AI Treasury

[Ldvs]

I'm always dismayed at the very beginning of a game. The AI treasury seems to rocket, reaching at least 24,000 D within 4 turns (even though they have less land than my faction) while my income plummets.
Maybe there's a trick I'm not aware of. Do they loot their own cities? But I guess it's hard codded because afterward their treasuries levels off.

[Bob the Insane]

What campaing difficulty are you playing on?? I suspect Hard or Very Hard...

[Ldvs]

Yes I play on very hard settings.

[bmolsson]

The AI knows how to make gold out of lead..... ~;)

[The_Emperor]

I think normal is the only level at which the AI isn't meant to cheat (not in the battles at least, not sure about the campaign given the AI's love of small garissons and lack of general rebellions)

[Ldvs]

Yes afterthought I think it's just to give the AI an extra boost at the beginning. The first example that comes up to my mind is the house of Scipii : when playing the Greeks it's easy to repel their first assault on Syracuse. I'm pretty certain they'd go bankrupt if they weren't cheating. It also seems that the Senate master alchemy as bmolsson pointed out ~;)

[Satyr]

I am not sure that the AI is getting extra cash. It never did in STW or MTW. I would think that the reason the AI builds cash quickly is that they don't spend much of their money the first few years. That is why it is so easy to eliminate the Scipii quickly because they don't commit the funds to build military the same way we do.

It appears that the AI is using the same principles that the rankings are based on to make decisions. If savings were not calculated into the overall rankings the AI might do a substantially better job of providing a challenge. I wonder if this is moddable?

[Ldvs]

I am not sure that the AI is getting extra cash. It never did in STW or MTW. I would think that the reason the AI builds cash quickly is that they don't spend much of their money the first few years. That is why it is so easy to eliminate the Scipii quickly because they don't commit the funds to build military the same way we do.

Have you ever managed to earn 20,000 D within 4 turns when playing the Scipii, even without spending a single denari? If you can, then I bow before you ~D (you're not allowed to loot your own cities ~;p )