What is the single most important thing to be patched?

**Red Harvest** · 11-30-2004, 22:14

About the map selling...I only do it with the very hard factions like Spain, Scythia, etc. where I have no money even though I start out building econ stuff, not armies. I don't game it by asking incredible sums for the map, I take the first offer, and I don't try to sell again. With "early" maps on hard or very hard campaign I'm getting about 600 to 1000 denari--enough to build a structure. Poor factions have given me as little as 400 and split it into two turns. Not unreasonable. So I see it as something to do when you have no money or are in the hole. I don't use it with an already robust economy, that would be gaming it for sure.

**econ21** · 11-30-2004, 23:12

Lots of interesting responses. Going a bit off topic for a moment - anyone care to explain map selling to me? I always try to trade maps early in my games but get almost always get rejected and so give up. Anyone care to explain how to sell them? (I hope you are not saying factions will buy maps but not trade them? that would be wierd)

I actually like seeing more of the map for fun - but is it also true that you can only trade with cities that have been revealed?

**Maltz** · 11-30-2004, 23:34

I've only succeeded to trade military access, not maps.

I have tried to buy maps from AI, but they sell their map for very high prices, way higher than the amount they would pay for mine. (except if I ask them to pay 99999 turns of 2000 denari tribute, though

) So if I want their maps I usually ask for something else in a combo - for example, trade rights + trade map. This way the AI usually loves to say yes.

***

Diplomacy works fine so far. I already expect to see everybody attacking me in higher difficulties - it was this way since STW. I really want to see AI put lower priority of seeing other's maps. Selling map is a bad result that comes from some overvalued map information.

Does the program let AI not be able to invade you if they don't knwo your map? I don't think so. Pontus usually invades Thrace's Tylis with no diplomat around. Thrace also don't send diplomat to Asia minor. So AI is capable of seeing the map without map info anyways. Then why does AI want your map? Maybe sell it 1/10 of the current value is enough.

The AI does let family members to lead full-stack army - but only if they have "extra". I think the AI puts its priority to have family members in the settlement. If that's changed - combined with much-increased bribing cost of settlement & army - then it's flawless.

For diplomats I think the current bribing price is fine. Sometimes I also want to bribe spies...

***

In terms of battlefield AI I have some specific wishes:

(1) Overpowered cavalry? Neh.

AI controlled units now doesn't really change their mind easily. I wish to see them more flexible, more open-minded... you can call that "intelligent" I guess.

For example, now when AI see an enemy's (humna's) shock troop passing them on the left, they keep charging forward only to be soon charged in the arse. Experienced human players never do that. Whenever I see something advance to my back, I back off my entire line to finish these potential threats first, sandwich them between my front line and my reserves. Yummy.

Many people complain cavalry (HA is another issue) to be too powerful - only partly true. In one setence: AI fails to stop their advance and prepare for human's cavalry's, or any shock troop's flanking action.

Therefore, may I call it "shocking troops" over powerful. Cavalry stands out only because they shock faster than infantry. However, shock troops is powerful in human's hands only, not in AI's 100-finger-yet-dumb hand.

I'd cry to see AI do respond to a potential flanking threat, like a real human competitor does. If they suddenly turn to face your cavalry and charge you, leaving your absorption slow spears waiting like idiots, if you find your cavlry's first 2 lines row to the ground at the moment of contact, nobody will ever complain cavalry too powerful. :)

(2) How'bout horse archers? how about less arrows over the walls...

Horse archers are insanely powerful now - not in the shock value, but in their speed. Nobody can touch HA while they are in skirmish. However, historically HA do run over Europe like that in my limited knowledge, so it's fine as long as the sieges are reworked.

Horse archers should have its lethal weakness of siege - but now they are superb in sieges. We just line them up outside the gate and enjoy a shooting festival. The AI might have tons of missle units to counter, but most of the time they just run them around to become live targets.

Except there are height advantages allowing soldiers to see thorugh the cities, no missle units should be able to shoot through the wall, in or out, unless they are ordered to fire at a specifc area. That will balance the HA issue out a lot. :)

**Colovion** · 12-01-2004, 02:36

Here's another vote for the AI to be fixed

**LordKhaine** · 12-01-2004, 02:55

AI. Mainly the battlefield AI though, that's the worst part of the AI right now by far.

**Unseen Potato** · 12-01-2004, 18:01

The phalanx has to fixed!!!!!

I hate it when my phalanx start to walk right when they are engaged, so that the enemy can flank them from the left

**jjnip** · 12-01-2004, 20:14

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...2&page=2&pp=30 might be good read for people with problems with Phalanx unit.

They work as well as any other unit for me. Powerful unit.