can the AI cheat?

[carthage121]

The problem with that is that it assumes that the player can always get a positive income too. I'm fighting arche seluke while they are a gigantic empire, so I've produced the best legions I can and as many as I can. At this point my income is barely above 0 and I had recently surpassed arche seluke in terms of military power. The problem is that they have now surpassed me again, and they will continue to given the positive income, unless they go into such debt that 20k is not enough (my difficulty is medium, btw).

[Naliaw]

Do you ever fight battles manually? If not, you may should try. It will help to lower your casualties ;)

And maybe you should try some naval invasions with your countless fullstacks. At least you should have some fullstacks if you play as Rome and have no income.

[carthage121]

I have, and it worked wonders for me when I fought Carthage. Right now I have roughly 4 or 5 full stacks in north africa ready to march on the silver death. I was actually planning on a naval invasion, but the problem is getting those navies ready and having them transport my armies may give the silver death more time, and with their seemingly limitless ability to multiply their military, time is not on my side.

Bear in mind for 25 turns or so before this I had finished my war with Germania (didn't wipe them out, but they were no longer a threat) and spent the rest of the time using all my money to upgrade money-making buildings. I increased my income from 10k with a 68k army to 40k per turn, and the only reason I was so well prepared to fight the silver death is I thought I had upgraded enough and decided to upgrade my army as much as possible. I have some more mines that are going to be finished soon and bring in that lovely 5k per turn each, so I should be able to increase my military further.

So right now this is my situation: I have all of western Europe except Brittania, I have the equivalent of Germany, Denmark, and the one Scandinavian settlement. I also have all the North Africa possessions necessary, with one extra small desert settlement (those wacky Carthaginians). The silver death, from my knowledge, has almost all of Egypt (they are reduced to almost nothing) and all the original possessions of the silver death. My thinking is to try a sea invasion taking Alexandria and the southern part of the holy land.