@General_D.Fox:
What I really want to know, is when is the AI going to be upgraded to something decent and competitive?
As soon as someone comes up with an algorithm that provides decent and competitive play.
Try it yourself. Put together a short list of a 3 (or 5 or 7 or ???) rules that a particular player / nation can reliablly follow all the time that still generates decent and competitive play.
The teasers are here on the forum. We talk about IPC costs and calculations. We talk about infantry mechanic and shuck-shuck but in every single one of those discussions we caveat the “do this and win” arguement with a “unless the tactical/strategic/turn timing situation says otherwise” disclaimer.
The classic is the Japanese Infantry Mechanic marching on Moscow. At what point do you always shift from making more infantry to making armor that will run up to the front line and lead the assault?
Another is when (if ever) should Japan insert a spoiler attack into Alaska / WCA? Is it OK to take a loss in the IPC exchange in that attack if it disrupts the shuck-shuck for 1 turn? How about 2 turns? How many IPC loss in the exchange per turn of delay in the shuck-shuck?
Should US strike back at Pearl or cut the losses and run?
Should the Allies do a KJF or a KGF? How much does this depend on bid placement?