The AI Diplomatic Madness

**Macilrille** · 02-16-2010, 17:11

I could find nothing while searching this forum on what the Team intend to do about the AI madness.

So I beseech thee, most virtuous of modders; please hear our prayers for an AI that makes more sense.
Yes, I am aware that it is hardcoded, but as the one in Vanilla RTW is (slightly) more sensible then that of EB (at least it makes peace with you sometimes), it most be possible to tweak it somehow (seeing as you effectively did so in EB).

The AI's madness is putting me off my EB TBH, so tell me that you will do what you can to tweak it...

Thank you.

**Marcus Gallicus** · 02-16-2010, 18:17

TBH, MTW2 diplomacy is already way better than that of RTW, but i doubt they can tweak it much further. Isn't it hardcoded?

**darius_d** · 02-16-2010, 18:23

Don't keep your hopes to high. I rather expect more AI problems than in RTW.

If you look for a really improved AI, you should perhaps consider trying other games, TW is rather all about candy look and effects.

**Foot** · 02-16-2010, 18:50

Originally Posted by Macilrille

So I beseech thee, most virtuous of modders; please hear our prayers for an AI that makes more sense.
Yes, I am aware that it is hardcoded, but as the one in Vanilla RTW is (slightly) more sensible then that of EB (at least it makes peace with you sometimes), it most be possible to tweak it somehow (seeing as you effectively did so in EB).

Nope, did not happen. Personal experience is not a good swap for cold hard facts. The AI in EB is the exact same as in RTW. It may be that other changes in the mod made it more likey for certain scenarios to present themselves during the cause of a campaign that would limit the peace-making tendencies of AI factions. But this is not the same as tweaking the AI. If the rules are "if a, then war" and "if b, then sometimes war", and EB makes "a" more likely, we have not tweaked the AI.

The AI is tweakable in MTW2 to some extent, however, and we will certainly endeavour to make appropriate changes where possible. Currently that is not important, as we do not even have a game for us to test the AI out in. All work is on getting the basic structure for EBII. Balancing will occur after.

Foot

**Cambyses** · 02-16-2010, 20:04

MIITW diplomacy is better at avoiding war than RTW. I wouldnt say its a lot better in other areas however. You can keep a strong and seemingly unbreakable alliance if you have marriage ties and are the same religion as the target faction. Crusades were a nice diplomatic feature as well, that could put you and your mates at war with a common enemy of a different religion.

**Macilrille** · 02-16-2010, 22:40

Foot, thanks

for you.
Well, yes, what I meant was that some changes somewhere else in EB had made the AI more berserk and whether you knew what etc and would/could change it.

Anyway, I am but a mere Ma in History- not a skinner or anything else useful, but if you can use me, poke me and I shall do what I can.

Who is doing the Swébôz BTW?

**mlc82** · 02-16-2010, 23:03

From what I recall, the intially released Medieval 2 AI was just as bad (and in some cases even MORE insane, I wrote up a big piece about it) than that of RTW, however the modders out there have gotten it under pretty decent control in regard to both diplomacy and strategy. It's still painfully obvious that the game system was never intended for a map with more options than that of the Shogun/Medieval's "Risk" style maps, but it's far more playable now.

IMO the reason EB get's the "totally insane" AI comments is the "VH" campaign difficulty recommendation. It behaves less rabidly (though still not "smart") on Hard IMO.

**Macilrille** · 02-17-2010, 11:45

Originally Posted by mlc82

From what I recall, the intially released Medieval 2 AI was just as bad (and in some cases even MORE insane, I wrote up a big piece about it) than that of RTW, however the modders out there have gotten it under pretty decent control in regard to both diplomacy and strategy. It's still painfully obvious that the game system was never intended for a map with more options than that of the Shogun/Medieval's "Risk" style maps, but it's far more playable now.

IMO the reason EB get's the "totally insane" AI comments is the "VH" campaign difficulty recommendation. It behaves less rabidly (though still not "smart") on Hard IMO.

I have played four campaigns on M/M to test your theory- or rather my own similar- and in 3½ of these the AI was as insane, it was in fact exactly the same.

**seienchin** · 02-16-2010, 23:54

Originally Posted by Cambyses

MIITW diplomacy is better at avoiding war than RTW. I wouldnt say its a lot better in other areas however. You can keep a strong and seemingly unbreakable alliance if you have marriage ties and are the same religion as the target faction. Crusades were a nice diplomatic feature as well, that could put you and your mates at war with a common enemy of a different religion.

No... Its even worse...
In MWII you can at of course scare the AI by having all your towns and castles neighbouring them heavily guarded, but as soon as there is any reachable settlement without much garrison they atack. Im playing Kingdoms at the moment and WOW I am getting backstabed more than I ever did in Rome... (At least it feels like that^^)

**Cambyses** · 02-17-2010, 01:23

I dunno man. Ive played several MIITW campaigns, especially with Stainless Steel, where Ive been marriage allied to a bordering faction from turn 1 and never gone to war with them the whole time. Vanilla, well I only played it once, I wouldnt know.