Should I buy BI or Alexander?

I'm thinking of getting an add-on for playing EB with, but I'm not sure which. Bear in mind I don't care what the vanilla game of either is - I won't play it - I'm more interested in how it will impact my experience with mods.

People say Alexander has better AI, although some of those changes I wasn't so keen on (like the AI retraining - I don't like retraining at all and don't use it myself). The process of using BI.exe seems a lot simpler and more straightforward than that for alex.exe.

So which should it be and why?

well i very much like playing on EB. The ai is still stupid, but a little better then in regular eb. Haven't played alexander though

I am enjoying BI.exe myself. It is pretty simple to jury-rig it for basic play bwith EB. In my case I have to start a game using the RTW.EXE, but I can play any save game on the BI.EXE - I just can't start a game. If you just want the best a.i. Then get ALX, but if there is a possibility that you might want to try a different mod (like IBFD for BI) then you should get BI. BI is an improvement over RTW.exe but it also has a number of new elements that could make for a fun game itself, and there are a few good mods out for it as well. So, if you don't have BI, then get it as you are more likely to play it or a mod related to it than ALexander (keep in mind that BI is still Roman era). Having said that, if I could afford it, I would buy Alexander right now, and I envy those who use it for EB.

Alexanders only realy difference is bigger stacks and faster times.

But BI because then you can play many other mods.

BI, definitely.

Honestly, Alexander is Rumored to have better AI and run smoother. However, BI actually has a lot more support in integrated itself with EB. (Thank you watchman). If you got Elax and wanted to use all the features, you'd have to do much of the text file manipulation yourself. Whereas if you got BI and ran you, you could download a script from Watchman and all units that should have BI attributes like shieldwall, Berzerk, and swimming get it off the bat.

Sounds like BI is the one I should be going for.

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Originally Posted by QuintusSertorius

Sounds like BI is the one I should be going for.

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Last time I checked it was $5.00 at my local Frys. You really can't go wrong for 5 bucks. :beam:

he he, i would wait to see if Watchman is putting out a script to convert EB 1.1 to BI first! If he's not, you're going to have to do some text file manipulation anyway.

:laugh4:

Thing is, BI AI doesn`t use use shield_wall. Alex is also smarter with ranged units - it sends them into close combat if it sees an opportunity. Makes a lot of difference with various nomad Horse Archers who also happen to have high charge values.

I've seen BIA AI use the shield wall before, just not exteremly well....

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Originally Posted by brymht

he he, i would wait to see if Watchman is putting out a script to convert EB 1.1 to BI first! If he's not, you're going to have to do some text file manipulation anyway.

:laugh4:

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Given I'm planning on doing some text file monkeying of my own anyway, I can deal.

Best of luck.

I have seen a worryingly long line of locked shields in BI, it can do it, just not as well as you can.

Shieldwall formation makes Hoplitai fights more interesting, though.

I've ordered BI. It's also the basis for another mod I'll be playing much later on, so it makes sense. Plus the greater modding support means it'll probably give me more options of things to play.

i've got BI, but for some reason my pc won't read the dvd.
Some dvd's it reads, some it doesn't... I think my pc is definately female.

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Originally Posted by mini

I think my pc is definately female.

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:laugh4: Good one!
As for the choise between BI and Alex, I would say BI. Deffinately. Does anybody know if it is possible to enable hording in BI, btw?

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Originally Posted by Woreczko

Thing is, BI AI doesn`t use use shield_wall. Alex is also smarter with ranged units - it sends them into close combat if it sees an opportunity. Makes a lot of difference with various nomad Horse Archers who also happen to have high charge values.

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AI do use shield wall (and schiltrom), but as everything it don't use them well

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Originally Posted by beatoangelico

AI do use shield wall (and schiltrom), but as everything it don't use them well

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Ok, I believe you (since I still haven`t seen it). What about battle AI?

I compared AIs in a battle with Mavakes - Eleuthoroi stack east of Alexandreia Eschate. He had 2 Saka HA, 2 Saka Raiders (HA with lances), 1 Saka lancers, Kofyaren Kavakaza (light inf.) and asian javelineers. I had 2 units of Subeshi (foot archers) 3 FM and 1 Dahae Riders.

1st battle on BI.exe.: AI HA exchanged fire with my subeshi, it did not try to attack my archers or HA in melee, even, when I deliberately withdrawn guarding FM units. After some boring war of atrittion I send 1 FM vs AI`s Saka Lancers. Neither AI Saka Riders nor infantry didn`t try to help in melee, they just shot into it.

2nd battle on Alex.exe: Now this was much more entertaining. Saka lancers and Riders tried repeatedly to charge my Subeshi and I had to be constanly watchful to react with my FM in time. TBH the active tactics, which AI adopted didn`t help it much, but, as I said, battle was more fluid and ended before both sides went out of arrows. It had even seen a glorius melee duel Daha Riders vs Saka Riders.

I haven't tried using the BI.exe, but alex.exe gives very notable AI boosts. One that is very noticible is that archers only shoot at weakly armored troops rather than tanks. In my Pahlava campaign, when I first started out with only RTW.exe, I could just stick my family members in the front of my formation and the archers would just shoot at them with almost every arrow bouncing off harmlessly. After I got alex.exe, that stopped, now they only shoot at my poor, weakly armored horse archers.

I would say check through the threads on using ALX.exe, I was put off due to the possible knock-on effects the retraining and stuff might have for a campaign over time. I'd say go for BI, at least until someone can come up with a decent mini-mod to compensate for the changes ALX makes (Maksimus' mod does a reasonable job, you may want to have a look at that, unfortunately I can't take starting the game with a full stack of Spartans or Silver Shields or something but if that doesn't bother you could be of use).
Cheers

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Originally Posted by QuintusSertorius

I've ordered BI. It's also the basis for another mod I'll be playing much later on, so it makes sense. Plus the greater modding support means it'll probably give me more options of things to play.

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Chosen well, you have, young paddawan. :bow:

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Originally Posted by Vincent Valentine

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Does anybody know if it is possible to enable hording in BI, btw?

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I presume you mean enable it in EB if your using BI?
Yes it can be enabled. Check this out for an overview on how to do it....
http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Hording...tions_-_RTW/BI

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Originally Posted by mini

i've got BI, but for some reason my pc won't read the dvd.
Some dvd's it reads, some it doesn't... I think my pc is definately female.

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I used to have a DVD drive that would only read certain DVDs. I upgraded the drivers and then I would read every DVD I stuck in there...