American AAR : AI Experiments In HoI3

[Eurasia]

AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter Two Hundred-Twenty-Six : Hot Naval Strike Action!

Japanese Destroyers At Sea
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We open with some result announcements. At Christmas Island the Japanese pilots had killed another 62 American Defenders. Also it turns out the bloodless Battle of Tandag had not been so bloodless. The American CAG had killed 26 Japanese fleeing officers and soldiers.

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The Japanese pilots returned to Christmas Island shortly after the American Defenders had finished their breakfast and the horses had finished their oats.

Then there was more bad news. The Germans had sunk another shipment for Europe that had launched out of Boston. And so many tons of Special Ice Cream Sandwiches have been sent to the bottom of the ocean.

Then there was some good news. Some American pilots had found a Japanese Fleet and launched a Naval Strike on it. Looks like Nagano and his Fleet got a little too close to the Marshall Islands.

A report came from Christmas Island. Another 52 American soldiers had died under the Japanese attack.

It wasn't long before the Japanese pilots returned with new bombs for Christmas Island. At least they waited till after lunch.

The Naval Strike on Nagano's Fleet came to an end. Seems we did some damage. But how much?

The Japanese pilots withdrew from Christmas Island airspace after killing another 44 soldiers.

Of course the Japanese pilots were back early the next morning. The poor Americans, and their horses, were forced to take shelter while the bombs fell.

Even while this was happening the Americans found themselves another Japanese Fleet to launch a Naval Strike on. This time it was Fukudome and his Fleet which was the target.

Both the Japanese Ground Attack and the American Naval Strike ended at the same time. The Americans lost another 36 soldiers on Christmas Island while the American pilots reported that they had done some damage against the Japanese Fleet.

So we close this chapter with a exchange of blows between the two sides. Who is winning? Who is losing? Which side has the better AIs? And was the enemy coming for the Marshall Islands? Would the US have any islands left by the end of the year?

 

[roverS3]

So the USN is reduced to one-off naval strikes. Those are the equivalent of a bee-sting to the IJN, somewhat annoying, but quickly overcome. Where is Admiral King, with his bold risk-taking, sailing into Japanese home waters etc? US fleets seem to just spend their time going from one base to the next and handing out occasional bee-stings to passing enemy fleets. The AI is truly a wonder of pacific strategy...

 

[Bullfilter]

AI vs AI? A bit like a Dutch auction ...

By the look of those Special Ice Cream Sandwiches, the German Navy may have done the cardiac health of Swedish citizens a favour!

 

[stnylan]

Not that I played HoI3 much, but one of my pet peeves was always the "damaging ships" report. It is so amazingly uninformative.

 

[roverS3]

Not that I played HoI3 much, but one of my pet peeves was always the "damaging ships" report. It is so amazingly uninformative.

Yes, it's the same with Air Battles. You could make the argument that it's the fog of war, but then they go and give you exact casualty counts for battles on the ground. They could at least give estimates of the damage caused, the number of hits, anything...even a damage percentage. Sadly this, and many other kinks will never be rectified, except by mods, as the development of HOI3 ended with TFH, and that's all we got. Just imagine how much better hoi3 could be if they had kept adding expansions and updates after TFH instead of developing HOI4. (of course this might not have been as profitable...). A few of the features of HOI4 are quite interesting on their own (like the production system), and if implemented in a HOI3.2, that could have been the best of both worlds. That said, I still think HOI3 is a great game, definitely not perfect, but imo there is no better alternative out there.

 

[stnylan]

Yes, it's the same with Air Battles. You could make the argument that it's the fog of war, but then they go and give you exact casualty counts for battles on the ground. They could at least give estimates of the damage caused, the number of hits, anything...even a damage percentage. Sadly this, and many other kinks will never be rectified, except by mods, as the development of HOI3 ended with TFH, and that's all we got. Just imagine how much better hoi3 could be if they had kept adding expansions and updates after TFH instead of developing HOI4. (of course this might not have been as profitable...). A few of the features of HOI4 are quite interesting on their own (like the production system), and if implemented in a HOI3.2, that could have been the best of both worlds. That said, I still think HOI3 is a great game, definitely not perfect, but imo there is no better alternative out there.

In general I must say I prefer HoI4, or perhaps more accurately I prefer the general direction I think that HoI4 is going. That said, HoI3 certainly had and has its charms.

 

[roverS3]

In general I must say I prefer HoI4, or perhaps more accurately I prefer the general direction I think that HoI4 is going. That said, HoI3 certainly had and has its charms.

To each his own I guess. HOI4 could turn out quite well once all is said and done (once they start working on HOI5). I'll probably buy it once they stop developing it and bringing out dlc's. From what I've seen there are some interesting things: The detailed unit composition, the production system, and the various types of factories, the fact you can keep old equipment and use it for second line units, or as lend-lease aid, etc. That said, I'm not sure it will ever be as conducive to some of my micromanaging tendencies as HOI3 is.

