Investigation of AI reassessment upon reload

[roguebolo]

Looking back through my save games, I have found that I saved each and every one of my first twenty moves immediately prior to hitting "End Turn", so I can track each faction's activities for the first 20 turns. However, FOW doesn't seem to want to be disabled if it was originally enabled.

By turn 20, the majority of the nations were still in control of only their starting territories and had not engaged in warfare with other factions, with the following exceptions:

1.) The Seleucids and Egypt were at war, Egypt gaining a territory on turn 11 and losing a territory on turn 18; the Seleucids gained a territory on turn 18.
2.) Parthia and I (Julii) both gained a territory on turn 2.
3.) The Brutii gained a territory on turn 4 and another on turn 14.
4.) Pontus gained a territory on turn 14 and another on turn 16.
5.) The Greek Cities were at war with Macedon and Pontus.
6.) The Seleucids were at war with Egypt and Armenia.
7.) Gaul and I were at war.
8.) Brittainia and Germania were at war.
9.) Scythia and Parthia were at war.

Now, that's not exactly inert inactivity, and there were a considerable number of load games during those first twenty moves. I think the fact that I can upload each and every save game to whomever wants to look at them, as well as numerous variations I tried throughout the course of the campaign, is proof of that.

So far, I managed to find only one save game where I was under siege, in Thapsus, later in the game. There was another Numidian army approaching Carthage, obviously intent on laying siege, at the same time. As usual, I sallied when I was actually playing the game. However, if I load the save game and simply hit "End Turn" without sallying forth, the Numidians do indeed abandon the siege -- to block the bridge between Thapsus and Carthage, the only way I can get reinforcements there, while the other army layed siege on Carthage. Note that the second army did not forget that it's plans were to lay siege, and that the first army did move to a logical strategic point! (Except for the fact that I had a trireme in dock at Thapsus.) However, here's the bummer:

If you do a save/load at that point and hit "End Turn", Numidia also abandons the siege of Carthage and both armies walk away. If you just hit "End Turn" without the save/load, then they maintain the siege. So there's apparently some validity to this observation and it is some type of player activity which is defeating it. I will look at some additional save games and see if I can identify it. Anyone else who wants to look at them is welcome.