Montebello in version 02c

[Hook]

After two defeats, I was finally able to manage a marginal victory playing as the Allies against the French AI.  With various bug fixes and an improved AI that can react to your battle plans, this has become a tough battle for the Allies.

The AI did a strong push all along the line.  My initial defensive positions were pushed back about 1000 meters, but my various corps held in there and didn't rout.  At one point the AI committed part of the guard and the reserves that usually stay in the southwest corner of the map, and things looked pretty bad for a while. 

I think the only reason I won that one was because I had a cavalry unit chasing an enemy off the map and it got around the French forces.  After the enemy unit left the map, I sent him to the French LOP and was able to take and hold it, even though there were still two guard infantry units in the town by the LOP.  The only reason he was able to get to the LOP was because the reserve unit that was committed wasn't in the way and the guard cavalry and artillery had been advanced to the battle lines.

Eventually the entire French army was in general retreat, and I ordered a general advance.  The mass of the retreating French army was going to pass either through the LOP or just south of it, but I had three infantry units that had advanced close to the LOP, and I ordered them just south of the LOP between the LOP and the retreating enemy army, and was able to hold the enemy LOP.  With these additional units in the way, the retreating army avoided the area of the LOP.

I was struck by how different the game is now from the original demo.  I won my first Montebello as the Allies in the original demo without difficulty, without knowing much about the game and just using some rules of thumb for Napoleonic battles.  The AI has improved a great deal since then, and has had added features that give the game considerable depth.  Those players who never play solo should give this battle a try, as the AI is probably stronger now than most of the players you've been encountering.

Try the battle and let us know what happens.  I'd be interested in comments from other players.

Hook

[Franciscus]

Well Hook, I did try this battle with 2c.

I played as French; almost conscript options (see pic), although with visibility conditional without delay, info vague, ammo limited and galvanized units

My plan was simple: Use the non French corps to draw a long defensive line from the North (starting with Poniatowski), ending at Torun where I parked my arty corps (Mortier). In the south, Victor with Ney in support would make a long range deployment. The guard and cav corps were in reserve (see pic).

The plan was for the coalition to "break their teeth" on my defensive line and then to roll their flank from the south. It kind of worked (see pics). Victor and Ney advanced with little oposition (the swedes were in the south but they never showed up  ), but got disorganized and separated in the marshes. The Northernmost part of my defensive line held wel. So well that I decided to push also with Poniatowski and Lefebre. In the center I ran with trouble because the russians and their massed arty were almost too much for poor Jerome. I had to call up the Guard, but the Russian arty made terrible damage.

(Continues)

[Franciscus]

(Montebello continued)

In the end, pushing both from the North and South, I was unable to make a full encirclement but managed to make lots of prisioners and forced a full retreat of the Coalition. Poniatowski and Victor only ended in the east part of the map   A great victory  

About the AI: the battle was tough but I managed to win it without any big strategic/tactical prowess of my part - a pretty basic plan. Unfortunately I was not very impressed with the AI reactivity. The Swedes never fought, although their intervention, if they could have checked Victor, could have led to my defeat. The russians did almost manage to pierce my center, but without adequate support (other than arty) they were unable to push through. Their guard managed to repulse Victor, but to no big result.

All in all, an interesting fight, and some improvements in the AI are noted, but it needs indeed more reactivity.

Lets keep waiting, the progresses are evident.

Regards

[Hook]

All in all, an interesting fight, and some improvements in the AI are noted, but it needs indeed more reactivity.

Agreed.  I think what we're seeing are the first very simple beginnings of a reactive AI. 

I suspect the Swedes didn't attack because you hit the Allies too fast and too hard, and things were already going against them by the time they should have attacked.  I've seen occasions where the enemy reserves were never committed, and it's usually when I'm winning.  If I'm in trouble, the reserves are Right There in my face. 

Hook