Best Difficulty Settings

[Zoetermeer]

In your experience, what are the best difficulty settings to use? I know a lot of this depends on how experienced you are with the game, but it's taken some tweaking for me to get it right.

I just started a new 1862 scenario (2 theater) playing as the CSA with the AI set to:

-Hard
-High aggressiveness
-Medium detection bonus

This seems to be giving pretty good results so far. The Union AI is very aggressive, but hasn't been overly so to the point of jeopardizing its own positions.

The only thing I noticed is that the AI seems to be able to move units faster...is this one of the bonuses given to the AI when it's set to "Hard"?

[Doomwalker]

I am still playing around with settings, so I will not muddy the water yet with what I have tried.

But, yes increased movement rate is one of the effects of the difficulty setting. Also, the AI units will fight better, it receieves more replacements, and leaders have a better chance of being more reactive.

[Jacek]

Playing as CSA

-Normal
-Normal aggressiveness
-Small detection bonus
-All AI behaviours

Works for me. The AI may seem too timid in the beginning but just wait a few turns when it builds its armies; then it kicks hard. Thes settings give the game a check&mate or cat&mouse feel - less action, but more planning. Don't expect constant offensive form the AI.

[Von Jeager]

Playing as CSA
- Full Campaign

- Hard
- Low Aggressiveness
- Small detection bonus
- All AI Behaviors

I agree with Jaceks assessment. My results are very simliar. The US navy seemed rather dim witted...

I was holding the Ohio river with gunboats until around july of 1863 when one of them died from lack of supply. The USA immediately began "Operation Southern Fried Blitzkreig". The USN simultaniously began running my forts and dropping cavalry everywhere behind my lines. They promptly romped over KY, MO, TX, LA, and took a short breather before waltzing to Montgomery.

All the while, you could hear crickets on the Potomac. After what I had seen in the west and the far west, the LAST thing I was going to do was attack.

I was already having one!



VJ

[Zoetermeer]

I was playing as the Union with:

-Hard
-Normal aggressiveness
-Medium FOW bonuses
-Extra time for the AI

I started in 1862 - the AI threw all its forces at Harper's Ferry and Winchester, which I held with the smaller Army of Virginia. Meanwhile, I did my imitation of the Peninsula campaign - and since Huger and Magruder had been moved up to help the ANV in the Shenandoah, I literally walked into Richmond. Even when I was one region away the AI didn't try to move anything down there.

I actually landed my first corps south of the James to take Norfolk - the AI obviously didn't do anything there either to prevent me from moving up toward Petersburg. Very strange.

[Crimguy]

So what are we saying about the AI - is this a "better play pbem" type of game?

[AndrewKurtz]

So what are we saying about the AI - is this a "better play pbem" type of game?

What game isn't?

[Queeg]

I don't play PBEM, only single player (not enough time to be a consistent opponent). So AI matters to me - a lot. So far, the AI in AACW is pretty good - far better than most games out of the box. I'm sure it will only improve with time.