I don't like the mechanism with alliances.

[vasilisguru]

The mechanism with alliances sucks in all TW titles and I don’t think it will change in Empire. Players must have the ability to ask there allies to join them with there armies in specific points to give battle with common enemy and the AI mast do this also. What is an alliance for after all?
Historically, allied generals were planning there strategy together. In TW they march into battle only spontaneously.
This is a task for a great game like this! (Its not just the graphics!!!)

[pevergreen]

Agreed, in a roundabout way. The AI Does need new options (Help me attack xxx province, get off my land etc). It will not be as good as it could be if it is missing that.

[Martok]

Additional diplomatic options are great and all, but only if the AI can actually utilize them effectively and intelligently. It'd be a genuine pity to see a repeat of RTW/M2TW, where the AI factions couldn't handle the more complex diplomacy model.

In other words: CA, please don't add features to Empire that the AI can't use!

[Zarky]

Personally i think that betraying an ally should have LOT worse penalties than loss of reputation since AI tends to ignore that sometimes between other AI factions.

[Raz]

I don't think any ruler would attack an ally when they are clearly going to be defeated. Even if the ruler was twenty grand in debt. I believe rather than attacking an ally to claim land, they'd ask for land from their ally or more likely ask for some financial help in return for some of their troops or training facilities etc.

But since this is an age Total War....

[PBI]

Personally i think that betraying an ally should have LOT worse penalties than loss of reputation since AI tends to ignore that sometimes between other AI factions.

Agreed, the consequences of betrayal should be much worse, especially if you have been allies for a long time. Your reputation should be wiped out, for starters, such that no-one will ever ally with you again, but I think it could go even further than this. I think if you have been allies for a long time it should case severe unrest in your cities, and maybe even cause the troops you send to attack your former ally to mutiny.

[Cartaphilus]

Personally i think that betraying an ally should have LOT worse penalties than loss of reputation since AI tends to ignore that sometimes between other AI factions.

This is very necessary.

In that Age, the formalities were respected, and the treaties too, at least in appearance.

A betrayal must be severe punished, with, for example, multiplie declarations of war, blockades, incursiones, etc.

[hoom]

I believe rather than attacking an ally to claim land, they'd ask for land from their ally or more likely ask for some financial help in return for some of their troops or training facilities etc.

That would be really cool.
I'd love to be able to offer to transfer a few units to Allied control for cash & likewise to be offered/demand contingents for my armies.
Would be a really nice way of managing to have alliances actually be of some value.

Of course, it would need to be something that the AI actually uses/can & will accept

[Flying Pig]

Give us a 'conditions box', so for example: 'I'll pay you $1000, for that I want a surrender or I'll burn your city.' And I want coalitions, so armies under allies that

a) cannot merge with you

b) command autonomusly on the tactical map, but take broad orders.

So we can recreate Waterloo. Also, I would like to declare war by treaty. It feels nicer to say ominously that the British Empire is going to come down upon your state, PANIC!

[Zaleukos]

Coordinating several independent allied AI actors on the battlefield, or worse, AI and human forces, would demand more than what most game AIs can deliver.

The easiest way to make AI allies helpful (in a way that wont mess you up) would IMHO be to allow them to lend you forces on your request depending on whether they want to see you prevail or not. These forces should then be retrainable for a cost inside that allies territory or in a friendly city/area that has a clear link to the allied territory. The lender should get to choose to either pay the upkeep/training cost of these forces himself or let the recipient do so. It should be possible to retake control over these forces with some restrictions (to avoid human exploits). While this wouldnt simulate real allied behaviour it would be a step forward and have at least some historical precedent in how countries let others fight for them (France subsidising the protestants during the thirty years war or the dutch war of independence are examples outside the timeframe, while Britains aid to Prussia in the seven years war is one inside).

However cool it would be to command Wellington's army and see an intelligent AI Blucher come to your aid at Waterloo I'm uncertain that its worth aiming for that goal. A poor attempt will just look ridiculous and be so useless that players wont use it. This compromise would at least give you the feel of fighting with a multi-national force against a common enemy.

And of course it all has to be tuned and balanced. You dont want your allies to spam you with expeditionary forces like in Hearts of Iron I or Victoria...

[The_Reckoning]

At least CA admitted that AI was a weak point for their last games.

[Martok]

At least CA admitted that AI was a weak point for their last games.

True. Now if they can actually fix it, we'll be doing pretty good.

I'm glad that at least the military and diplomatic AI is no longer being programmed separately like they were in the first four games, but it's still no guarantee that it will actually make smart strategic decisions. Even in MTW, few things irritated me more that having my 1-province ally backstab my 30-province empire (that it had no chance of beating).

I'm cautiously optimistic, but there's really no way to know what the AI's like until the game is released.

[Odin]

I'm glad that at least the military and diplomatic AI is no longer being programmed separately like they were in the first four games, but it's still no guarantee that it will actually make smart strategic decisions. Even in MTW, few things irritated me more that having my 1-province ally backstab my 30-province empire (that it had no chance of beating).

I'm cautiously optimistic, but there's really no way to know what the AI's like until the game is released.

Good example with MTW, yes that was a pain in the butt. I am no expert in the time period but there are a couple of gems here that almost require a robust alliance system. The war of spanish succession, The american revolution, Russian Turkish wars and then the numerous ins and outs of the napoleonic era.

they cant keep the old alliance system in place, it has to be more dynamic, not to mention potential revolutions and whom your allies choose to support. I have no doubt CA will make a superior graphic depiction of battles but the diplomatic AI is the potential hidden jewel of this title.

[darrin42]

Actually your totaly Right lol. And that Always Traditionaly Annoyed me with Total war titles. Supposadly, Empire will feature a New Diplomatic System Entirely(allegidly more realistic) where by your allies, will be less likely to basicaly back stab you, and siege one of your citys. However If you think back, All of this was said about Medieval 2 as well lol, And it featured a exact Copy Diplomatic system to Rome. I Will be Suprised if The Empire system is all that diff to be honest. But Heres hoping :)

[Ignoramus]

If they could implement alliance treaties, rather than just if you're allied you're allied for the entire game, because alliance did shift frequently, just not by betrayal.

[Sheogorath]

I'd like to see reputation tied to faction leaders, myself.
For instance, every time a faction leader dies, your reputation takes a strong jump towards 'neutral'. Only being very nice or very evil would leave some reputation (one way or another) with the new faction leader.

[Robert the Kingmaker]

I agree. I actually wrote something about this in the totalwar.com forums. I think factions should able to create leagues/group alliances against a specific cause or faction such as the League of Cambrai or the Holy League. First you would create and specify an alliance, including a custom name, then you would proceed to persuade other factions to join. If factions of the league fight a battle together they get battle boosters such as moral and fatigue and experience for generals (like Crusades) to name a few.

[SirGrotius]

In the Europa Universalis series they have this "Call to Arms" function, which basically asks your ally to go to war for you and they'll send in troops. They don't always accept, but they usually do and then it's cool, but you have to balance that with them potentially taking some of your gains!!!