AI doesn't know how to use a Phalanx units.

[NeoSpartan]

This was bad in vanilla, but I think it is worst in EB 7.4.

Everytime I play against the AI and it has Phalanx units it doesn't use them properly.
-For example, say the AI and me start with a 5 phalanx units in a line. (1) The AI instead of advancing the whole line, it breaks it the line and sends in SOME of the phanlax units, say 3. (2) Then as the AI phanlax units approach, instead of facing my units parallel, the AI unit engages my phalanx at an angle and pushes in. Thus leaving the sides of it the men exposed to my pikes. (3) Not only that, the AI takes, say, 2 of the phalanx units and mixes them. Thereby disrupting the phalanx each unit has. Plus they engage at a slight angle.


This happens A LOT. And is why I can beat the AI phalanx in VH/VH on level ground and with the SAME unit type.

Is this going to be addressed in .8?????

[Tyfus]

I agree, The AI's battle tactics really really need to be improved. I've posted a seperate thread in which the AI just sends troops aimleesly out across the battle field. It must be possible to mod the AI in this respect because there are other mods out there such as Darth formations that, (so I've heard) really improve the AI's performance on the battlefield. I hope as I'm sure do many others that at least some attention is being paid to this problem for the .8 version.

[Cheexsta]

RTW's AI is hardcoded. That means we mere modders cannot touch it, though we can try to influence it through things like statistical tweaks and formations. Aside from that, we can't modify the AI thought processes or logic, we just have to make do with what CA gives us.

That said, the AI in the 1.5 and 1.6 patches is noticably better. Far from perfect and still somewhat stupid, but IMHO it's still an improvement over 1.2. In RTRPE, phalanx lines seem to remain relatively cohesive and attack you in one line rather than as individual units, but it's not always quite straight.

[sedlacekj]

Thanks for the info. I am looking forward to EB .8.0. I posted my frustrastions with AI in a different thread. I am glad that someone is attempting to fix the prob. I assume CA since it is hardcoded.

[Geoffrey S]

I don't know, they seem to keep a straight line when I'm playing. In fact, the AI pulled some very clever moves the other day when I was playing as Makedon against Ptolemies. I had a smaller army with worse phalanx troops lined up against a near full-stack army with lots of Pezhetairoi; reinforcements arrived with better units and some more cavalry. AI split its army into two sections (which both held together), a smaller screening force that blocked my reinforcements from reaching my main army too easily and which tied up my phalanx in particular, while the main force went straight for my other army. It was very tough going, and only won it when I got my cavalry round the screening force and whacked the enemy general behind the main enemy line. Most fun I'd had in a long while.

As for Darth's Formations. I think they're overrated. It puts armies into nice formations and it does help noticeably, but they still break up when they near my armies. Look at any screenshots in battle reports to see what I mean; it still devolves into unit vs unit battles. It doesn't make the AI suddenly extremely much better, which most seem to believe. Perhaps that's more wishful thinking.

[sedlacekj]

I would love to see a smart AI like you described. It just has not happened in any of my games.

[NeoSpartan]

humm.... Cheexsta you brought a good point.
The AI is a little smarter in RTW version 1.5 and 1.6, and EB version .74 is running on RTW patch 1.2.

I played RTW version 1.2 for 3 days (and beat it with the Brutii in H/H because I played for 12hrs straight the 1st day ), and when I got 1.5 I saw a noticeble difference in AI gameplay. I think the same will happen once EB. patch 8.0 comes out.