Could suggestions like these perhaps make AI behaviour more historical?

There are three geographical points on the strategic map that have always bothered me, because the AI never do as they - historically - ought to. It is the waters between Spain/Africa, Lilibeo/Kart-Hadast and Taras/Epirus. Whenever someone conquers one side of these waters, they never understand, that they should advance to the opposite coast. Rome always takes Taras and Lilibeo and goes gaul-hunting, and neither the Romani AI or the Carthagian one fathom, that their war isn't irrevocably over. And this further means that the Romans never partake in African or Greek politics until MUCH MUCH later than in real history - by which time some great Hellenic empire has usually arisen. I know EB shouldn't be historic, but I'd really LOVE to play a Greek state with the added, historic challenge of the Romans breathing down my neck. And the Roman AI just doesnt get it

Now, I have no modding abilities whatsoever, so I'm just throwing ideas into this forum hoping that - if they're worth it - someone else might be tempted try modding.

Anyways, I was thinking of 2 possibilities:

- to give a small chunk of the opposite coast to each province: so Lilibeo gets a little, useless piece of Kart-Hadast territory and vice versa. Given the AI's warlike nature, I suppose it would then be much better at figuring out, that the war DIDN'T stop just because a barrier of water was reached. This suggestion, however, is a bit hampered by the AI's general problems with handling naval invasions. But perhaps it might help?

- this is a bit weirder: to somehow make it possible for armies to 'walk on water' across - just these three places. Like they can walk across the Hellespont and the Bosporus. If somebody ends their turn in the middle of the water, I could RP that they're on a boat and if it meant that Rome would go for Carthage and eastern Greece before Gaul or Denmark, I think it would be worth it. One could also be added between England and France, but since I'm always playing as Hellen, the isolation of the Casse have never bothered me much.
I know this latter would be a bit weird, but to be honest, I think it is weirder, that Roman armies just stop in Lilibeo or Taras and then start wars in completely other places. And that Carthage and Epirus decide that "oh those were far-off colonies, nevermind" when really these towns were gateways to their realms. In real life, Sicily is the key to Carthage, that is why they always tried to take it - for protection (as well as its wealth) - while their enemies needed it to attack Carthage itself. In EB this significance is completely gone. Of course if the AI could understand this, it would be fantastic, but I think my suggestions above are tolerable alternatives now that modding the AI isn't possible.

actually, I allready saw that things going on cape Tinairon.... everyone hate KH because of that

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Originally Posted by Cute Wolf

actually, I allready saw that things going on cape Tinairon.... everyone hate KH because of that

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what is cape Tinairon? :)

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Originally Posted by artaxerxes

what is cape Tinairon? :)

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Cape Tainaron, the little island of the coast of Sparta. Historically it was a place were mercenaries and prospective employers converged. The team simulated this by giving the island access to three mercenary pools. I doubt this has an effect on faction expansion, though. Many factions are belligerent towards the KH, but if this was the cause one would expect the attacks to target Sparta. In my experience, even with EB installed on BI, the naval attacks went for Corinth or Rodos, not Sparta.

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Originally Posted by Ludens

Cape Tainaron, the little island of the coast of Sparta. Historically it was a place were mercenaries and prospective employers converged. The team simulated this by giving the island access to three mercenary pools. I doubt this has an effect on faction expansion, though. Many factions are belligerent towards the KH, but if this was the cause one would expect the attacks to target Sparta. In my experience, even with EB installed on BI, the naval attacks went for Corinth or Rodos, not Sparta.

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Oh right. Had noticed it but didn't reckognize the name ;) I don't know if it helps, but the current state of affairs just bothers me - I mean Rome's ahistorical priorities...

Basically:

A tiny corner of the province of Elimya on the island of Sicily near Lilibeo needs to be made part of Zeugitania near Kart-Hadast in North Africa.

A tiny corner of the heel of the Italian boot in Calabria needs to be made part of Epeiros.

And a tiny corner of Turditania in Spain needs to be made part of Mauritania.

This makes the AI regard the two provinces as adjacent, and so encourages naval invasions in BI and Alex.

Yeah. Well, I HOPE it encourages naval invasions ;)

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Originally Posted by artaxerxes

I don't know if it helps, but the current state of affairs just bothers me - I mean Rome's ahistorical priorities...

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I fully agree, but Rome has got the deck stacked against it in EB1. They've got a limited recruitment base for factional units, they need to expand on several fronts and overseas, and do not have the advantage of tenacity since in R:TW every faction turns into a diplomatic nutter. The A.I. simply can't cope.

We'll see if these changes have the desired effect, but on the basis of my KH campaigns I doubt it.

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Originally Posted by Ludens

Cape Tainaron, the little island of the coast of Sparta. Historically it was a place were mercenaries and prospective employers converged. The team simulated this by giving the island access to three mercenary pools. I doubt this has an effect on faction expansion, though. Many factions are belligerent towards the KH, but if this was the cause one would expect the attacks to target Sparta. In my experience, even with EB installed on BI, the naval attacks went for Corinth or Rodos, not Sparta.

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that was because Sparta had a mountain barrier in the south-west, and hence, to invade, the AI must use another route....

BTW, you just need a photoshop / GIMP, and brush little part of the colour in descr_regions in the base, delete the map RWM, and start a new game...