launching invasions

[paul3373]

I'm new to the game...

When I launch invasions into enemy territory, the battle doesn't begin until after I press "end year". But every other player then gets their turn, and the defender can move more forces into the territory I'm attacking. This makes it very difficult to determine the size of your attacking army.

But, my real question is...When the AI attacks me, I don't recall being able to move armies from nearby territories before the battle begins. Am I wrong?

[ichi]

No , you're right. It has always appeared to me that the AI sometimes moves in a few units to make the battle more even (just like sometimes the AI will attack with an army similar in size to the one I have).

I usually have an idea of what the AI has for possible reinforcements by saturating the provinces that are just beyond my borders with agents like emissaries and priests.

Then I try to send in a force large enough to be able to handle the AI forces plus some reinforcements. If the AI sends in too many then you can always call of the battle.

You can also interfere with the AI a little by attacking multiple provinces - even if some attacks are only with a few hundred men. You can always decide to call of most of htese 'fake' attacks. This seems to lessen the amount of movement that you describe.

ichi

[kiwitt]

...Then I try to send in a force large enough to be able to handle the AI forces plus some reinforcements. If the AI sends in too many then you can always call of the battle....

Another good tactic ... I use this too. Works well in obtaining my objective

[Kommodus]

Paul, your observations are correct. When I first played the game, I assumed that movement was "simultaneous" - that is, every faction makes their strategic moves for the year, and then each battle is resolved. That would explain why you can't move troops around in response to an enemy attack - you've already made your moves, and you would have had to anticipate an enemy attack in order to meet it properly. My assumption was partially true, except that the player must make his moves first, and the AI factions move afterwards, knowing what the player did.

This may seem like an unfair advantage for the AI. In theory, it is - until you realize that the AI in this game (especially the strategic AI) is not very good, and needs every advantage it can get. In fact, it adds a bit of strategic depth to the campaign, since you need to anticipate your enemy's moves, such as where it will attack and what reinforcements it will bring in to counter your attacks. As others have said, use strategic agents, such as emissaries, spies, and religious agents, to inform you of the strength of your enemy.

Once you have a few basic battlefield tactics down, you will find that most battles are decided at the strategic level, rather than the tactical. The proper deployment of armies and agents at the strategic level will enable you to win victory after victory on the battlefield.

[Ulair]

I recall a quote from one of the devs reproduced here a few times to the effect that all moves are simultaneous with one caveat: the AI does peek, but "doesn't make use of the information". Whatever that means

However I've never seen any AI behaviour that suggests it does cheat - sometimes it's lucky, more often it's dumb.

Think of your turn as giving orders for moves, not the moves themselves.

Ulair

[bretwalda]

Actually I think AI does not peek... Because sometimes it moves troops OUT of the attacked territory... You can think of it as reinforcing a given territory.

Anyway: there must be a way to separate data from the AI, since it now all even that it would not be able to see, but still cannot use that info. Whatever

I recall a quote from one of the devs reproduced here a few times to the effect that all moves are simultaneous with one caveat: the AI does peek, but "doesn't make use of the information". Whatever that means

However I've never seen any AI behaviour that suggests it does cheat - sometimes it's lucky, more often it's dumb.

Think of your turn as giving orders for moves, not the moves themselves.

Ulair