PDA

View Full Version : AI - Run away live to fight another day?



Turbo
11-14-2002, 02:10
I wish there was a way to disable the retreat option for the AI computer players. The game would be much more challenging if the AI never retreated and forced you to fight for each province. Attrition alone would make conquest more difficult.

I could rationalize some of the retreating, but I have seen larger armies retreat before my smaller armies. Frequently I am able to capture all the provinces of a faction through retreat and only have to fight one battle because he can't retreat anymore.

solypsist
11-14-2002, 08:14
I dunno. What seems inexplicable on the campaing map may have more to it; the small invading army may completly outclass a larger one, which is why the retreat. I actually prefer my enemies to retreat, then counter attack if there's going to be a battle at all; it's eaier to defend for me.

Cooperman
11-14-2002, 09:21
By retreating the AI is forcing you to defend more provinces splitting your forces making you more vulnerable to both counter-attack and to rebellions.
If only it wasn't possible to defend captured provinces with a reserve army of just peasants and spies while your main army advances then the AI's strategy would be a good one.

Vlad The Impaler
11-14-2002, 14:34
maybe the rebel general is hesitant or eager to retreat

Zolt
11-14-2002, 16:01
They're usually right though, 95% of the time they would have lost anyways http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

The only thing I don't understand is why they would attack me in the first place if they just end up retreating anyways, despite the fact that I have not altered my troops any which way.

Turbo
11-15-2002, 00:21
Quote[/b] (Cooperman @ Nov. 14 2002,02:21)]By retreating the AI is forcing you to defend more provinces splitting your forces making you more vulnerable to both counter-attack and to rebellions.
If only it wasn't possible to defend captured provinces with a reserve army of just peasants and spies while your main army advances then the AI's strategy would be a good one.
Losing all the buildings and infrastructure for the dubious strategy of spreading you thin misses the mark. Even though the computer is able to retake some provinces, those provinces are back in the stone age. Whats worse is that the AI does not rebuild in those provinces (stone age bug which is not fixed in the patch).

Cooperman
11-15-2002, 12:11
Losing a few buildings in one province is better than having your army annhilated and leaving yourself in a position where you then cant protect the rest of your empire.

Caledfwlch
11-15-2002, 12:30
Run some cavalry round both flanks, then hack 'em all down when they run for it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

LadyAnn
11-18-2002, 21:08
I won't go into the point if the AI is right/good by retreating. I would like to point out a few observations (with current AI behaviors):

1. Computer is able to figure out the probability of winning (the right probability is another matter, I am talking about the ability here), so it will retreat if you send a large force. When retreat, it has to decide to retreat to the castle, or to retreat to another province. I dont know what is the reasoning behind, but it seems to retreat randomly to castle or to next province.

2. You must be careful when they retreat completely to hte next province: the province you just invade is yours and if you are not careful, the revolt there would have a force equal or greater than yours, for free.

3. I have two objectives when attacking an opponent: (a) invade for destruction and (b) invade for occupation.

For certain opponent that I feel will be a threat in the future, I invade his provinces from different sides, but always keep my army moving around. Each province I came across when the AI retreats, I simple destroy everything. This tactics seems to work fine against France (too far for Egypt to full occupy while I still have Elmohads, Spain, Papacy and Sicily to worry about). France was consolidating its holding and made substantial gains against England and Germany.

To play for keep, I would creep up slowly a couple of province at a time, making sure the population is converted before moving to the next. And I brought my King along, while building the economy.

4. To prevent the AI to mass up forces, attacking several provinces at once but withdraw some of the attack if you achieve your objectives.

Annie

Ivan Bajlo
11-20-2002, 04:28
I have fought several very strange battle in which AI retread only after few casualties caused by my archers despite the fact that he had some 3000 vs. my 2000, but unlike me he picked very few archers at the beginning of battle and my massed archers had free hands to start the slaughter of his troops just standing on the hill and instead of sending cavalry after my archers he retreats from the field http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif and next turn launches counterattack in which I naturally butcher him. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Crazy Ivan's strategy, wargaming and military history website
http://www.inet.hr/steelpanthers/

HopAlongBunny
11-20-2002, 04:44
Had the same happen. I outnumbered the AI by a little bit, but it looked like they would give battle. A quick look at the enemy showed 3 catapults and 2 ballista along with their army. I hate arti I found an approach route that gave me cover from it...a long walk up a very steep hill. Instead of marching to the high ground to meet me (they still would have been above me) the AI simply packed up and left.

The Last Emperor
11-20-2002, 04:55
I feel the AI do tend to retreat quite often when are odds are against them and at time when they have the numbers but not the quality. Actually the AI can wear us down by standing and fight coz we will get killed and kills for both sides and the can buy time since we will need replacements to re-enforce our depleted ranks.

Dijeeh
11-22-2002, 09:14
I perfer the enemy to reteat into a castle of simply ditch the province.

It does mean they will eventualy all packup into one state , Just a major battle to fight for you.

If they reteat also it means more land for you, less for them, in the long run thats more $$$ for you and less for them.

Be patient my dear anti-AI Retreat friends.

It's for your good

Gregoshi
11-22-2002, 14:20
But is it boring if the AI army was large enough to put up a decent fight and they retreated anyway.

wtom
11-22-2002, 18:39
The matter may be in a level of your general. Also AI may convert possible losses in men to money (how cynical) and if it will lose more money than you, it retreats. But why it doesn't count buildings which will be demolished in that case?