Is my perfect game of EB possible?

[d'Arthez]

My memory is a bit fuzzy on the subject, but that is probably due to the fact that it was 6 years ago, when I played with it years ago in EB 1.0, or EB 1.1. I found that around the 3200 / city / turn mark the Eleutheroi do not immediately get itself in massive debt, and actually do something. Prior to EB 1.2, the Money assistance scripts were rather basic. And I am not sure if the current iterations are as generous as they should be for the Eleutheroi for your purposes.

It should be in the EBBS-script, under the money assistance section. If my memory has not abandoned the script should be something like this for the Eleutheroi:

monitor_event SettlementTurnStart FactionType slave

and not FactionIsLocal
console_command add_money slave, 3200
end_monitor

(For some reason the quoting function does not work as intended.)


This check runs for every Eleutheroi controlled city. So at the beginning of the game that amounts to about 400 000 Mnai. And that income will reduce as Eleutheroi cities get conquered. You can combine this with a treasury emptying script before then, so that the AI does not hoard money, nor has too little income to actually do something.

One thread that discusses the issue of money scripts in earlier versions can be found here:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...out-on-the-AI)

But please don't take my word for gospel. I would suggest to Quintus that he runs a few tests (Casse auto-end turn), to see if the AI is doing things "right" (and that the Eleutheroi don't go through the roof or the floor in the factional financial rankings). Striking a balance will be a rather delicate affair. But it does seem doubtful that the AI will spend the Eleutheroi money in the most optimal manner. It could be "first come, first serve", and thus you may find Pergamon neglected while Ubar gets fully built up.

Lack of replacements for dead generals is one of the most important reasons for the collapse of the "Eleutheroi Empire" from 230 BC onwards (that and the fact that they often cannot replenish their troops due to inadequate funds). As for recruiting AI general to replace the fallen governors, I have not tried that myself to be honest. It should be possible, but I have never tried to create a script for this purpose (and it is probably not easy to create one). The alternative would be to seriously nerf the AI's Command Stars.

[QuintusSertorius]

I've just started another Epeiros-as-Pergamon game (so ironically Pergamon is no longer Eleutheroi). I've been gifting something in the region of 800k a turn via console and they do seem to be much more active than I remember - there are even pirates! Though at best it's just slowing the other AI factions, the Romans are still determined to go north rather than south and into Sicily. I did think about financially penalising the Romans, but I remember that to be a very tricky balance that ends up over-compensating in both directions, since if the AI gets too poor it goes completely inactive.

I stole Krete which has stabilised my financial situation, but otherwise I'm playing a game of assassins and spies in my neighbourhood, rather than conquest.

Is there any way to trigger unrest with the console, besides adding population?

[d'Arthez]

I think 800k / turn will prove to be overkill, since the AI will have enough money to build up most settlements. Thus you might find Eleutheroi cities much more tech-advanced than what is really historical. Which can be a bit of a problem once someone conquers a few of those cities. On the plus side, you should see them recruiting troops now as well, and that should definitely slow down AI expansion.

For new campaigns it is possible to alter natural unrest in a settlement, but that does not work with ongoing campaigns. In ongoing campaigns you can use spies and adding population. I would probably go with the spy option - it rules out the option of building up governor's palaces, and other high-tech buildings. Just don't forget to compensate yourself for maintaining these spies.

An option that may work for you to reduce unwanted migrations is to create non-moving full-stacks of elites at the chokepoints you don't want them to cross (give them a general + give the general a trait to make movement points close to zero). I have not tried this myself, and it will leave you with a nasty problem of getting rid of these stacks once they have served their purpose. What may also help is to move the offending stacks to their historical targets (Sicily for the Romans for instance), and then reload the game. If you don't reload, the stack will probably still retain its original destination. Reloading seems to undo all the plans AI has made on the strategic map, and thus new plans will have to be formed. (This is also a reason that the strategic AI can be so poor in load-heavy campaigns).

[QuintusSertorius]

I'm playing with the City Mod, so that should constrain most Eleutheroi settlement growth. I've not noticed a lot of tech development so far, but it's only 258BC. I have noticed a much more active Eleuetheroi, which is for the better.

Guess I'll have to stick with the spies method. Though it seems pretty hit and miss whether you get revolts; so far Ipsos has proved immune even though I've gotten rioting once or twice - even with four assassins destroying happiness-creating buildings and the public order rarely being above 80%.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

The alternative would be to seriously nerf the AI's Command Stars.

This sounds like a great idea! How would I do that?

I've always wanted EB battles where I don't have to wipe out 3/4 of the enemy army or kill the enemy general before the whole army routs. Brilliant flanking moves are less exciting for me when the enemy fight almost to the death like the Theban Sacred Band at the Battle of Chaeronea.

[d'Arthez]

Those traits are probably hidden in export_descr_character_traits. Sadly changes to that file are probably not save game compatible.

[Bodeni]

Easy difficulty is annoying in that it doesn't offer a challenge. However, it does make the AI much less aggressive and seems to limit the elite unit/merc spam you get with hard/very hard. Keeps the Independant factions alive for a more reasonable time too. I use this is conjunction with the "force diplomacy" mini mod so I can role play more historical campaigns. I've not yet noticed a money boost for the player on Easy, but then again I just use add_money and keep my troops to a realistic amount/quality.
Far from perfect but very good for AARs or RP. Wish I could remember how to set up faction swapping again, made campaigns even more interesting.

[d'Arthez]

The only "money boost" you get on Easy is an increase in Trade income. You get 1.2 x Trade income on Easy, 1.00 on Medium, 0.92 on Hard and 0.85 on Very Hard if memory serves. Hardly earth shattering in EB.

[QuintusSertorius]

I always play on M/M - I don't like the AI getting bonuses in battle, nor them getting even more money on the campaign map. Maybe I should have gone E/M, if that means they're less aggressive towards each other?

I used some FD at the start to get some ceasefires, though ironically I haven't needed it since then. The AI is surprisingly reasonable when I've only taken one settlement off them and beaten everything they've sent my way.

I'm about to liberate Athenai, which has fallen to Makedon, and gift it back to Koinon Hellenon. I wonder if it's a losing prospect in the end, though. At least KH always have Rhodos, assuming I don't steal it, to keep them in the game. I might gift-migrate them to the Bosporan Kingdom if they continue to struggle and let Makedon have Greece.

[QuintusSertorius]

Is this convoluted? I've installed Koinon Hellenon in Kyrene (to give them an extra source of income besides the fallback of Rhodos). Now I'm looking to install Makedonia in Mesana, so that there's some actual tension and fighting on Sicily. As it stands Syrakousai is still independent and the Qarthadastim otherwise have the run of the place.

It's 243BC, there's still a load of unconquered territory, but my recent actions have broken quite a few alliances (the Ptolemies stuck with me rather than the Qarthadastim - don't know if that means a new ahistorical war in the desert or if they'll continue ignoring each other).

I'm wondering if I should have a go at a Qart-Hadast game; they have a lot of units just like the Greek ones I like (hoplites, thureophoroi, etc) and loads of merc options too.