Allies AI better in VI?

[Hurin_Rules]

I'm playing Irish on Normal (and having tons of fun). I'm not sure if I'm just lucky, but my allies have been busting moves for me left, right and center. I took all of Ireland and launched an attack on rebel Reget for the trade income; I was at war with the Scots, who had the territory directly north, and was worried they would march down against me after my invasion. Well, my allies the vikings immediately invaded the territory to the north and secured my flank. Next, in Wales, I had a single territory menaced by the Mercians. The Saxons attacked them and took it. Then, in Cornwall, I pushed out against the Welsh, and the battle was going to be a tough one. The Saxons sent in an allied army to help me out, and it became a rout. Then, when I attacked the Mercians in Northumbria, the vikings sent in another allied army

Am I just lucky?

One observation: if you can ally with the vikings, do so. For one, they can attack anywhere, and will frequently do so to help you out. Secondly, with no real opposition on the seas, you can build up your own navy, protected by the vikings, and even trade with them.

BTW, when I first got VI I never played the viking campaign-- I just bought it for the bug fixes and new units on the normal campaign. But this is my second viking campaign, and I am loving it. It is shorter and simpler and, because there are fewer enemies and territories, you don't have to be so concerned with micromanaging 30 provinces.

[Satyr]

VI is a very different game based on whether you ally with the Vikings or not. If you don't they will attack you at every chance. If you do, they will help you alot and keep you free from attack by sea. If I want to be aggressive in my conquering I always try to ally with the Vikings, but if I want a harder game I don't and force myself to have to fight them off.

I think the VI campaigns are a nice change from the original and the size makes them easier to finish. Try some of the harder factions next (like the Welsh or Northumbrians) they will provide a nice challenge.

[Orda Khan]

Allies helping out in battles is a nice feature but I've only come across this once ( helping me that is ) What I was hoping for was the ability to help out my allies, unfortunately I'll have to hope RTW includes this

......Orda

[Magraev]

Well you can help your allies if they're under siege. It's great fun.

In my last game as the turks I sent an army of 3.000 true believers from Istanbul... to help our brothers the egyptians repel a spanish invasion (including a crusade). The egyptians themselves sent 1.500 troops to help defeat the around 5.000 spanish infidels.

The heavily armored spanish fell like flies before my Ottoman forces. It was great to see exhausted knights chase my fresh turcoman horses.

My army went home to Istanbul 500 souls smaller, but certain that spain had been stopped for the time being. True enough when the crusade failed the spanish had a civil war, and the almohads reemerged.

I was a bit sad to see, that the egyptians (whom I'd saved from the brink of ruin) decided to invade Rum 10 years later. Then my ottoman forces decided to revisit egypt, but that's another story. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[solypsist]

the ai seems the same to me.

[HopAlongBunny]

I think the AI is pretty much the same. Show weakness and they'll savage you pretty quick http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

How do like the Irish? I had a great time playing with them in VI. Crash course in managing javelin units http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[The_Emperor]

When I was doing a campaign as the Turkish, I was allied with the Italians as trading partners and they were extremely helpful.

First off I helped them with their wars against the Scillians by sinking the Sicillian fleet allowing them to invade Sicily, thereby finishing them off as a major player.

Next up the Pope got really vocal and started calling for crusades against me, so the Italians went to war with his holiness and crushed the Papacy, three times Thereby stopping the Spanish from Crusading against me.

When the Pope once again decided to reassert his faction and called for Crusades against me yet again, the French took up the call aiming for Constantinople. Thanks to large armis in Bulgaria and Greece the Crusade sat in Hungary until it disbanded... As punishment the Italians went to war with the French Superpower, all while I was rapidly moving into Spain after my assassin finished off their Royal Line.

A couple of times the Italians were besieged by the French, but I landed armies on at least three seperate occasions to lift the sieges

Sadly in 1230 the Horde arrived and my attention was diverted to this threat, but the Italians kept up the pressure on our common enemies and kept me safe from Crusades while hammering the French as far north as Scotland.

I tell you in all my campaigns I have never had an alliance that was so useful

[TC27]

Using MedMod where the Russians are in the game from Early onwards I have noticed that they always (in all the MedMod campaigns I have played) ally with the Byzantine Empire and frequently send armies to defend them, I made the mistake of attacking them as Hungry and ended fighting both of them (I eventually lost).

[LordKhaine]

AI seems different to me now in one crucial way, enemy factions in the main compaign actually accept ceasefires. Wheter this was VI or the patch I don't know...