- Massive AI fleets. Just for the record I LIKE the AI's 'super sized' fleets. While they can get a touch too large for factions that don't really need them massive fleets are historical and more importantly, they keep human players honest. Naval battles in the ancient world were rarely small scale skirmishes but were massive large scale decisive affairs. I do have a problem with the ineffectual scattering of the AI's smaller fleets over a large area. Generally each of these fleets rarely has more than one or two ships and are therefore easy prey for an AI controlled super fleet or a human controlled naval campaign.
- Massive fleets or not the AI does a terrible job handling its navies. The AI should only use its navies for FIVE things:
1) Blockading enemy ports. The more trade routes connected to the targeted port the better.
2) Liberating friendly/allied ports from blockade by an enemy fleet.
3) Engaging enemy fleets near friendly ports or near or en route to its blockade/liberation target (unless of course, it's transporting an army which it should then avoid contact until the troops are unloaded).
4) Transporting armies and agents.
5) Staying PUT in friendly ports in times of peace or when at war with a nation that does NOT possess a port (unless of course, there is a need to transport armies & agents around).
Anything beyond that is an utter waste of time. There should be NO willy nilly, aimless cruises around the Mediterranean like there are now. The Aegean is cluttered with small fleets in my current Julii campaign (Hard difficulty). If the AI simply concentrated on the five points I mentioned then the main sea lanes wouldn't be such a mess and the average naval battle would be far more decisive.
- There needs to be a retreat function for naval battles. Early warning of an approaching enemy is common to sea battles. If a fleet retreats and is pursued by an enemy fleet with more movement points then combat will happen anyway. Why the do or die combat system for initial contact?
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