Getting frustrated with wars started via blockade

I swear, virtually every war I get into with an AI is due to them blockading a port of mine. The AI is never prepared for war, there are no big stacks ready to march into my territory, there is no array of fleets ready to cripple my economy via mass-blockades, heck, the AI almost always lifts the blockade the turn after starting war. It just seems so pointless.

If I wanted to be at constant war with all my neighbors all the time, I'd ask for a "eternal war against the human" option. But a rational-less start of interminable war with my neighbors, simply because one lone ship wanted to blockade my port, that just gets on my nerves.

CA, if you're reading this, *please* provide a "war must be declared before blockades are allowed" option. That way the AI at least has to talk to me, or attack me with ground-troops. But as it is, there's no point in diplomacy, maintaining good relations with your neighbors, or do anything other than assume you're at war already. The AI starting wars via blockades is just plain silly, and has really drained the fun out of the game for me.

Crushing the AI after the 50th time that they've done that gets really old. Trying to build an empire, and wait until you can get the cooler units is also pointless, as each neighbor will drag you into a time-consuming war every time, long before you get those cool Janissary units, or something else you really want to play with (I have yet to use muskets in-game because either I've conquered half the world trying to convince the AI to stop fighting me, or I've given up in frustration). Half the game is denied to me because I have to slog through 50-100 turns of AI's going to war via blockades. What happened to the idea of playing a game like *you* want to play?

Anyway, sorry about the rant. I really wanted to play with the late-period Turkish units, and watched as not only the Byzantines, but the Egyptians decide that one of my ports should be blockaded. And since you can't get peace after that w/o bending over backards to them, I'm pretty much committed to a 100-turn warfest, as I beat back the Byzantines, then the Egyptians, then have to deal with the 9-stack Mongols that will show up at about that time. It was entertaining the first time, but I'm tired of that perpetual war. I just wanted to build up my empire, get the neat Janissary units, and try them out on the battlefield. All ruined because the AI decides to blockade a single port. Frustrating to say the least.

Welcome to the club. It's is better in 1.20, I have to admit. Still lacking.

My understanding is that blockades are started by the "raid" AI decision. Basically when a hostile faction doesn't have enough power to attack you, nor enough money/infrastructure to catch up over a few turns, it enters "raiding mode", which is kind of like the asshat button. They'll blockade your port for a few turns, send teensy widdle armies over your lands to disrupt trade and generally make a nuisance of themselves.

Or it could be a council of nobles mission, I've still haven't been able to determine wether the AI gets missions with certainty...

I usually try and get ceasefires with raiding factions, they most often agree wholeheartedly.

Back in 1.0 I was working on a modded AI file which commented out any and all mention of raids (among other things) but didn't get to test it and I've lost my file since then, but you could give it a try (the file is descr_campaign_AI.xml)

Yup, that's usually the case with me as well. They really need to tone down starting wars with blockades. If I want to play with a sore loser human opponent, I'll play with a sore loser human opponent.

Likw Kobal2fr I have found that if you ignore the blockade and instead send a diplomat and propose a ceasefire, then most of the time they are only to grateful to accept and the fleet just sails away again.

Weird but true, its become a more or less standard response in my games.

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Originally Posted by Didz

Likw Kobal2fr I have found that if you ignore the blockade and instead send a diplomat and propose a ceasefire, then most of the time they are only to grateful to accept and the fleet just sails away again.

Weird but true, its become a more or less standard response in my games.

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There's a really good reason for that : any faction which doesn't share any border with you wants peace by default. Even if they breach it turn in, turn out with those silly blockades, ceasefires will be readily accepted because of that. It's a bit different for neighbours, but since they'll only raid when they are much weaker than you, you can usually strongarm them into submission anyway.

EDIT : Oh, BTW a surefire way to stop any and all aggressions from a given faction is to give them a small tribute for a long time. I usually give 100 florins for 100 turns. That's a lot of money (10.000 florins total) so the AI doesn't want to lose it by causing a war. Very effective to keep your allies... well, allied to you instead of a backstab waiting to happen :grin:

The florin tribute isn't too effective. Relations do play a role in AI decisions, so that's the effect you are seeing.
I think I was giving an AI faction a gift of 500 florins for 10 turns. They attacked me on turn 3 post agreement.

Ceasefires are also only readily accepted if you actually have a decent reputation.

Ha AH ! But not only is 500 for 10 turns a relatively small sum of money, it's also not drawn out enough.
You promised them 5k over 10 turns, they attack after milking the agreement for 3 turns, meaning they got 1.5k out of 5, or about 30% of the deal.
But had you promised them 10k over 100 turns, and they attack after milking it for the same 3 turns they only got 300 florins out of it, or 3%. Not enough for the AI to consider it a gain. At least that's how I interpret it.

Of course, my rep is usually Reliable to Trustworthy, so I agree with you that the AI lends more weight to my tributes in its decisions.
I don't know that relations matter that much though, as during my last French stint I've managed to stop a bunch of Milanese stacks dead in their tracks with that trick. They were on their way to 2 cities of mine, both almost undefended, and after I rushed a diplo their way for my poisoned gift, the Milanese armies just stopped for a few turns, then went back home.

We were allied, but relations were merely passable, I was allied with some of their enemies, they were untrustworthy, and most of all they very clearly were about to attack me (on top of said stacks, their fleet hovered around most of my ports, and I had caught a few spies earlier which is a dead ringer for impending invasion).

I always say the best method to prevent blockade wars is to keep the AI from ever having a navy. This can be acomplished by the simple expedient of taking over the coast of everywhere, that or exterminating every town you come across thats filled with dirty foriegners repeatedly until the combined population of Europe, north Africa and the Middle East outside of your nation is somewhere in the thousands range.
A few local castles with sizable garrisons should be able to put down any local 'rebellions' and keep the local population under control. And if a plauge ever springs up, just jump to it with some unlucky family member who you dont like and have him spread it around a bit.
Also, dont mind the Pope. Sheogorath is a much more interesting god. You get free skooma if you worship him.

Or you could refrain from indulging in that filthy port habit of yours. No ports, no blockade, no effort needed to prevent them ! Pure genius ! :grin:

Also, wabbajack.

I prefer enforcing my will upon others, thank ye kindly. Its the whole raping and pillaging thing.
And the wabbajack is old hat. We're working on Wabbajack 2.0 right now.

Carry a flock of ships around, I hardly ever get blockcaded because of it.

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Originally Posted by Sheogorath

Also, dont mind the Pope. Sheogorath is a much more interesting god. You get free skooma if you worship him.

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Watch out, you may end up with your best general stuck in a black soul gem to recharge your enemies. Fortunately the last time I was attacked it was by one of those silly "good" characters who only had Azura's Star. However, I do like the idea of slipping a bit of skooma in the tea of hostile merchants. Addicts lose their skills rather quickly.