Investigation of AI reassessment upon reload

[roguebolo]

I labeled each of my save games before "End Turn" as "1st Turn", "2nd Turn", etc...all the way to the 20th turn. I was quite surprised when I looked back and saw this because I had no idea how useful it would become a few weeks later for these tests.

I had just reinstalled RTW and installed Patch 1.2 for the first time. (I had been playing a different game for a couple of months.) I played as the plain-vanilla Julii (again) since all the factions were locked and I decided to unlock them with gameplay rather than by modifying the text file, as before. Assuming that I did not accidently skip a turn, I started the tests just before hitting "End Year" of the 19th turn. At any rate, it was the Winter of 261 B.C.

At the end of the turn in Winter 261 B.C., despite frequent saves and loads, here was the political climate:

1.) The Seleucids and Egypt were at war, Egypt gaining a territory on turn 14 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.) Egypt and the Seleucids were at war.
7.) Brittainia and Germania were at war.
8.) Scythia and Parthia were at war.

Alliances:

1.) Scythia was allied with Armenia and the Seleucids.
2.) Carthage and Spain were allies.
3.) Parthia and Thrace were allies.
4.) As the Julii, I was allied with Carthage, Macedonia, Gaul, Germania, Dacia, the Greek Cities, Numidia, Scythia, Spain and Thrace. I believe I initiated all of those alliances with the possible exception of Gaul.

On the following turn, I began an invasion of Gaul and we declared war, which is why I chose this turn to start testing stagnation; up to this point my only military conflict had been with Segesta and random rebel stacks.

I think I will go back a little further toward the point of greatest extrema -- say, turn 12 since most territorial acquisitions began around turn 14 -- and see if the byproduct of a stagnant AI is more pronounced. At that point only Parthia, the Brutii, and myself had gained a territory.

[HarunTaiwan]

Did Parthia gain the rebel territory?

I think Julii and Bruti do that as well.

Could it be AI versus rebels as opposed to other AI is different?

[HarunTaiwan]

Note Pontus and Egypt could also be taking Rebel only territory.

[HarunTaiwan]

4.) As the Julii, I was allied with Carthage, Macedonia, Gaul, Germania, Dacia, the Greek Cities, Numidia, Scythia, Spain and Thrace. I believe I initiated all of those alliances with the possible exception of Gaul.

LOL. That's pretty amazing for 20 turns. If you had asked them all to become protectorates, you'd have sewn the game up. When I play without save/load, I don't think I can achieve so many alliances.

[roguebolo]

Well, I guess that's just proof that I do save/loads every turn, in support of the other data I've provided.

I always send out my diplomat by boat from the first turn of the game. He moves from faction to faction trying to sell trade rights, usually unsuccessfully after which he gives them away. Then he tries to sell an alliance, which he also gives away if unsuccessful. As the Romans, it's easier to get alliances because it inhibits other Roman factions from warring with the proposed ally and often causes a ceasefire if hostilities are already underway. The AI is aware of this and likes that insurance policy. The wealthy Greeks are particularly suckers for this technique. If trade rights have already been established, an alliance seems easier to sell or give away. The last thing he tries to sell is map information.

I also build a diplomat in my territories so that I can approach foriegn diplomats traveling nearby. Sometimes I reject their diplomatic offers and come back to them with the same offer on the following turn, so that my diplomat will get the influence bonus.

I will check which territories were taken over, and I'm also going to try the same test from Turn 12.

[roguebolo]

To be quite honest with you, I had never succeeded in getting a faction to submit as protectorate until this most recent campaign. I had beaten Gaul back to just it's capital in Celtiberia, and laid siege to it, and they patently refused Protectorate status. I read about the save/load exploit on a forum, and I was absolutely determined to have them become a protectorate even if I had to use an exploit. So I tried it, and it had absolutely no effect. They only finally caved in after the siege had been held for several more years -- for a price, of course.

I ran into the same situation with Spain a few turns later at their capital in Lusitania. They had no other territories and their capital was under siege. Again, the save/load had no effect. However, after a few turns of being besieged $14000 convinced them.

I should have save games of both of these situations as well.