does the AI launch amphibious attacks?

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Richmonder
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Posts: 23
Joined: Dec 12 2005
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

AI and amphibious operations

Post by Richmonder »

I am currently playing in the Indonesian/Malayan scenario, and as such I have developed a taste for the issues that human intelligence have to confront in this game. Amphibious invasions are hard under certain circumstances.

Assuming that you do not have an overwhelming technological advantage, like say most players invading the carribean, you should expect to take significant losses. Even if you do have the technological advantage, a freak AA shell can knock down that 747-400ER squadron with 7000 elite airborne troopers aboard.

One thing that I am noticing is left out here is that amphibious (and to a lessser extent airborne) operations are massively combined arms operations. They also have a number of requirements.

1. Air/Sea superiority.
Transports need to be protected, and the route of a transport need to be carefully monitered. Submarines and anti-aircraft can inflict damage against transports that is just amazing. Don't think a Stinger team is a match for Airborne Elite, just put them in an airplane.

2. Alternative Artillery.
Your troops are going to hit the ground with few supplies and a hose of enemies. You will need artillery support of some kind. Unfortunately, there are few airborne/amphibious artillery units. If you have technological superiority, the A-10 makes a nice substitute, as does an Iowa class BB. But for us Jakartans, this means massive use of frigates to bombard the coasts. This made all the harder because Malaysia has hands down air superiority.

Against a human player, I doubt that there would ever be a "suprise" amphibious assualt. The off shore bombardment would likely tip off a player.

3. Escape Routes.
I am loss adverse, so I have to have an escape route. For leg infantry, this is helocopters, which are expensive, and honestly, fragile. For other troops this gets much more complicated, a pier or an airstrip will have to be taken/built. NO MAJOR INVASION FORCE SHOULD LACK ENGINEERS.

4. Second Wave Routes.
In addition. many forces that you are going to need can not be dropped from a plane, or shoved off the side of a boat. An amphibious/airbourne invasion is pretty much limited to Infantry, Recon Vehicles, and if you are a first world nation limited artillery, antiaircraft and antitank units. Helocopters can help, as they can transport some of the light units of artillery, antiaircraft and antitank, but to get anything else, you need a pier or an airstrip. Better put some engineers in that invasion force. I would also like to point out, I do keep saying pier or airstrip, because past a couple of months into the game, airbases and ports are not takeable.

5. Supply.
You need to establish supply lines immediately. Currently, as best I can tell, units like DUKWs are not modeled in the game, hint, hint. So you can not get much supply from cargo ships just off shore. Helocopters are nice, but they are also already removing the first battalions to the shore (BTW: if your M113A3s can be removed by a squadron of Hueys, it is time to get them off of the beachhead) and bringing in light artillery. Best bet is to make sure that a city can be captured immediately.

This is a huge planning operation for me, a human who wrote his MA thesis on complex strategic decision-making, and I have no doubt that it would be impossible for any significant AI planning one the budget of a typical game shop. Now there is an outfit in Georgia that handles complex systems efficiency, but....

There is, of course, a second type of island hopping endeavor. Where an island with city, probably a pier, and possibly some commodity production needs to be taken. These are generally lightly defended and must not have any military production at all. These can often be quickly grabbed with a half dozen elite forces or even plain airborne units or marine units. I think that the AI should be capable of taking these types.

So for the proffered questions, when should an AI use amphibious/airborne invasions.

- when should the AI send a unit on a landing mission?
When there is a city or possibly other commodity AND that city has no connection to "mainland" which the AI country has units on AND there is no land connection to an airbase, outpost, base or port for that city AND the AI controls naval territory adjacent to that island

- what unit should it send?
Infantry with airbourne/amphibious capacity

- what transport should it use?
Generally Helocopters, but I think that the nearest transport that can move the unit will be acceptable. Just as a sea transport would work for a player.

- what should it use to guard the transport?
Nothing? this is why it would wait for naval territory control... or maybe the nearest Destroyer/Cruiser.... although a L511 being guarded by an Iowa would make for a funny sight

- how much of its resources should it devote?
Very little

- where should it try and land?
As close to the city as possible, without leaving the AI controlled naval territory

Hope that helps, I now have to go take mainland Malaysia.... and I see 30-40 frigates saying "Hands Off"
SGTscuba
General
Posts: 2540
Joined: Dec 08 2007
Location: Tipton, UK

Post by SGTscuba »

But how will AI once its landed know how to break out of its beachhead?

I.E. How will it know how to bringmore and mroe troops to that bridgehead once they have successfully taken a bridgehead?

Or will this be programmed like suicidal supply trucks?

This will work well if they have the territory and maybe they could detect that6 they have it and then bring in reinfrocements as soon as th first wave has landed.

Carriers shouldn't be used for landing but maybe (if planes be become useable) they could assign these with frigates and DD's as part of the escort to the beachhead.

Recon could be done by subs maybe or even RECON planes if they ever learn how to use them?
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