Attack on Elmo\'s shock: 4 stacks appear. (?)

[hans]

This is my first time in the campaign game, and I must have missed something. But before my attack on Valecncia with the English, the enemy was clearly outnumbered; now 4 huge stacks are on Jahad against me.

How did they appear without warning? Did I need a spy in there first to see concealed forces?

Now to retreat.

hans

[malkuth]

The Ai can move after your turn. So it will most likely move in reinforcments to help thier army.

It is said its like this to give the AI a better chance to counter a smart human.

[hans]

Yes, that makes sense. But this is the odd thing: none of these powerful armies were visible anywhere on the map before I ordered the attack. They seemed to appear as if from nowhere as reinforcements.

So I have just returned to the game and played against the Elmo's.

Doubly strange, during defenses of Elmo counter attacks to retake thier provinces, thier forces had inexplicably dropped to absurd levels. In one bridge assault, a single ballista alone faced 700 of my men. Where were the huge stacks then?

Returned back to the twlight zone perhaps...

hans

[Mu]

the computer cheats. its a well know fact.

writing good AI is too expensive for a game like Total War.

[Xiahou]

No, its not a well-known fact.

Sure its disheartening when the AI moves up troops before your attack- but just as many times Ive had the AI move troops out before an attack.

[hoof]

Is the province a coastal province? Could the enemy have amphibiously landed extra troops from elsewhere?

When I was playing the Egyptians in my first big campaign, sometimes I'd have a major rebellion somewhere (usually at Rome after crushing the Pope), and I'd be shovelling in troops from halfway around the Medeterrainian. Was kinda funny really, the new Pope appears in Rome with 2000 high-tech men, but before he can attack, I shovel in 1200 Saracen Infantry and 720 Arbalests (I'm using Huge on the numbers of soldiers/unit setting), led by an 8-star general. Lets just say I have Replay labeled "Papacy slaughter" on my hard drive now http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

[hans]

Those pesky Popes.

The province in question was Cordova, so I don't think it was a case of amphibious reinforcements.

hans