Campaign AI Settings - A 'Quick Guide'

[Spino]

By request for discussion and whatnot. FYI, I posted the exact same thread over in the Dungeon...

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...054#post600054

Thought I'd throw together a quick but extensive guide that will help modders and TW fans get the most out of their campaign game. If you're tired of watching Carthage get swallowed up in the early game or are wondering why some factions behave they way they do this guide is for you.

Start by checking out the faction entries in the descr_strat.txt file.

Over at twc .Spartan (with a little help from yours truly) deciphered and defined the two kinds of variables that govern how the strategic AI goes about its business building its empire. Apparently changing these variables can have a profound effect on how the campaign game plays out. Carthage has been witnessed becoming a real threat simply by making it more aggressive and focused on conquest instead of its current passive and profiteering obssessed state of mind.

Here are the default AI settings and their definitions for each faction as found in the txt file. As listed by .Spartan and taken from the following thread...

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index...howtopic=10859

Faction...................................Style
................................var1........................var2
______________________________________________
Julii ---------------- comfortable ------------ Caesar
Brutii -------------- balanced ---------------- Stalin
Scipii -------------- bureaucrat -------------- Napoleon
Senate ------------ comfortable ------------- Napoleon
Macedon ---------- fortified ------------------ Napoleon
Egypt -------------- religious ---------------- Caesar
Seleucid ----------- balanced ---------------- Stalin
Carthage ---------- balanced ---------------- Smith
Parthia ------------- balanced ---------------- Genghis
Pontus ------------- trader -------------------- Napoleon
Gauls -------------- religious ----------------- Smith
Germans ---------- balanced ---------------- Mao
Britons ------------ trader -------------------- Henry
Armenia ---------- fortified ------------------ Henry
Greek Cities ------ balanced ---------------- Smith
Numidia ------------ balanced --------------- Henry
Scythia ------------- trader ------------------ Smith
Spain --------------- fortified ---------------- Mao
Thrace -------------- sailor ------------------ Napoleon
Slaves -------------- balanced -------------- Smith

With my crack at defining them...

The first set of variables seem somewhat obvious. They seem to correlate to the types of buildings that get priority when developing any given settlment. I don't dare apply any values to them though, where would I start?

Var1
- Comfortable - Entertainment buildings with an overall goal of improving Happiness
- Balanced - Self explanatory. Even percentage split between all the variables?
- Bureacrat - Law/Education buildings with an overall goal of improving Public Order
- Fortified - Fortifications (and perhaps Infantry producing buildings?) with an overall goal of maintaining sizeable garrisons & strong defensive armies.
- Religious - Religious structures with an overall goal of improving Happiness & Public Order
- Trade - Trade structures with an overall goal of improving Trade revenue (well, duh!)
- Sailor - Ports with an overall goal of improving sea based trade and naval power? Perhaps it doesn't mean what we think it means. It's such an unusual strategy for Thrace, of all nations! They had no navy to speak of! Maybe CA thougt this was the best long term strategy for its survival?

Var2
There are three subsets in this category

1) Conquest - With names like Caesar, Napoleon & Genghis is is obvious that factions associated with these variables are more likely to be on the offensive.

- Napoleon - A kinder, gentler conqueror who rarely inflicted direct harm on local populations. Least likely to enslave or exterminate conquered settlements.
- Caesar - Emphasis on enslavement. Caesar's conquests brought vast numbers of slaves to work Rome's fields, mines, quarries, baths, homes, etc.
- Genghis - Emphasis on extermination. Entire civilizations were wiped out by Genghis Khan and his generals. Also it is no surprise that this is applied to the Parthians, another horse based culture that roamed the steppes before invading the civilized world. Curious that it is not applied to the Scythians, a very warlike horse based culture akin to the Mongols. Maybe CA made them wanted that faction to confine itself to their steppe territories.

2) Farming - Mao and Stalin were communists or if you like, 'Collective Farming Dictators of Note'

- Mao - Emphasis on population growth via farming development. Passive aggressive, isolationist if you will.
- Stalin - Emphasis on population growth via farming development. Passive aggressive expansionist (lol).

3) Trade - Adam Smith and Henry George, 'The Economists'

- Smith - Emphasis on trade & profitability above all else. Health, Happiness, Public Order, etc. are secondary concerns to short term economic gains. Smith as in 'Adam Smith', the author of "On the Wealth of Nations", supporter of the free market economy and economist of historical note. Makes sense considering that Carthage and the Greek City States (Athens, Syracuse, Rhodes) were notorious for their sizeable trade empires.

