A.I. in this game

[Sir Chauncy]

Well, as the title says after a few months away I decided to get back into the game, playing as the Danes and just having a bit of a laugh.

Now before this starts, I should point out that I was actually very good at this game at one point and that could explain the overconfidence. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

Anyway, as the Danes, I got some archers and a few Landsmen and invaded Sweden, the rebels ran to Norway so I followed them and they could do nothing but fight. I grinned and rubbed my hands together. They had a unit or two of Vikings on the top of a forested hill and I just ran at them: take out their general before he takes out you sort of thing. They started backing off before my numerically superiour force and as I bolted over the hill and through the forest to crash into their Army, I remember thinking:

Gosh, I don't remember having that many units.

*pause*

Oh.

They had actually lured me up the hill and ambushed me. I just got wiped out before I knew it, my Archers and landsmen were running for their lives and my King fell to a bunch of savages who (don't) wear horns on their helmets.

I got a lot more respect for the AI after that. I guess all I am trying to say is that the AI in this game is really very good, and that playing against it a lot just means that you see that weaknesses in it rather than the multitude of good points. Congrats to the Developers I think.

[Shahed]

Welcome back

LOL That's a funny story. I agree entirely that the battle AI is very good. I'm looking forward to see how it's improved in Rome. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

And ohh I just started up a Turk campaign couple of weeks ago after an approximately 7 month absence. It's a great game, a worthy "Shogun 1.5" in Tim Ansell's words (no pun intended ).

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

[Maychargewithoutorders]

I reckon the AI has a habit of lulling you into a false sense of security. They'll play like a muppet for a certain amount of battles and then catch you off guard when you're getting too over-confident. It's happened to me too many times and still i don't learn..... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-embarassed.gif

[Magraev]

I had a similar experience returning to the game recently (also as the danes). I played on the har difficulty.

Taking on the huge french armies I had them just where I wanted them - they attack me in saxony with around 2000 troops against my elite 1200.

I make a nice line with my troops on the edge of a forest and switch the turbo on until the french attack. Suddenly I realize I've overlooked a flanking force, and my left flank is being assaulted from the side and rear by feudal knights. Housecarles are fleeing with the archers, vikings and feudal sergants and things are looking grim. Thankfully a desperate charge by my king stops the rout and turns the french around but it was a desperate battle for a while and in the end I lost more ireplacable housecarles than I care to count.

Morale: The AI is fully capable of springing nasty surprises in the tactical battles.

Unfortunately in the same game the mongols behaved like morons on the tactical map. I was neutral with them, and they were at war with the other main power: Egypt. I had 4 stacks in novgorod and the moronic khan decides it's more fun to be at war with both superpowers at once in stead of going for the softened egyptian belly. They lost over 3500 troops to me over the next couple of turns in effect removing them from the power-struggle. I realize gamebalance played a factor (go for the most powerful one), but it just seemed so dumb. If he had taken a couple more provinces from the egyptians they probably would have had a civil war (the sultan was down to one crown of influence).

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-furious3.gif

[Tricky Lady]

I remember a battle of Byz (me) vs Turks. My armies were numerically a bit stronger than the Turkish (around 300 soldiers more). I started marching my army in the direction of the Turkish forces, and notice that 3 units of HA were marching at my right flank. No big deal, I thought, I'll deal with them later.

I clashed with the defending Turkish forces and had some troubles taking out the charging Ghulam bodyguards (Sultan + 2 heirs). All the time, a lot of my units displayed the "under fire" icon. As there were a few units of desert archers positioned on the hilltop, I thought, no problem, and sent some cavalry towards them to chase them off the map.

Yet the "under fire" icon remained. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif Made my archers (2 units) stop firing. It was no friendly fire as the icon still remains.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-inquisitive.gif Where the heck do these arrows come from?
I zoom out and see that the HA that flanked me in the beginning of the battle are constantly firing their arrows on my immobile troops.
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/angry.gif

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wall.gif
Quickly sent my remaining cavalry to (try to) rout them.

Silly me.

[Sir Chauncy]

All to true all to true.

I shall never get over the feeling I had, that sinking shallow feeling you get when you have been totally and utterly scuppered. The worst part about it was that I had no one but myself to blame.

I can actually see the look on my Kings face:

There are my boys now.

They're coming right at me.

Those aren't my boys.

Goodbye everyone.

I don't think he even had change to wet himself.

[Kristaps]

Quote[/b] (Sir Chauncy @ May 25 2004,05:14)]They had a unit or two of Vikings on the top of a forested hill and I just ran at them: take out their general before he takes out you sort of thing. They started backing off before my numerically superiour force and as I bolted over the hill and through the forest to crash into their Army, I remember thinking:
Hmm, a unit or two in the hills of Norway doesn't sound right after the two units from sweden have retreated. 4 + those 2 makes 6. Didn't a thought cross your king's mind "where, the heck, are the remaining four???" http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wacko.gif

[Nelson]

It’s good to hear that not everyone thinks the AI is miserable all the time. It isn’t.

That said, the AI does do a lot of stupid things on a regular basis. It tends to get its’ general killed straight up, it charges cavalry into woods with abandon, it skirmishes with missile troops all the time, dismounts cavalry none of the time and it will too readily abandon good ground for worse if you flank it. I find that if I’m not heavily outnumbered by better troops I seldom lose.

The AI is good enough to hurt you if you become reckless. Assaulting up a hill against well lead troops when outnumbered or failing to reconnoiter the woods on your flank can get you beat. Even if you win the victory can be a Pyrrhic one when your tactics are sloppy.

We here in the org play the hell out of Total War and study it to death. Consequently we get very good at vanquishing the AI. I suspect that a majority of buyers play only occasionally and that for them the AI is more than good enough.