Border Wars

[Yun Dog]

Cheetah,

That was sort of my point in a round about way, I hear what your saying that just because your at war doesnt mean you need to wipe out one guy after the next - but it certainly makes it easy to, and hence rather than making the game harder for the human it actually makes the game easier.

So in the game I mentioned in the OP, Ive taken out poland completely - Russia was at war with Austria. Then Ive gone from friendly trade relations with Russia to war on one turn, and then Austria who I was hostile with also declared war. Of coarse Im at war with all neighbouring protectorates. None of whom will accept peace.

so far none of the nations appears to be looking much chop

so I can take out targets of opportunity in two directions

I dunno was I expecting too much in hoping for more than this?

Honestly I can live with some of the foibles of the battle AI, but the battles need to have some sort of context - There is 0 immersion when the AI behaves in a prescipted and predictable fasion.

[Papewaio]

Russia VH/VH

I took at Dagestan and waited a few turns to replenish then moved on to fight their allies leaving a few garrison units.

Only when I had left the province did Persia declare war.

In addition to this I haven't in the first 30 years moved in to fight Sweden. They did attack one of my lesser cities but were beaten back by the mob. Sweden hasn't moved into Muscovy and P-L has gone into Russia as I have a strong garrison force in the West. While the Ottomans havn't declared war after I took out Crimea... we trade. Crimea has at least 7 decent units in it and is constantly pumping out more for generals in the field.

So it might be that your playing style is leaving a depleted border that an oppourtunistic AI is taking advantage of.