Quote Originally Posted by [b
Quote[/b] (Turbo @ June 26 2003,20:36)]I tried the following experiment to see if I could duplicate the theory that the valor region drives AI build priorities.

I decreased the building AI priority for Townwatch2 for the Almohad Urban Militia in Granada. I observed the AI building pattern using an emissary parked in the region. The AI never built a townwatch level 2. I cycled through about 30 turns.

I then increased the building priority for the town_watch2 and decreased the AUM unit build priority. Again, the AI would not build an AUM.

What this seems to indicate is that the building priorities govern the AI building practices and that unit valor regions have minimal impact.
No, i totally disagree.

Firstly Turbo, may i suggest you play your campaign using the -ian command and enable the following options with the keys:

s for seeing no computer moves (takes too long otherwise)
# to allow the AI to control your faction
a to auto-move the game forward turn after turn
g for seeing the whole map

This is best way to learn the game's mechanics and see how the AI works... believe me.

Secondly, you didn't play the game for long enough. The AI as the Almohads has many other provinces with building requirements and only a limited amount of florins. So it's quite conceivable they spent the florins elsewhere. They have a +1 Berbers in Morocco for instance and a +1 Saharan Cav in Cyrenacia.

I have extensively tested this and with the regional bonus for AUM in Granada the AI will build the second town watch (remember it requires an expensive castle4) regardless of what build values you have given to the town watch. In contrast to what you said, regional bonuses have the biggest impact on AI province development

Try typing in .deadringer. with the ALmos picked to give them plenty of cash and then press # and a, have Granada selected and watch what the AI builds.

Wes,

My take on the regional bonuses is this:

If one unit type has many regional bonuses, only the first appears to receive it (Turbo was right here). The AI builds up the other provinces as if they had no regional bonus.

If a region has several different unit bonuses they all appear to get the +1, however, it's difficult to predict which unit the AI will target towards. In Scotland, i set both Celtic Warriors and Highland Clansmen to get a +1 and Scotland built the buildings necessary for both. However, to get CW (Swordsmith) they have to build the Fort on the way, which obviously enables the HC. MY guess is that it targets the unit furthest down the list, which incidently seems to be the one which isn't listed on the strategy map parchment.

The best way for getting the most out of provinces with multiple unit bonuses, is to make sure the unit the AI guns for is the unit highest up in the tech tree and which require buildings to be built that enable the other units on the way. For example, like the HC and CW in Scotland.

After they've reached the target building, the AI doesn't seem so preoccupied with progressing further as quickly. It may tech up in the castle levels and progress further in the specific tech line. For instance, go for the Master level of the building required for the targeted unit, e.g. Master bowyer for the Morocco and the +1 Berbers.

In some instances they do seem to diversify. When i gave Anatolia a +1 for Byzant Inf the AI built the buildings necessary for them, but later on they also diversified, presumably because to get a swordsmith one needs a spearmaker. Who knows? I'm speculating now.

With ships, however, the AI seems very focused In Venice, Denmark and Wessex the AI never seems to build any unit producing buildings and the AI, somewhat stupidly, is very reluctant to build a merchant. Constantinople also seems to have problems building a merchant as it focuses on building +1 Kataphraktoi from the get-go. Nevertheless if these provinces change hands to a faction that cannot build the unit/ship, the AI follows a build pattern as if the province had no unit bonus.

I have made the shipyard3 and 4 require a merchant3 and 4, respectively, which helps Venice and Denmark look after their trade as long as they are given regional bonuses for ships that require a shipyard3 or 4 (e.g. Gungalley, Carrack). As a result, they now build merchants on their way up the tech tree whereas in the past they didn't. In actual fact i have Venice with a bonus for Galley and Gungalleys and because Gungalleys are lower in the list they target them, but will apparently receive the +1 bonuses for both ship types.

A word of warning, be careful with provinces with no initial starting buildings and ship bonuses. The fact that a shipyard needs a castle4 instead of a castle to build a shipyard seems to result in the AI getting stuck and never reaching the target. By making the shipyard require a castle instead and the AI has no problems. Take Tunisia (Almos) and Portugal (if controlled by a catholic faction) as prime examples with their +1 for dhows and caravels respectively. Regional bonuses in VI don't work very well at all, which seems to be due to the many castle levels (tech integers) one has to build (climb) before one can build the useful units.

Wes, provinces that already start off with buildings are a little bit harder to predict as they have buildings that the AI would not have built to reach their bonus unit.

Anyways,

I have reached a very happy medium in my moddded MTW and VI campaigns, which have been very extensively tested and optimised for the AI with the help of the aforementioned key commands. I now have a very challenging experience and actually lost my Sicilian campaign to the Danes and (re-emerged) Poles on GAs By the end, my once great Empire was in decline and collapsing at all sides and 1453 couldn't come quick enough Highly enjoyable.

IF anyone is interested in seeing my modded Excel sheets (CA's easy to use ones) and campaign files, i will gladly forward them via email.

Regards