Contemplating my naval

[Csargo]

I have a question about the AIs navies or how they act they seem to always attack for no reason at all doesn't seem to matter if I have a couple of ships or a whole bunch.

[Sensei Warrior]

Csar The random thing includes your question as well. The computer goes about naval warfare more randomly then it goes about land warfare. It doesn't seem like there is a real rhyme or reason to it at all. I've had allies suicide 1 ship in a whole chain of ships and a large fleet to start a war with me. After the suicide they never attack again, but they managed to decimate my trading income, forcing me to take action.

[Csargo]

Oh ok thanks Sensei I figured it was just a random thing the AI did.

[Ludens]

I have a question about the AIs navies or how they act they seem to always attack for no reason at all doesn't seem to matter if I have a couple of ships or a whole bunch.

Yes, these oftentimes make no sense at all. I sometimes have been attacked this way the turn after the A.I. asked for a cease-fire. I think that the game treats ships as agents, and therefor thinks it can get away with covert attacks. It only sees the success-percentages. That's why you shouldn't one-ship stacks to defend: these work like a magnet for A.I. naval attacks. The A.I. also seems more aggresive when you station ships alongside their coasts.

On the other hand, given how (comparatively) bad the A.I. is at establishing a trade network this might just be a mechanism to keep the player's trade network in check, and prevent him from gaining naval dominance easily.