- Henry - Emphasis on trade & profitability with considerable attention paid to Health, Happiness, Public Order, etc. Originally I thought this referred to Patrick Henry?!? Henry was a prominent figure in the American Revolution and a huge opponent of the Stamp Act and outspoken advocate of decentralized government. However given that Adam Smith was a proponent of the free market economy the Henry variable must be somewhat opposed to that position. So I think it refers to Henry George, author of "Progress and Poverty" who believed in a unified tax and supported curbing the gap between rich and poor so as to prevent long term decline of society. Profitability but with a greater emphasis on Health, Happiness, Public Order, etc.

Here's an excellent breakdown by Spartan based on considerable testing along with a list of recommeded settings for each facton...

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index...howtopic=11196

After many, many hours of testing the AI in order to glean knowledge from and gain insight into the cryptic configuration options in an effort to establish some sort of coherent operational matrix that is easy for all to understand. I came to the following conclusions regarding the variables and their functional effects.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Economic Variables (option 1)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Finance Group
Trader = Economic (external revenue - surplus generation)
Balanced = Economic (situation based spending) [dynamic]
Comfortable = Economic (internal revenue - savings generation)

Civil Group
Bureaucrat = Law, education and subterfuge
Religion = Happiness

Military Group
Fortified = Militaristic (offense & defense land)
Sailor = Militaristic (offense & defense navel)

-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------

Political Variables (option 2)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Foreign Policy Group (aggressive)
Napoleon (marginal)
Caesar (moderate)
Genghis (Extreme)


Domestic Policy Group (aggressive/passive)
Stalin (moderate)
Mao (extreme)


Economic Policy Group (passive)
Henry (moderate)
Smith (extreme)

-------------------------------------------------------------

Based on the above information, below are my recommendations for AI variable settings. These are based on general stretgic disposition, tactical capabilities and economic resourses.


Set version 2

Julii -------------- fortified ------------ caesar
Brutii ------------- bureaucrat ----------- napoleon
Scipii ------------- religious ------------ mao
Senate ------------- comfortable ---------- henry
Macedon ------------ balanced ------------- genghis
Egypt -------------- balanced ------------- stalin
Seleucid ----------- comfortable ---------- genghis
Carthage ----------- balanced ------------- napoleon
Parthia ------------ bureaucrat ----------- henry
Pontus ------------- trader --------------- napoleon
Gauls -------------- fortified ------------ napoleon
Germans ------------ religious ------------ stalin
Britons ------------ trader --------------- smith
Armenia ------------ bureaucrat ----------- caesar
Greek Cities ------- fortified ------------ mao
Dacia --------------- trader -------------- genghis
Numidia ------------ religious ------------ smith
Scythia ------------ comfortable ---------- napoleon
Spain -------------- comfortable ---------- stalin
Thrace ------------- bureaucrat ----------- mao
Slaves ------------- Fortified ------------ caesar

Please note: I have not recommended any "sailor" settings because I have been unable to conclude with any degree of certanty that it does in fact work correctly under the assumption that it is a naval power focus. The "balanced" setting seems to put more resources into navel development based on my experiences.

I would like to thank all who have helped in this effort, espically Spino, for his most execellent definitions contribution. I hope this information will make your gaming experience more rewarding.

-Spartan

[Sir Robin]

These can make a dramatic difference on new campaigns.

Please note that it appears that this will not affect AI priorities in previously saved games.

Still their is amazing progress being accomplished by the community.

[Tamur]

wow, this is really great info. Thanks Spino.

[Ktonos]

Is there a way to make all the non barbaric factions friendlier and more relunctant to make peace or alliances etc?

[ChaosLord]

Has anyone tried these settings out? I'd like a more challenging AI but i'm hesitant to try any mod with it only having been a little while. What i'm waiting for is someone to do a mod like WesW's MedMod for RTW to fix the AI priorities and other balance issues. :P

[Red Harvest]

Do those settings make Numidia and Carthage more likely to ally with one another?

[Mouzafphaerre]

-
Double thanks Spino, share it with .Spartan.
_

[solypsist]

Thanks, Spino.

[ToranagaSama]

Thanks for the Heads Up!

I had read mention of many mods including the "Realism" mod, after reading through all 15 pages of the thread----this mod is for me!

Think I'm going to try Vanilla on VH/VH, first, so I'll have a good comparison of the changes. After MTW MedMod Vanilla RTW is a bit disappointing. Looking forward to the Total Realism Mod.

[Ulstan]

"Do those settings make Numidia and Carthage more likely to ally with one another?"

I don't think so, but they've figured out how to make numidia and carthage start allied.

i'm hoping that makes it into version 2 of the rome realism mod :)

[Hannibal_Barkar]

I used Spartas mod via its implementation with the Total realism mod 1.0 . I started three campaigns so far and AI behaviour has somewhat improved. I.e. the AI sending small armies is still an issue but not as much as before. I finally got attacked by stacks and saw decent AI garrisons. Could still be upped though.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index...c=11196&st=20&



H.