Ive been thinking about what the future might have instore for us regarding
the AI in Total War games.I know at the moment it is not much of a challenge
for most players, but in the next game, or more likely the one after that,it
might well be.

My fear is that it will not improve by playing more like a person, but more
like a machine. It will calculate exactly when to charge for maximum
casualties. When a flanking manoeuvre will cause a rout. How long a unit in
melee will hold out before needing reinforced. How much time a unit will take
to go from A to B. It will be doing all this and a lot more with all the
units on the battlefield. A good human player will make these calculations as
well (at least subconsciously), but will be using guess work to make a
decision. Yes i know my heavy infantry will beat his milita, but how long
will it take? Will i still have time to flank the enemy army with this unit
before my battleline breaks? I dont know, but the computer will!

Im a chessplayer and have used dozens of chess programs over the years.
They all had one thing in common, they played like computers. Today any
good chess program can hold its own with the best players in the world, but
they still dont play like a human. They win by outcalculating there opponent.
Will it be the same with the next generation AI of total war?

AI is the the weak point of most computer games. Flash graphics
sell games, but the AI will catch up some time. Will we like the result?