Goofy AI decisions.

[jrexchandler]

Last night, without any provocation, the Danish King and his 7 (that's right SEVEN) heirs along with 200 spearmen (around 360 troops) attacked Sweden.

My province was defended with over 1,400 troops including feudal men-at-arms and seargents, feudal knights, my heir's royal knights, and 200 longbowmen.

Needless to say, they were destroyed. The king and ALL of his heirs were killed and their faction ended on the battle field.

Why would the AI do this? They could have attacked the German provinces (which were lightly defended) or the rebels close by.

Rex

[Naagi]

Ive had them do similar things in my campaign. They ran in on Sweden which I didnt have very well defended, took it but next turn I took Denmark and attacked Sweden. They of course fled but had no where to go so died off fighting for Denmark.

Naagi

[Exile]

The AI seems to overestimate the effectiveness of Royal Knights. When the AI attacks me with an inferior force, it's under on of two circumstances: 1) there's several Royal Knights in the attacking force 2) i have one of the AI's castles under siege

Actually, I've lost battles to smaller AI armies with Royal Knights because their charge broke thru my lines and routed my cowardly scum of an army

Still, I am not sure why they attaced you instead of one of the other pros. Except Sweden is a very good prov and has a good strategic location for a faction attacking from Denmark. Is the AI that clever tho??

[Nelson]

Remarkably enough, the Danes attacked Sweden in my game last night too

I had recently bribed the Swedes while playing Byzantium. The 3 star 5 acumen Duke of Sweden and his peasant unit had just been sent to Constantinople for training, equipping and indoctrination into the Imperial Way when the Danes struck. Good timing by the AI I thought as my defenders were not strong and had a zero star leader. The entire Danish court seemed to be there. But alas, prince after prince charged into a patch of woods, allowing my few woodsmen, spearmen and peasants along with about 100 Vikings to drive them off and capture the Danish king. I got 11,500 florins for returning him.

[kaasbris]

During War against Danes, as HRE, they attacked my Pomerania through amphibious assalut and layed siege. Well, that's fine. But problem is that even they could occupy Pommerania (if I don't send reinforcement), there's no way to return As there's no port there.

My Soxony blocks the way between Denmark and Pomerania. I had to consider to let them have Pomerania as I wanted more challeging game (expert mode), and Danish king and prince were there.

Anyway, I counterattacked them and captured Royals, well, Danes didn't pay ransom They just let their King dead.

And their Denmark was empty except one new King's Royal knights. I once again had to consider if I can keep playing, as it made me angry at silly Danes

Sigh, here's also another goofy examples by AI:

1. They don't know how to make money by trade.
2. They don't know how to defend homeland. usually let it defenseless.
3. They seem to know the value of "concentration of military power", but that's all they know.
..Thus they always makes me wonder if I take their empty lands or not...which wil make this game too easy and boring.

There should be more, but not that irritation as those above. I really wish CA makes another patch for better AI.

[Exile]

Quote[/b] (kaasbris @ Jan. 07 2003,14:00)]Sigh, here's also another goofy examples by AI:

1. They don't know how to make money by trade.
2. They don't know how to defend homeland. usually let it defenseless.
3. They seem to know the value of "concentration of military power", but that's all they know.
..Thus they always makes me wonder if I take their empty lands or not...which wil make this game too easy and boring.


There should be more, but not that irritation as those above. I really wish CA makes another patch for better AI.

good points I've seen an AI faction with 20+ ships in one sea prov and no trade routes. Not building trade routes puts the AI at a huge disadvantage. Even seafaring factions like the Italians and Sicilians seem to scatter or concentrate their ships, with no apparent plan on trade. At this point, I am limiting my own trade routes i SP campaigns, sort of a handicap to keep the game challenging.

Also, the AI seems terrible at avoiding civil wars. When I see an AI faction become dominant, very often it has a civil war shortly after, thereby losing territory and many troops. I've seen AI factions plagued by civil war, having many over the course of a single campaign. Civil wars seem too frequent for an expert SP campaign, they really kick the poo out of the faction which has the civil war. Of course, this is an opportunity to attack which I can rarely avoid.

Other silly things the AI does:
-80% farm upgrades in provs with very low farm income
-putting many uselss artillery pieces on the field during an attack, thereby limiting the number of troops it attacks with as the usually obsolete ballista sit way behind the action and just wait for the order to withdraw.
-refuse a ceasfire when the AI faction is facing impossible odds and down to one prov.

[deejayvee]

The other night as the Russians I had the Golden Horde limited to Georgia (5 or 6 stacks including the King) and Armenia (3 stacks). I invaded from Trebizond into both provinces simultaneously.

In Georgia, the Mongols decided they couldn't won and retreated. In Armenia I fought against the 3 stacks and won. But it turns out I took the mongol king and his 5 stacks prisoner Why would the AI just give up its king like that? He should have at least put up a fight

[solypsist]

sometimes it's easier to give up and pay the ranson (which happens automatically on any result against a ffaction unless you yourself take prisoners on the battlefield manually) in order to provide a better strategic position later.

a good example of this is when the AI has a better navy than you do. Let's say the Sicilians start hostilities by sinking a few of your ships. You invade their continental provinces, and finally have the king cornered in sicily. So you invade only to have the AI not fight (automatically resolves with you winning and taking prisoners). the computer pays the ransom and the king is returned to malta, where your navy has no chance of reaching unless you can sink that stack of 10 Sicilian ships in the ocean territory. Meanwhile, you're still at war, your trading is crippled, and you'll continue to lose money because of blocked shipping lanes - all because you can't completely eliminate the Sicilians.

[deejayvee]

True Solypist, the Egyptians ended up escaping to Crete that way.

However, in this case the Golden Horde had no other provinces so unless he won in Armenia, his King is dead. which doesn't make sense to me.

[andrewt]

Well, if you are going to run out of provinces and income and tech to do that, you need to stand up and fight occasionally. I've had lots of instances of the AI retreating and getting killed slowly. They usually retreat to a province which can barely support their army and lose a lot in the process. They run out of money to pay the ransom eventually.

[HopAlongBunny]

Quote[/b] (kaasbris @ Jan. 07 2003,14:00)]1. They don't know how to make money by trade.
2. They don't know how to defend homeland. usually let it defenseless.

I think number1 in your post may help explain number2. Less money to "waste" on garrisons?

Which may help explain why there are so many revolts and civil wars. If you destabilize a few provinces the faction leaders influence may decrease...leading to someone deciding they can do better. I know I use it against the AI, and I'm sure AI factions use it against each other and you.

[Lord of the Isles]

The Danes will regularly sit in Denmark, doing nothing very much, while Sweden is held by a small army of Rebels. However, if another faction (usually the human player, haven't yet seen what happens if another AI faction does it) takes Sweden, the Danes will almost always attack Sweden within a few turns, no matter what the odds are. Just a quirk: it's annoying but not anything that spoils my enjoyment of the game.

I've a feeling that one of the no-land-bridges moders tinkered with the Danish AI-type and/or starting position to counter just this problem, but can't remember how succesful it proved.