 

[Eurasia]

AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter Two Hundred-Twenty-Eight : Defeat In Manay

Pushy Government Is Pushy​

We open this chapter in the Marshall Islands where Spruance seems to have sent out his CAGs again. I wonder where they are going?

Then we had bad news. Defeat in Manay. The Americans lost 358 troops while the Japanese only lost 275 soldiers. This is bad if we can't take the Province back before they cut the Americans in two!

Now the 3rd Division is fleeing to Mati. Totally disorganized and out of supplies.

I checked the Theory area of the Technology Screens. Yeah, we are way behind in the fields of Supply Transportation and Supply Organization. But with 114 projects all being worked on at the same time...well, we're behind in everything. I was never very good at the whole Technology thingy.

Back at Christmas Island the Japanese were back right after the Americans had finished breaking their fast.

A couple hours later the American pilots launched a Naval Strike on a Japanese Fleet that TOTALLY escaped right under their nose art.

Then I got a report from Christmas Islands that said another 83 American Defenders were dead from the Japanese Ground Attack.

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The American pilots reported that they failed to do any damage to the Fleet they failed to attack.

The Americans on Christmas Island were attacked again by the Japanese Carrier Attack Groups shortly after lunch.

The result was another 63 American Defenders killed by the Ground Attack. And who knows how many horses.

The second Japanese Division in the Battle of Christmas Island had brought in Major General Sukarno. He had been involved in the Invasion of Hawaii. And he gave the Japanese Superior Leadership. Oh boy.

So we may have lost Manay and we are going to lose the Island of Christmas. That's NOT going to sound good in the newspapers back home!

 

[Bullfilter]

That tech screen looked horrible! May be best to discontinue any stuff that has not yet started and turn it over to the AI to manage.

 

[Wraith11B]

I can't recall if HPP changed how the theory techs work, but I didn't think they were worth going for all of them... More for things that you might not research for awhile (Nuclear or Jet Engines comes to mind) or regularly.

 

[roverS3]

I can't recall if HPP changed how the theory techs work, but I didn't think they were worth going for all of them... More for things that you might not research for awhile (Nuclear or Jet Engines comes to mind) or regularly.

In the vanilla game, theory techs are pretty pointless, they're only useful in a couple of edge-cases. For example if you have ample leadership and you want to rush nuclear development, you can use nuclear theory to get there more quickly. The main problem with them is that they're barely less expensive than a regular tech, and thus it is almost always better to research an actual tech that gives you something + theoretical knowledge, than to research the 'theory', which only gives you theoretical knowledge.
The 'supply transportation', 'supply organisation' and 'civil defence' techs are usually worth it though.

 

[stnylan]

It sounds worse and worse.

 

[Eurasia]

AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter Two Hundred-Twenty-Nine : Will This Ever End?

A Victim Of A German U-Boat
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We start this chapter with the Japanese performing another Ground Attack on the Island of Christmas.

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A few hours later the American pilots were lunching a Naval Strike on Fukydome's Fleet. It looked like the Japanese could run but they couldn't hide. Not with such a large Fleet.

Sadly the result of the Japanese attack on Christmas Island was another 83 dead American soldiers.

The Japanese pilots were soon back in a Ground Attack after breakfast with more bombs. The horses must be crazy with fright from all the noise, smoke, and death around them.

Around the same time the American pilots were ending their Naval Strike on the Japanese Fleet.

That was good news. But soon I was hit with bad news. TWO Transports out of Boston, heading to Portugal, were hit and sunk. Now the ocean floor off the coast of Europe is covered with Boston Pizza.

A report from Christmas Island reported another 29 American soldiers had been killed by the Japanese bombs.

Of course the Japanese pilots were soon back with more bombs. At least they waited till after the Americans had finished their noon meals.

Sadly, it seems 73 Americans failed to reach the safety of their foxholes or shelters.

So we close this chapter with the slug match in the Pacific continuing and the Portuguese not getting their pizza delivered. And I am starting to wonder if I could speed this game up somehow. I feel like I am being slowly beaten to death by a thousand tiny punches.

 

[roverS3]

I feel like I am being slowly beaten to death by a thousand tiny punches.

I have nothing to add to that, it's a perfect description of the situation.

 

[Bullfilter]

It’s been many small losses recently (though the occasional win too). A cavalry division on a coral atoll - even a large one? It still raises the figurative eyebrows every time I read it. The AI just has trouble sending the right units to the right places: armour to supply-stretched Mindanao to fight in forest and jungle? HQs with no fighting troops to North Africa? Naval task forces unwilling to hit the Japanese opposition? Whole armies stuck in Central America for ages trying to take down a tinpot Fascist dictator?

