I’d like to address a common criticism of why I strengthen the AI as much as I do. The following was an e-mail from a frustrated player:
Quote ==================================================================
From: Von Pepe
Subject: The Gallantry of 7.Panzerarmee
========================== Panzer General II =======================
The Gallantry of 7.Panzerarmee
This is an absurd campaign written by the " gunner " Anderson. Very little prestige for the Germans starting from the scenario " Barbarossa " (Minsk), they are swept easily by the Russians, the arsenal of SSI doesn't possess any weapon able to stop to the heavy Russian tanks; in the scenario " Moscow " is impossible to discharge terrestrial armament although he could buy it, alone airplanes are discharged but it is impossible to come closer to the objectives due to the great quantity of Soviet antiaircraft artillery; if it is able to enter in the city with the few units that it has conserved of the previous scenario (very few), it loses them almost all and the only solution is to undertake the retreat with the tail among the legs. In my opinion a fiasco, it is designed with the intention that you cannot win.
03-06-2003.
Argentina
Endquote ================================================================
If the AI is not strengthened enough, it will not be aggressive and be a threat to the player. The AI will just stay in it’s ownership hex and allow you to destroy it. This behavior is similar to a civilian chosing to stay in his house when he knows that it will be demolished. The civilian hopes that it will all just go away. From the perspective of the person who orders the destruction because of necessity or otherwise, there is no challenge in this. I want the AI to believe that he can take on the aggressor and defend his turf. Moreover, I want the player to feel the threat.
Setting the AI’s strength to where he can defend himself is one of the most challenging aspects of campaign-creation. The creator must estimate where the player1 is most likely to be, and then give the AI enough strength.
1. The player is not necessarily the average player. The campaign-creator can chose his players to be the best players, or as in the Spanish Civil War, he can chose his players to be novice players.