Question about the AI

[twjunkie]

Okay, perhaps one of the great minds on this site can enlighten me about a certain aspect of the AI. I've been playing MTW for a couple months now. I just bought VI and am loving it.There is one major AI manouver that bugs me though. During my strategy year I invade a AI province. I end year and the AI then reinforces the province I invaded. So my turn comes around and I am forced to fight a bigger army.
Now, realistically, this makes sense. You're a King, you get word of an invasion and move any forces that are available to fight off the foe.
My beef comes in that I don't have the same option. During the AI's turn, it invades one of my provinces, I have armies in neighboring provinces that could come to the aide, but when it comes my turn it immediately goes to the battle screen.Why does the AI have this option and not the player? It seems like a blatant AI cheat to me.

[Jacque Schtrapp]

The answer is that you, the human player, always make your moves first. Therefore, any attack you initiate comes in January->June and the AI has July->December to respond which is how they move in reinforcements. If the AI attacks the human in July->December there is no way for you to respond before the year ends. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

I won't argue the cheating theory though. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[HopAlongBunny]

There is a partial work around.

If you border the provinces that MAY reinforce the battle, send one light cav into each. This will (usually) stop the forces moving out of the province; they have to stay and deal with the threat. Then just decline battle when that fight comes up.

It does not always work, but the AI will use the same tactic against you.

[Brutal DLX]

Bunny is right on the money http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Also IIRC it was tested by save/reload that the AI didn't perform the same troop movement in each instance, so the jury is still out on whether they actually respond to your moves or just shift forces in anticipation of a strike.
The only instance where one has no doubt about the AI responding to your moves is if you invade a province and your AI ally sends troops to join you in the same turn. And indeed it is a pity that you can't do the same.
However, I am sure that this should be no handicap for a human player, but instead an incentive to think in a strategic manner and distribute your forces accordingly so you can repel any possible incursion.

[twjunkie]

I do work around it, it is just a pisser some times. An example: I'm playing Danes,early,hard,GA. its around 1275 and there are 3 super powers, Me, the spanish and the turks. I have trade routes around the world. At war with the Turks over the formerly Polish provinces. Spain has all of the iberian french coast and British Isles. Out of nowhere spain lauches a sneak attack on my shipping. We had been sharing the seas and trading nicely. So in one turn Spain basically sinks my entire fleet. Next turn it lauches a seaborn invasion of Denmark. Now, I had 3 stacks in the province directly under denmark as it bordered the turks. But I couldn't reinforce denmark and had to retreat to my Citidel. Now no biggy, I move troops next turn and repel the Spanish but it would have been nice to have the same luxury as the AI has of reinforcment.

[Brutal DLX]

Yeah, I know what you mean, but in time you will learn how to defend against naval invasions and shift your stacks in preparation, say two of your three stacks to the more important province, the rest to the other, so you will have troops in every province that they can attack.
Also it's inevitable to get backstabbed in total domination, so better to be the one to strike first. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Magraev]

Leaving a bigger stack in key sealanes is critical. Sometimes the arms-race can become almost comical - I've seen over 50 ships in the straights of gibraltar.