It seems you can’t get the AI to do much of use even while beating it around the head with a stick! And the Germans refusing to attack the Soviets to provide diversion and later opportunities in Europe? A shame. I wish I could think of some other suggestion, but you will know more about AI guided warfare than I. If you could get it to do it (and I know you’ve tried) my feeling would be full-on naval war in the Pacific and an army maybe in Iraq to protect the oil and eventually counter-attack the Axis in the Middle East. But how to make the AI do it?

 

[stnylan]

I have nothing to add to that, it's a perfect description of the situation.

Only thing to add is really that occasionally there is a gut punch when a division surrenders.

 

[Eurasia]

AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter Two Hundred-Thirty : Defeat At Manay

The Beauty of Manay
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We open this chapter with me peeking at Halsey and his Fleet. Crap, he, and those Submarines, are likely sucking up all the incoming supplies.

And the Province of Manay fell to the advancing Japanese. They now had cut the American forces in to two pieces. Lovely.

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On top of this bad news the Japanese added another insult by launching another Ground Attack on Christmas Island. No doubt waking up those who were trying to find some peace in dreams.

But it seems the American forces could be just as rude as they launched an invasion of Manay with a Tank Division, a Infantry Division, three Cavalry Divisions.

And totally failed. The attack collapsed. Was a Defeat. The Americans lost 9 men while the Japanese lost 7 men. *sigh*

Yes, the Province was still in Japanese hands. Which cut off the reinforcements from the only supply source but also endangered the Province of Mati where the Airfields were being built.

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Then the news from Christmas Island was reported. Another 49 American defenders had been killed by Japanese bombs.

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Of course the Japanese were soon back with new bombs. At least they waited till after breakfast.

At this point it is easy to see Defeat just around the corner. I am amazed the Cavalry are still in one piece after all of this.

But then I got some good news. First we won the Battle of Tagum. The Americans lost 873 troops while the Japanese lost 1,164 troops.

On top of that the 7th Tank Division had taken the Province Tandag and looks like it plans to continue on a rampage through the rear areas of the Japanese lines.

So we close this chapter with a mixture of hope and sadness. What will happen next? Victories or Defeats?

 

[stnylan]

Typical of Halsey to act in a profligate way and thus waste American lives

 

[Bullfilter]

Now if Halsey were to use his ships for something ... but no, in this TL the USN seems to be running some kind of tourist operation rather than a naval war

 

[Eurasia]

AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter Two Hundred-Thirty-One : Christmas Island Is Lost

Defeat In The Pacific​

We open this chapter with a report from Christmas Island. Seems the last Japanese bombing run had resulted in the deaths of 58 American soldiers.

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But it seemed this chapter would not be as one sided as I thought it would be. For at the same time the 7th Armored Division was going after the Japanese HQs in Bayugan.

Sadly, the Japanese Commander was the Superior Leader and knew just what to do to hold back the American Assault. How embarrassing.

Also, while this was going on, the Americans were trying to take Manay again. Looks like the Marine AI understood the importance of taking back the Province.

Sadly, out of the two Divisions involved the 45th looked like it was already about to collapse. So this attack might not go too well.

An hour later the Japanese counter-attacked by sending an Infantry Division into Bislig. Now the 6th Armored Division is involved in TWO Battles.

At the same time it seems we lose the Battle of Bayuganl. Looks like the Japanese staff officers are really fast runners. Or the Tank Division is already having supply issues. Oh crap. At least nobody died.

Shortly after noon the Japanese launched another Ground Attack on Christmas Island. At least the Americans were able to finish their rations before the bombs rained down on them.

Oh, but then I received a surprise. A horrible surprise. The Japanese launched a Ground Attack on Phoenix Island. Not Phoenix Island! ...where's Phoenix Island? Oh, that one.

Seems we lost the Battle of Manay. Again. The Americans Attackers lost 13 men while the Defenders lost 16 men. And look at all that Yellow and Red.

The last Ground Attack on Christmas Island resulted in another 38 American troops killed.

And it also resulted in the final collapse of the defenses. The Battle of Christmas Island ended in defeat. The Americans lost 996 soldiers to Land Combat and another 836, if my math is correct, to Japanese Ground Attacks. That left 11,831 soldiers for the Prisoner-Of-War camps. The Japanese lost only 585 soldiers and gained thousands of horses.

And so the chapter, and the gaming session, came to an end. Now I have to make some major decisions. How do I change the direction of the war? Can I? And I also have to rebuild the Marine's Chain-Of-Command. AGAIN!

Should I take over manually and destroy the whole point of the AAR while trying to win the Pacific Conflict? Should I decide that the experiment has been answered and that AIs CAN'T handle Ocean Operations and end it before we suffer more? Should I work along side the AI, sometimes taking over and sometimes leaving it alone?