CA: This has got to STOP! (AI Control is simpley a source of Frustration)

[warlordmb]

Just remmbered something else.

I realise I had gotten into the habit of removing other generals from nearby stacks before going into battle with re-inforcements. The reason for this is simple. If the supporting re-inforcements have no general/family member commanding them, command of the re-inforcements automatically goes to you as long as there are enough slots available within the 20 slot limit. You get to co-ordinate them as you want which works brilliantly because you can co-ordinate your attack with theirs and flank and rear assaults by your re-inforcements can be devastating, even by small numbers of troops if you time their attack right.

This makes flanking marches on the campaign map a very useful strategy. You just have to make sure there are no more than one General/family member present.

While this is good there is a problem. Leaving part of your forces under command of a captain leaves them vulnerable to bribery. Too many times I get that annoying pop-up telling me that my highly trained and experinced mini army has betrayed me and gone back to the fields.

AAAARGH!!

So again. C'mon CA - help us poor armchair generals and earn yourself kudos from us little 'ol peasants.

[warlordmb]

Hello Bob,

I like your idea about tailoring AI re-inforcements to generals command traits. That would just add to the game experience. Having to choose wether to risk sending a supporting army into battle under the command on 'an un-hinged loon' is a choice to be faced with.

Anything has got to be better than the current situation where players are having to tailor thier gameplay because of a small piece of unfinished?? programming in what is by far the best strategy game to date.

[SpencerH]

I too agree with the pointy-helmeted-ones suggestion. Given that this AI appears to have gone backward in time (especially compared to VI), does anyone believe it could be implemented. So far the best tactic I've seen the AI use is not to move its units within range of my archers when I attack a beseige-ing army from a city. Other than that, and assaulting a city on a wide front, I've seen no evidence of any AI tactics at all.

[aw89]

i think the only tactic's i've seen is when playing against the macedons, the sendt 2 units of light lancer on each side to make my cav and general charge, worked first time, not second but its a bugger. do they want to kill my cav or are they after my inf? mmmm

OR BOTH! daaaaaa! but thats it, only tactic seen....

[Bob the Insane]

Come to think of it the only factions I have seen with appropriate tactics are the Barbarians, especially the Gauls... They will have a main line of infantry, quite shallow and cavalry on each wing... This will moving in for a head on attack attempting to envelop you troops with the cavalry making a flanking attack...

AI romans appear to use the "one big lump" or "viking horde" tactics (with suicide cavalry) and the greek cultures go for more suicide cavalry with "knackered phalanx troops trying to keep up"...

The Egyptians work well to but primarily because of their mystically "well hard" troops and desert bonuses...

Put the AI on the defensive and give it a little time and it will form up well, and if you place it in a siege assault it knows what it has to do and attacks aggressively (but gets confused if you destroy it's siege equipment)...

But when attacking in the open field, especially when using re-enforcements it all seems to end up being a big punch up in the middle of the field or lots of individual units chasing each other around...

[Red Harvest]

Come to think of it the only factions I have seen with appropriate tactics are the Barbarians, especially the Gauls... They will have a main line of infantry, quite shallow and cavalry on each wing... This will moving in for a head on attack attempting to envelop you troops with the cavalry making a flanking attack...

AI romans appear to use the "one big lump" or "viking horde" tactics (with suicide cavalry) and the greek cultures go for more suicide cavalry with "knackered phalanx troops trying to keep up"...

Astute comments. That is what I've seen as well. The Gauls fight better than most others because they deploy a proper line and attack en masse--a pity they don't have better troops with which to do so.

It is too bad the Roman armies don't stay more ordered on attack. I frequently watch the velites come charging headlong into my heavy infantry lines??? Now, having a central mass of hastati/principes trying to batter down the center makes some historical sense and the AI does like to try this...but the overall deployment and failure to guard the wings does not work.

The Greeks like to send out their light cav piecemeal, two or three or four units charging at a time in wedge formation. I can whip them in VH by ganging up on them even when they vastly outnumber me in cav.

[Puzz3D]

With the tactical AI deficiencies impacting how I move armies on the strategic map, I think it's time to play the campaign with all the battles auto-resolved.

[R'as al Ghul]

The insane Bob has pointed out a good concept. Character traits determining the style of attack or defense. That would be fantastic.
All those traits like "good cavalry commander" would make so much more sense.

BTW, I noticed that the "Eastern General"-unit is not so suicide happy.
You can even trust him with the command of a co-attack force. If you use Horse Archer-only armies he will happily skirmish but keep his own unit in the back. At least thats my experience on vh/vh with the Parthians.

R'as

[andrewt]

BTW, I noticed that the "Eastern General"-unit is not so suicide happy. You can even trust him with the command of a co-attack force. If you use Horse Archer-only armies he will happily skirmish but keep his own unit in the back. At least thats my experience on vh/vh with the Parthians.

R'as

I think that's because the Eastern General is a javelin cavalry unit. He starts with skirmish and fire at will on. If the AI doesn't turn skirmish mode off, it won't be able to suicide the general.