?

I liked the idea so much that I have quickly made a draft:



Even if canoes had a capacity of zero they could still be used to transport leaders ...

GlobalExplorer wrote:A "build bateaux" button would be heaven. Just imagine the options for the great lakes if we could do that! Though it's probably not going to take place because it means too much work on the AI.

Otherwise I would be happy with new military options:

- Build ship ( Lake Ontario )
- Build ship ( Lake Champlain )

Great idea StatboyVT!

I also wondered if there could be a new unit: Indian Canoes. Being able to transport a tiny number of men, lets say a transport capacity of 1. That would be so .. athmosperic , especially for the FIW.

Question to those in the knows: is it possible to mod in new units like the one described, or can we only use units already available?

I liked the idea so much that I have quickly made a draft:



Even if canoes had a capacity of zero they could still be used to transport leaders ...

Don't sell Athena short! Pocus does some phenominal things with her.

I like the options idea! The more we can 'buy', the less we have to 'force' by event!

Yes, new models and units can be modded into the game...

Note: Most of the 'raider and irregular' leaders and units, as well as some 'colonial' leaders have $ranger movement class. This allows them some water movement inherently [shallow water only]. This is intended to simulate canoes and rowboats. All units in a stack must have this movement class for a stack to move on water.

FM WarB wrote:Whatever happened to Lodifly's idea of a transport link to get batteaux and Ships from Montreal to Lake Champlain?
I guess Arnold aint building a fleet at Skeenesboro for the Battle of Valcour Island, either. I'm disappointed.

1. Dunno, still need to 'vet' the map some more.
2. Patience, grasshopper

lodilefty wrote:I like the options idea! The more we can 'buy', the less we have to 'force' by event!

I couldn't agree more. The problem now is that everything is spawned and very often you go "if I had only known ..". If we get a lot more options in the F3 screen I would be excited.

Actually can these military/diplomatic options be modded too?

Note: Most of the 'raider and irregular' leaders and units, as well as some 'colonial' leaders have $ranger movement class. This allows them some water movement inherently [shallow water only]. This is intended to simulate canoes and rowboats.

Thanks, I thought myself that canoe transport must be limited to irregulars, indians and leaders. There's no way a whole regiment could be laden into canoes with all their equipment and supply, except you had thousands of boats.

About that $ranger movement. The problem is that people can't see it. Except their advantages when operating in the wilderness I was not aware of it until now. So maybe there could be a symbol (Abilities&Indics) that shows a small boat? Otherwise I love how your game models and shows abilities through the symbols, this should actually be considered a textbook example for application of RPG mechanics in a strategy game.

Actually can these military/diplomatic options be modded too?

Yes

I'll look into 'display' of ranger movement....

Maybe it could be an indic? I can't find that word in neither english or french dictionary, but I guess that's what you call those little symbols.

GlobalExplorer wrote:Maybe it could be an indic? I can't find that word in neither english or french dictionary, but I guess that's what you call those little symbols.

Anything more than an 'ability indicator' would get into Game Engine. That's OK, but we'd have to wait for priority.

Meanwhile, attached screenshot shows a way to tell by using the unit detail window. Of course, it says 'skirmisher', but the movement is 'ranger' as seen in the picture....

I'll keep checking...

I know, but I didnt know what "skirmisher" means for the gameplay (the indics have tooltips which I find very useful).

dig yr canoe graphic, 'tho, GE!

GlobalExplorer wrote:Maybe it could be an indic? I can't find that word in neither english or french dictionary, but I guess that's what you call those little symbols.

Could the word you are looking for be "icon?"

Greetings from Subtype_Zero from the subsim forums!

Greetings from Subtype_Zero from the subsim forums!

Hello! The world is small .. Hey, I remember you too .. Have you already made up your mind about purchase? I played Boa2 since release and I think it is much easier to learn and offers a hell of replayability. Though I still think ACW is as great, but it might be a little overwhelming if you're new to these games. And the graphix are slightly better in Boa2.

MadAnthonyWayne wrote:Could the word you are looking for be "icon?"

Not really. Boa is full of icons but I meant the particular one's that indicate the special abilities for leaders, units and stacks. The graphics are in a folder Abilities&Indics so I though they might be using a french word here. I guess the message got through, and will call them 'ability indicator' from now on.

"Indics" might perhpas be an abbreviation for "indicators"?

GlobalExplorer wrote:Maybe it could be an indic? I can't find that word in neither english or french dictionary, but I guess that's what you call those little symbols.

I found it as french slang - informer

Maybe someone who speaks French could tell us if that's correct.

Rafiki wrote:"Indics" might perhpas be an abbreviation for "indicators"?

Oh no, too obvious. Couldn't possibly.


That is a cool canoe.

I got the Burgoyne save, thanks, but this will be a busy week (and I'm going on vacation after this one). I'll look at it anyway... thanks.