Autoresolved battles in SotS2

[Space Voyager]

Autoresolving is one of the biggest issues I've had with strategy games like Total War series and SotS1. Letting the game autoresolve a battle could lead to completely inaccurate results. Mathematical modelling can only try to predict what would happen if armies of such and such compositions met in the field. The "modelling" is usually done with an equation with added uncertainty factor. I'm sure we can all imagine how far wrong such a mathematical equation can go in complex models like tactical battles.

 

So Kerberos made AR actually play the battle instead of just crunching some numbers!

 

SotS2 is the first strategy game in which autoresolve actually plays the battle!!! It plays them out without rendering so it is still fast and it is completely accurate! Within reasons, naturally, as autoresolving means you will not play the battle yourself, but this is the best possible solution.

[Thorondor]

If I got what you're saying right, SV, that signifies this improved means of autoresolve is a kind of AI vs AI battle (in a way analogous to the ones you expect to have happening in-game among the forces of the non-player-controlled factions) but using your own ships as one of the sides.

 

That being the case it's an interesting enhancement from a battle simulation point of view compared to the plainer 'formula' you describe as being used in the first game.

 

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Still, only actual results will tell us how well this performs, or if this mostly serves to beautify yet some more the new game's feature list.

[Space Voyager]

Exactly, both fleets are controlled by AI and the battle is played out.

 

True, only actual results will prove the system's worth. But this far I can not see how it could be worse than an equation. If you lose a dreadnought in a battle that was played out you'll at least know that it was pounded by weapons until it fell apart - it was not some incredible fluke of uncertainty factor that is built into an equation. This did happen before, but it was actually far less obvious in SotS (in later iterations of the game) than in Total War series. There the results are... incredible. So you are more or less forced to play all the battles by yourself.

 

Not to sound completely unfair to Total War - one very useful feature that I love to use in M2TW and mods is setting the units (groups) to AI leadership (NOT YOUR GENERAL!). This feature is far better in TW than stances in SotS. AI in M2TW tries to use the correct counters to enemy units, like spearmen to cavalry etc and it does that fairly well so playing the battles without pausing is very possible.

Granted, the rock-paper-shot... erm, scissors effect in SotS is far less pronounced or even non-existent due to sectioned ships and individual weapon placements. Perhaps if mission section of a ship would be more deciding in the ship's role it would be marginally possible.

 

I haven't played TW games above M2TW though due to Steam exclusiveness and reported AI abuses, so I have no idea if feature was developed any further.