Best AI Cheats Ever

[ReluctantSamurai]

Perhaps this has been discussed before, but there's always new situations that come up......

I'll start off with one that I saw in a recent Macedonian campaign.

I usually start with the short campaign and then continue into the 'real deal' if I'm still having fun with it. In this case, one has to eliminate the GC, as I'm sure you know. Well, I've taken every Greek city from Sparta to Rhodes and have my 15 provinces as well.

Still no victory parade Where the hell can they be hiding out? I sent a fleet all around the Med looking for their last outpost. When the fleet finally got to Sicily, there stood Syracuse, in all its glory with a near full stack of armored hoplites (what a surprise). I thought, what the......? the Scipii didn't finish them off after all these years? (there was no alliance between the GC and any of the Roman houses so I still can't believe it happened).

Anyway, I had an army ready to go, so I loaded them on a fleet and headed for Sicily. Just as I'm approaching, a Greek ship pops up in the harbor and 18 of the 20 units in the city board ship and head for Africa!?!

Now I almost always carry a spy aboard my fleets so I knew the exact composition of that army. I thought....better for me they're gone. My fleet will sink them if they try to return so this will be a cakewalk.

After off-loading my army to lay siege, I followed them to Africa just to make sure. Now comes the wild and crazy part........not only do the original 18 hoplites disembark, but another 3/4 stack complete with family member lands as well and they lay siege to Scipii-held Carthage. I watched it happen as it was one of those rare end-of-turns where the view didn't get distracted elsewhere and I had the map centered on the Greek fleet.

It was one of those rollonthefloorlaughing moments as the AI tried to pull a fast one to save the Greek Cities from extinction.

It didn't work, btw

[Quirinus]

Are they cheating though? I'm thinking it might have been a pathfinding problem-- the AI in RTW is maddeningly prone to incomprehensible decisions. Egypt, for example, always has some stacks wandering around in the middle of nowhere in Libya. Maybe that's the case with the Greek stack as well.

[ReluctantSamurai]

Nah.....I actually watched them disembark

[Emperor of Graal]

I wouldn't say Cheating ReluctantSamurai But I've had many campaigns were Rome just sits
on their %^$s all day!

[ReluctantSamurai]

Geez folks, I thought this topic would've generated a bit more discussion

I'm not implying whether AI cheats are good or bad, just fishing for some good stories.........

I've had many campaigns were Rome just sits
on their %^$s all day!

Ahhh yes, the 'lazy faction' syndrome.........

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

One cheat of the AI's is the "run around till the battle timer runs out trick". Essentially the AI keeps its distance from all your troops until the battle timer expires or, if there is no battle timer, till you quit the game.

This is particularly bad if your force size is limited and/or lacks fast cavalry units - they can keep your force running after them for hours with very little chance of capturing them. You often can use a unit to chase them while letting another rest to gain strength, but, if their unit is fast, then your situation is rather dire if your alternative unit isn't equally fast (or slightly less fast considering that the foes are tired).

In the end, you often have to use an ambush to nab them, but, if you only have one unit, this is not possible.

[Legio_Italica]

Perhaps this has been discussed before, but there's always new situations that come up......

I'll start off with one that I saw in a recent Macedonian campaign.

I usually start with the short campaign and then continue into the 'real deal' if I'm still having fun with it. In this case, one has to eliminate the GC, as I'm sure you know. Well, I've taken every Greek city from Sparta to Rhodes and have my 15 provinces as well.

Still no victory parade Where the hell can they be hiding out? I sent a fleet all around the Med looking for their last outpost. When the fleet finally got to Sicily, there stood Syracuse, in all its glory with a near full stack of armored hoplites (what a surprise). I thought, what the......? the Scipii didn't finish them off after all these years? (there was no alliance between the GC and any of the Roman houses so I still can't believe it happened).

Anyway, I had an army ready to go, so I loaded them on a fleet and headed for Sicily. Just as I'm approaching, a Greek ship pops up in the harbor and 18 of the 20 units in the city board ship and head for Africa!?!

Now I almost always carry a spy aboard my fleets so I knew the exact composition of that army. I thought....better for me they're gone. My fleet will sink them if they try to return so this will be a cakewalk.

After off-loading my army to lay siege, I followed them to Africa just to make sure. Now comes the wild and crazy part........not only do the original 18 hoplites disembark, but another 3/4 stack complete with family member lands as well and they lay siege to Scipii-held Carthage. I watched it happen as it was one of those rare end-of-turns where the view didn't get distracted elsewhere and I had the map centered on the Greek fleet.

It was one of those rollonthefloorlaughing moments as the AI tried to pull a fast one to save the Greek Cities from extinction.

It didn't work, btw

All i can say is: MAP INFO DUDE