BF 1942... are the maps just unbalanced?

[magnulus]

My brother and I like playing co-op multiplayer games... actually that's the
only kind of multiplayer he will play. We like Battlefield 1942, the
problem is certain maps don't present a real challenge. We've had the
following problems with these maps:

Wake Island- the Japanese AI isn't aggressive enough, it gets repulsed too
easily from beachheads. With lower AI settings, the landing craft tend to
mill about too much. Even on higher AI settings, we can beat the AI in a
couple of minutes.

Iwo Jima- a really hard map for the Marines. We've only beat it once with
a marginal victory. It's not very balanced, you need alot of tickets
allocated (longer game) to even stand a chance of beating it. When the AI
plays the Marines, it's even more lopsided and the game is over quickly.

These maps are seldom played on most servers, so it's hard to get a
feeling whether the maps are inherently unbalanced or its just a
singleplayer/coop problem.

Overall, it seems the AI has problems playing from a purely attacking
position, and it seems to do better on mixed maps or with a defensive
position. Also, it really has little idea on how to do amphibious attacks.
I know an AI cannot play as well as a human, but you should at least be able
to get something out of those maps. As it is in certain situations the AI
is just no good.

Also, a big weakness for the game IMO is that if you are playing an
attacking side you should get more men. In military tactical theory,
usually 2x or 3x the number of attackers is considered desireable against a
prepared defensive position. Since there are respawns in the game, it sort
of complicates these numbers, but they could have done stuff like having a
defender's death loose 2 times the number of tickets vs. the attacker's 1.
This kind of balancing is common in computer wargames so it lets the
attacker have a fair chance vs. the defender.

Any hints or tips welcome. I figured out how to hack the server settings
file to turn up the CPU time alloted to the AI. I also tried cranking up
the team ratio to 3:1, but it seemed to give too few guys to play with on
the allied team, and the game only became slightly harder.

[Andrew]

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 04:04:18 -0500, "magnulus"

Post by magnulus
My brother and I like playing co-op multiplayer games... actually that's the
only kind of multiplayer he will play. We like Battlefield 1942, the
problem is certain maps don't present a real challenge. We've had the

You might get better advice if you ask in alt.games.battlefield1942,
there are some very knowledgeable players there.

[Morgan Sales]

Post by magnulus
My brother and I like playing co-op multiplayer games... actually
that's the only kind of multiplayer he will play. We like
Battlefield 1942, the problem is certain maps don't present a real
Wake Island-
Iwo Jima-
These maps are seldom played on most servers, so it's hard to get a
feeling whether the maps are inherently unbalanced or its just a
singleplayer/coop problem.

I wouldn't say that they are seldom played on most servers, in fact I'd say
that they are two of the most common maps. Wake is fairly well balanced but
I'd say Iwo Jima in slanted in favour of Axis. This is true for a lot of
the BF1942 maps. Either massively obvious slanting like Omaha, or more
subtly like Karkov were the axis forces an shell the Allied base from the
middle flag but Axis can't easily do the same when they control the point.

Good game though, you should try the conquest mode on-line.
--
Morgan.
----
* ...remember what the fellow said: In Italy for thirty years under the
Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed - but they produced
Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they
had brotherly love, 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that
produce? The cuckoo clock.

e-mail: ***@ntlworld.com
Webpage: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/msales

[Einstine]

We do a lot of coop against AI and all we have found to do is
warp the balance as you said, 3:1, 4:1 etc.

Post by magnulus
My brother and I like playing co-op multiplayer games... actually that's the
only kind of multiplayer he will play. We like Battlefield 1942, the
problem is certain maps don't present a real challenge. We've had the
Wake Island- the Japanese AI isn't aggressive enough, it gets repulsed too
easily from beachheads. With lower AI settings, the landing craft tend to
mill about too much. Even on higher AI settings, we can beat the AI in a
couple of minutes.
Iwo Jima- a really hard map for the Marines. We've only beat it once with
a marginal victory. It's not very balanced, you need alot of tickets
allocated (longer game) to even stand a chance of beating it. When the AI
plays the Marines, it's even more lopsided and the game is over quickly.
These maps are seldom played on most servers, so it's hard to get a
feeling whether the maps are inherently unbalanced or its just a
singleplayer/coop problem.
Overall, it seems the AI has problems playing from a purely attacking
position, and it seems to do better on mixed maps or with a defensive
position. Also, it really has little idea on how to do amphibious attacks.
I know an AI cannot play as well as a human, but you should at least be able
to get something out of those maps. As it is in certain situations the AI
is just no good.
Also, a big weakness for the game IMO is that if you are playing an
attacking side you should get more men. In military tactical theory,
usually 2x or 3x the number of attackers is considered desireable against a
prepared defensive position. Since there are respawns in the game, it sort
of complicates these numbers, but they could have done stuff like having a
defender's death loose 2 times the number of tickets vs. the attacker's 1.
This kind of balancing is common in computer wargames so it lets the
attacker have a fair chance vs. the defender.
Any hints or tips welcome. I figured out how to hack the server settings
file to turn up the CPU time alloted to the AI. I also tried cranking up
the team ratio to 3:1, but it seemed to give too few guys to play with on
the allied team, and the game only became slightly harder.

[i own a yacht]

Post by magnulus
My brother and I like playing co-op multiplayer games... actually that's the
only kind of multiplayer he will play. We like Battlefield 1942, the
problem is certain maps don't present a real challenge.

because the bf1942 AI is worthless.