Athena

[Linstock]

Hey folks, just some thoughts about playing against Athena. Older players won't find this helpful, but newer players might.

For a long time, I played as the Union against Athena on sergeant with robust detection and activation bonuses. She threw me a lot of curve balls, and I had to keep on my toes. And then one day I trounced her.

So I upped the difficulty level to lieutenant. It was a mistake in my opinion. Not because I started losing, but because Athena began behaving in a wildly aggressive nature. No matter what occurred in the opening weeks of the game, she invariably went lunging--with all her armies in the east, on occasion--toward Baltimore and Harrisburg. When, after learning to anticipate this move, I began thwarting her, Athena merely sent her armies (in 1861) farther north to Philadelphia, central New York State, etc. This is absurd. It's one thing to seek a tougher challenge, but quite another to undermine plausibility altogether. I had stopped playing a Civil War game and started playing one about the invasion of the north by reckless southern hordes.

So I went back to sergeant difficulty. With the right settings, Athena still keeps me honest and, more importantly, makes me feel as if I'm fighting a conflict vaguely reminiscent of the American Civil War. I still get a semblance of R.E. Lee's wily unpredictability, the thorn-in-the-side nature of Confederate blockade runners, and the slogging nightmare of marching siege trains down the Mississippi. Fortunately, I'm still bad enough a player to be occupied by this. In time I'll rely solely on human opponents. But if you, like me, want a realistic challenge from the AI, don't be fooled by the Lieutenant setting, unless you're comfortable fighting epic battles around my hometown of Rochester, NY.

Now back to making myself a Manhattan. I'll need inspiration for the coming campaigns...

[FENRIS]

Hello ! I really don't know if it's the IA level setting responsible of this "absurd" raids, with IA sergeant or lieutenant I have always Johnston travelling towards Wheeling or Harrisburg.
At the same time, IA seems not interested with Norfolk, and this town remain federal on august 61 !!

[Pocus]

And then one day I trounced her.

This is a family-board Sir, please watch your language!!