Amphibious Assaults

**Celtic_Punk** · 07-24-2008, 11:13

do they happen in RTW.exe? or only in BI? what about alex.exe? whats the differences n such?

**Conqueror** · 07-24-2008, 11:51

Naval invasions by the AI are very rare in RTW, and most of the time when it uses ships to transport troop it does so to reinforce an overseas province that it currently holds, not to attack a province held by another faction.

In BI, the AI is more navally aggressive and fairly often lands troops on provinces held by other factions - although if an alternative land route exists, it will still probably prefer to use that. Unfortunately, most of the landings are made with smallish armies that are all too easily driven back to their boats.

I have no experience from the Alexander expansion so can't comment on it.

**QuintusSertorius** · 07-24-2008, 12:25

They happen in BI, but they're useless. You get a string of pathetic invasions that never cease.

Apparently in Alex they're much better, because the AI actually makes an effort to combine stacks.

**Maion Maroneios** · 07-24-2008, 12:29

Yeah, it's pretty much like Conqueror said. With RTW, the AI will only rarely use naval invasions, mostly to reinforce a province or threatened area. With BI the AI is generally quite aggressive, including with naval invasions. This means the AI will actually use units to invade enemy lands from the sea. Also to protect threatened areas, of course. With ALEX, the AI is somewhat smarter and will mostly use naval invasions to protect a threatened area, sometime even attack.

**bigmilt16** · 07-24-2008, 13:25

RTW: they rarely, if ever happen. period. lol

BI: The AI will use AI naval invasions in an aggressive "offensive" way. The earlier in the game and poorer the faction, the easier it will be to drive back foes. Some factions however, like carthage (after about 20 years) will regularly invade you lands with full-blown, elite stacks and cause headaches for decades. You seriously will have to build a navy to remain competitive and prevent regualr invasions by the AI. It does add a new dimension and force you to rethink the way you spend money (because those navies ain't cheap)

Alex: The AI uses the invasions in a much more "defensive" manner. It will typically only ship troops to defend overseas holding it feels are threatened by you. You can actually see it bolster its overseas lands with multiple stacks to prepare itself for an invasion by you, which is great strategy. And so long as it has overseas holdings threatened by you, it will continue to ship troops VERY AGGRESSIVELY! Don't think that Alex is necessarily easier on you, because the AI will throw everthing it has to protect its lands from you. However, once you completely kick the AI out of an area, he won't take an "offensive" posture and re-invade or try to make an invasion on your lands. That is the one downside of Alex... he won't actually "invade" you.

For example, in the 1st punic war, when you first take messana, the carthaginians will land massive stacks in libelo in preparation for a final battle there, but once you conquer sicily, they won't try to re-take it unless there is a rebellion. The same in iberia... they will send every unit they have to iberia so long as they have some land there to defend, but once its gone, the naval activity stops.