Quote Originally Posted by Jambo
Hi,

I have been deliberating whether there's anything that can be done to help the occasional tendency for the AI to use its General suicidally, given the incredible amount of this game that can be modded? I've thought of several ways in which one could prevent the suicidal AI general issue. Like some say, it isn't as bad on the harder difficulties and it certainly isn't as bad as it has been in previous titles, but what do you think of these:

1. give the general units 3 HP instead of the default 2?

2. they are listed as cavalry in the unit file. Maybe changing this to infantry or missile might help in preventing the headlong charge that they occasionally do? Missile might make them skirmish?

3. reduce their offensive values and increase their defensive values by the same amount. Thus skewing their effectiveness as an offensive unit. The AI might then use them accordingly?

I've tried number 1 and that obviously makes them a little more resilient, a definite plus against the stronger missile troops in RTW, but I'm interested to see what would happen with number 3.

Any thoughts?
Increasing the HP is probably the best approach. I increased the HP to 4 btw and the generals have decent staying power.

I tried making the Gaul general a druid and the german general unit a chosen. The troops do hold together better but when they do fall apart, the Gaul/German general is almost always killed.

I have had no luck changing the offensive values. The AI seems to charge all forms of cavalry except missile. The problem with making them missile cavalry is that the AI goes on a skirmish mode and the AI troops lose the general's presence. They become even easier to rout.