Campaign completed in 40 years?

[[cF]HanBaal]

I hadn't played EB 1.2 for some time, mainly due to being tired of facing a dumb AI. But recently i started to work in Angola where internet connection sucks so i set aside my usual online games and started a EB 1.2 single campaign only to roleplay against time itself, to see how fast i could complete a campaign. It was actually more fun to play against time itself than simply roleplaying against the AI!





As you can see i did it in 40 years, in a VH/M campaign, with no use of cheats with the exception of toggle_fow (mainly to find cities in those labirintic steppes and deserts). Around half of that time was spent conquering the roadless steppes and deserts where infantry-based armies take years to get from one settlement to another.

So, without a proper AI (both BI.exe and Alex.exe), this game is doomed to boredom! I hope something can be done to improve some aspects like:

-in the campaign map, make AI factions stack their armies more instead of sending waves of 3-unit armies, sometimes in the same turn, against my 20 units army. And if possible to unite their family members to their armies instead of leting them wander in the campaign map by themselves!

-in the battle map, make AI keep their formation in place (and their generals!) instead of sending for example infantry to chase my flanking cavalry for example.

As it is right now and if nothing can be done to improve AI, probably only 'weaker' factions can still give some competition... even if recently i started a KH campaign and even playing slowly and roleplaying one can't help but to steamroll other factions :S

[seienchin]

Congratulations

The thing is:
EB sticks to the TW formular of having all the settlements underdeveloped and the KI isnt too good at managing its finances and troops so if you want to have a challenge just wait
And do not use factions with elephant and a lot of money like carthago, it is really easy with them.
The other thing is: EBs units are really resistant to any threat so I guess with a good army you just dont loose enough troops on the way to the hindukush...^^
PS:
Oh by the way,
I dont expect any better AI in EBII since MWII also has its AI flaws, but you will get higher casualties through MWII more realistic unit movements. But if their woul be better KI it would be cool^^

[antisocialmunky]

Campaign AI isn't half bad once modded. Tactical AI is still somewhat sad... really really sad.

[bobbin]

First I have to say that is one of the most impressive conquests I have seen, all in only 40 years!

So, without a proper AI (both BI.exe and Alex.exe), this game is doomed to boredom! I hope something can be done to improve some aspects like:

-in the campaign map, make AI factions stack their armies more instead of sending waves of 3-unit armies, sometimes in the same turn, against my 20 units army. And if possible to unite their family members to their armies instead of leting them wander in the campaign map by themselves!

-in the battle map, make AI keep their formation in place (and their generals!) instead of sending for example infantry to chase my flanking cavalry for example.

As it is right now and if nothing can be done to improve AI, probably only 'weaker' factions can still give some competition... even if recently i started a KH campaign and even playing slowly and roleplaying one can't help but to steamroll other factions :S

They have to work with what they are given, a lot of what your proposing involves core AI behavoir which is mostly hardcoded and so un-moddable. That said it is a lot harder to steamroll in Kingdoms as battle casulaties tend to be higher and enemy armies more varied.

ps the sig your using is reserved for the people making EB only, as far as i can tell your not one of them so you might want to change it to avoid confusion in future.

[[cF]HanBaal]

Thx for the replies all!

I understand messing with the AI is in some aspects not doable due to hardcoding but there are ways to influence their behaviour and battle formations at least... since im no programmer i dont know if those 2 aspects of making AI stacking/merging their armies in the campaign map, or to keep their formations tighter in battle are hardcoded or not just asking. Those 2 single aspects would improve the AI a lot.

EB sticks to the TW formular of having all the settlements underdeveloped and the KI isnt too good at managing its finances and troops so if you want to have a challenge just wait
And do not use factions with elephant and a lot of money like carthago, it is really easy with them.

sorry KI? Yea that's why i went with Koinon Hellenon now. Harder start, infantry generals who delay army movements...basically waiting for others to develop. The problem is there's still no real chalenge due to those aspects mentioned above. A single army of spartans, spearmen and medium cav basically destroyed a fully developed roman faction who had several armies with only pedites inf/cav and triaris and some principes (at least i give that AI is recruiting more inteligently later in the game with only top units) and i got very few casualties.

I see no other solution but to create some house rules....like few elite units, few armies, not conquering more than one city per year, having a decent standing navy etc

ps the sig your using is reserved for the people making EB only, as far as i can tell your not one of them so you might want to change it to avoid confusion in future.

=) I actually was part of the EB team from its early days. Basically all Hannibal Barca's quotes you see in game were written by me. I also co-writed all the karthadastim building descriptions and the faction description summary. I basically helped bringing up both Karthadast and Lusotannan factions but i'm not an active member of the team for a while now.

[Macilrille]

You are an even worse Blitzer than Fluvius ;-)

Perhaps, one day, one time in the far future... 2030 perhaps? We get an actually sensible AI instead of the Artificial Idiot.

What on earth are you doing in Angola?

[antisocialmunky]

And on that day we will welcome our new robot overlords.

[[cF]HanBaal]

Lol true! but I'm not asking for a sensible super inteligent AI, just to tweak a bit the 'command lines' the AI currently already has. For example: merging armies in a X square radius before attacking - they already merge sometimes so there's a command for that. I suppose most of this commands are hardcoded but maybe there's a way just like we can already change faction behaviour (i read sth about napoleonic, peaceful etc faction behaviours modders could change)

What on earth are you doing in Angola?

Working as a civil engineer in a newborn - family owned - construction company. Money talks xD ... and Portugal construction sector is in crisis :(

[bobbin]

=) I actually was part of the EB team from its early days. Basically all Hannibal Barca's quotes you see in game were written by me. I also co-writed all the karthadastim building descriptions and the faction description summary. I basically helped bringing up both Karthadast and Lusotannan factions but i'm not an active member of the team for a while now.

sorry hope I didn't cause any offense. Were you the one that put in all those funny short descriptions (i think its the carthies that have them) they always crack me up

i read sth about napoleonic, peaceful etc faction behaviours modders could change

AFAIK those effect what type of units the AI recruits as well as how much effort they focus on building up cities.

I always found the best way to keep the game enjoyable is to expand very very slow, in my recent Romani campaign I didn't expand out of Italy until around 200-190bc, to relieve the boredom during the long streches of inactivity i usually conduct raids on factions that are getting too powerful or to support my allies in their wars. Also the force diplomacy mod is a must if you want to avoid the suicidaly aggressive attitude the AI can have towards your faction.