unfair AI on very hard difficulty

[Beelzebub]

I understand V hard is supposed to be a challenge, but I find it kind of stupid the way every AI faction that you share a land border with automatically declares war on you. It's not really the challenge of fighting all the time, on every front that bugs me, but the fact that this really removes a large part of the diplomatic aspect from the game makes it less enjoyable. My current campaign as Carthage had Spain delcare war right away, then as soon as I managed to secure the middle Iberian province from them, Gaul declares war on my cuz I'm now sharing a boder with them. I'm also fighting Brutii in sicily (which is natural I guess), and sometime during this period, Numidea (who I was allied with) declares too. Numidea attacking makes no sense since they were allied with me against SPain, I'm much larger, richer and more militarily powerful than them, and their main source of income is trade with me.

Two turns after I take Numidea's eastern Lybian province from them, Egypt, who I now share a border with, attacks. This is especially ridiculous IMO because Egypt is already in a war with the Selucids and Parthia (and since I'm using Realism mod v2.2, Egypt has their hands full and isn't just rolling up the whole mid east and levant like they do in vanilla) AND I left a large army garissoning the city because I KNEW Egypt would attack so it's not exactly a plum target.

I'd like the AI to play realistically and not just declare war on the player because V Hard difficulty seems to mean try and gangbang the player no matter what even though it would be suicidal and/or against the faction's own interest to do so. This is just stupid, if CA wants V hard to be more challenging they should fix some other AI probs like building too many ships and not stacking armies properly (or sending out huge stacks commanded by captains to fight 5 star generals).

[afrit]

Did you play another faction on very hard?

When I played Parthia on very hard, I allied with Scythia and Seleucids and easily overpowered Armenia and Pontus. Then it was several years before Egypt attacked me and Scythia stabbed me in the back.

When I played Carthage on medium (or hard, can't recall) everyone attacked me.

I think you got attacked by everyone because you're carthage, one of the hardest factions out there.

[Red Harvest]

The Numidia-Carthage thing is one of those that desperately needs fixed. Somehow, the AI needs to do a calculation of lost trade when they attack. Numidia castrates itself by attacking Carthage. By allying with Cathage Numidia should be able to have a chance of resisting Egypt and the Scipii (and Spain, should they get the urge to attack--they always do when I play Numidia.)

As Carthage, Spain can be stopped by preparing a bit of an army in Corduba (grab some mercs) and by sending a few diplomats out quickly. That slows them down so that by the time they attack, you are ready to start seizing Iberia from them anyway (Spain is a pushover if you have an army.)

A "get off my lawn" diplomatic proposal would be useful...force your allies/neutrals to either agree (and automatically withdraw) or to declare war. I would like the AI to use this as well. And I would like to see requests for "military access" as well as granting it (when they can't stop you.)

[Beelzebub]

Well why would Egypt attack me for no reason as soon as I get a province on their border? They lose a new & potentially lucrative trade partner in exchange for opening a 2nd front with a powerful enemy (like I said, I had about 700 decent troops lead by a seasoned general defending my city, no plum target) bordering their core cities while the war on their other front (vs selucids and persians) isn't going so well. No player would do something that boneheaded, it just reeks of sloppy programming meant to put more more pressure on the player through AI ganging.

[Servius]

It's just dumb code. Coding strategy into AI's is (I guess) extremely difficult, which is why in almost every game I/ve played, when you up the difficult level, it doesn't make the AI play smarter, it just lets them cheat more.

It's the same dumb ox you're playing against, it's just got more steriods pumped into it.

[Maltz]

I am currently having a Carthage campaign on VHard/VHard. I just started for about 10 turns. For all countries that I have talked to, 0 likes to ally with me. Once we open war, they don't even want a ceasefire.

This is a bit unusual because I've also played VHard/VHard with other factions, and my neighbors used to be reasonably friendly but not this time as Carthage. I guess Carthage is programmed to be in diplomatic struggle.

Luckily although they don't like me, they still bought my maps. ~D

[A.Saturnus]

A "get off my lawn" diplomatic proposal would be useful...force your allies/neutrals to either agree (and automatically withdraw) or to declare war. I would like the AI to use this as well.

The AI does use this. As Scipii I entered Spanish territory. They demanded that I withdraw. I did, but mainly because the Senate told me to.

[sunsmountain]

You want the AI stop declaring war on you? Defend your territory or buy their armies!

If they encounter nothing while walking to your cities, they WILL siege them. If they encounter nothing sailing to your ports, they WILL blockade them.

Like they should. Needless to say i don't have these problems. Making a cease fire is easy if you add in trade rights and make sure no armies are trespassing either way.