Why aren't the rebels in my games more agressive?

[Captain Trek]

Since I've stared playing EB (on both RTW and Alx exes), I've noticed how inactive rebel armies tend to be... Now, coming from vanilla Rome, I'm used to this, but based on what EB players have said on here, the rebels (I can't spell their in-game name) should in fact be rather agressive (besieging cities and stuff) and indeed, playing my new Casse campaign I just had a small 1/5 stack rebel army besiege one of my settlements (defended by a FM and a unit of lugoae), but this is the first time I've had this happen in EB, even though I've had far larger rebel armies spawn right outside (close enough to besiege the town without even moving) even less well defended cities (even in this very same Casse campaign), who have just stood around for a half-dozen seasons picking their noses untill my main army could come along and wipe them out...

So, what's going on here? Are the rebels in EB meant to be agressive and if so, what's wrong with them in my game? Or, are they not actually meant to be that agressive after all?

[TWFanatic]

I've heard BI improves the situation a little and ALEX even more. Don't quote me on that though, I have niether. From what you say I take it ALEX isn't helping much.

From what I understand, increasing campaign levels to hard or very hard makes the AI more aggressive. Ultimately however, the sad truth is that the AI sucks and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it.

It's the same AI that I've found in vanilla and other mods.

[Captain Trek]

And I'd be fine with that, except that other members of this forum have described what the rebel armies in their games do, and they sound significantly more agressive than the rebels in my games...

Maybe the rebels in their games aren't as agressive as I've lead myself ot believe... Or maybe they're just lucky... 'Cause after all, it is the same AI... It's hard-coded...

[TWFanatic]

If it's any consolation, my AI is just as bad as yours. The sovereignties are not much better than the Rebs.

[bovi]

The main reason why the rebels are inactive is probably our imprisoning the garrison. Normally the AI will roam around and have only 1-2 units in the city, so in order to have decent garrisons, we have immobilized all starting generals.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Still VH/M will likely see the Rebels marching (the guys somewhere in the mountains) at Kophen should you attack the city... I've had times I (blisfully unaware) had to call my Baktrian army back to save the city... <_<

Also a certain guy called Alikibiades can do quite nasty stuff; VH/M again I saw him close-to-obliterating the Pontic kingdom once, trashing every army sent at him. Full merc army, you know Thraikioi Peltastai, Merc Phalangitai; even some Tindanotae. Of course, I smiled at the sight of that: it suited me fine that the rather disloyal Pontic kingdom was fully occupied with their futile attempts at removint them... which gave me the opportunity to consolidate my Seleukid holdings in the region! What I'm saying given the right settings the AI can actually be pretty mean at times...

[Skandinav]

Rebel Factions besiege settlements on both Hard and Very Hard campaign difficulty and generally look somewhat active, as with this scene from a romani campaign ( H/M ) :



I´ll admit to have given the slave faction a lot of money each turn ( but haven´t created any units for them in the area where this picture is taken from ) and suddenly there were "migrations" from Raetica and Noricum, first into Germania, then later, after having occupied the Swêboz for quite some time they turned south-east, then west again and gave me a free ( as in free of doing it myself ) cimbri/teutones invasion in 113BC.

Both with and without adding money to rebel cities I believe there is a tendency for them not to march on enemy territory unless they have more than a full stack in total army strength.

[teh1337tim]

they appear to be guard stacks and some random ones... hmm interseting

[DaCrAzYmOfO]

Ive knoticed that rebels only attack cities in vh campaign diffuculty, but will attack you if you get ambushed in any difficulty (duh)

[Captain Trek]

The main reason why the rebels are inactive is probably our imprisoning the garrison. Normally the AI will roam around and have only 1-2 units in the city, so in order to have decent garrisons, we have immobilized all starting generals.

I was actually refering to the "brigand" armies than spawn randomly as play progresses...

Ive knoticed that rebels only attack cities in vh campaign diffuculty, but will attack you if you get ambushed in any difficulty (duh)

Wrong, actually... The Casse campaign I mention at the start of this thread is only H/M, and yet a 1/5 stack rebel army besieged one of my cities (and got royally schooled when I brought a couple more units in to assist)... Indeed I think it's the only time I've seen it happen (and brigand army attacking a city) thus far...

[Tellos Athenaios]

Starting armies are argessive; but usually the spawned armies are so small they are more scared of you than you are of them... <_<

[bovi]

I don't believe I've ever seen a "brigand" stack attack anything. They prefer to strangle trade by camping on roads, as far as I've seen. Units created in a city however may become roaming stacks that are prone to raid. But the eleutheroi income doesn't allow for spamming too many units, spilling over the city limit.

[mcantu]

is there a way to have rebels in their starting settlements recruit new units?

[||Lz3||]

gifting them via console command tons of money each turn

add_money slave, 40000

[bovi]

The original money script did give them a set amount per settlement. It caused them to recruit low-level troops in all their cities and never build any buildings. I had a fight with 3 gaesatae units against 28 lugoae and won (although my guys were about ready to call it a day many times during the fight). Yes, that was all they produced. The script I made for them now makes sure they have the opportunity to get loads of money every four seasons, if the dice are in their favour. This means they will upgrade and get better unit mix, but not spam too many troops so that it's impossible for the AI to expand.