Does the ai cheat?

**professorspatula** · 01-21-2006, 14:49

Well it definitely seems to get a bonus when it comes to maintaining public order as the last poster said. There's also the theory the AI gets extra income every turn depending on the difficulty level. Playing on VH or H, I don't mind the AI getting bonuses - it needs them. As to the FOW thing, well the AI seems to know if your ships have units on them, and it has a strang knack of walking into hidden ambushes for no reason whatsoever. It probably gets some vision bonus to help it co-ordinate its forces.

**orangat** · 01-21-2006, 16:20

hmm... I had a feeling the AI had some help with money. Maybe the campaign difficulty level has something to do with it as well. I might bump it down.

I makes the game less fun when all the battles and strategic work you did to stump its growth means jack.

**rory_20_uk** · 01-22-2006, 12:34

Pleased to hear it wasn't just me that had this problem! I'll stop trying to starve the buggers out in future :)

**_Aetius_** · 01-22-2006, 14:13

The AI definately gets huge cash bonuses, there is no way it could maintain the number of stacks it has if it didnt.

I agree the AI needs help, but it makes the game kind of boring the way some AI factions have about 25 full stacks and you have to constantly fight enormous battles every other turn to defeat them. Only to see the AI replacing them immediately, it means that there is no such thing as a decisive battle, merely 20 huge battles before you can break a superpower AI faction, even when the player is rich and powerful there is no way you can maintain the number of troops the AI does.

I have often claimed the AI cheats in battles, probably just me moaning, but i'm so tired of a unit of 80 legionaries being held up by a unit of 3 hoplites or something ridiculous like that. If the roles were reversed my 3 hoplies would of long fled but for some crazy reason they stand until the last man always at the most inconveniant times

. No it is not "fighting to the death" all of the time.

**orangat** · 01-22-2006, 18:51

So if the AI gets help in the form of more money then it seems to make little sense to blockade ports and despoil regions with rampaging armies. It makes the game less fun imo since its just another straight out monotonous campaign of attrition in numbers.

**irishron2004** · 01-22-2006, 19:01

I have noticed in the navy end, I block their port but their navy sneaks out and I have to fight them in the open. The ai blocks my port, I have to fight my way out. To me, that is a cheat and an unfair advantage especially when the Romans are sending corvus quinquiremes, I and can still only build triremes.

**_Aetius_** · 01-22-2006, 20:41

Originally Posted by orangat

So if the AI gets help in the form of more money then it seems to make little sense to blockade ports and despoil regions with rampaging armies. It makes the game less fun imo

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

.

Thats exactly what I think, the player is forced to fight enormous numbers of battles in a war of attrition and frankly it is boring.