Possible Idea: Give AI Bonus vs Slaves

**Piddyx** · 02-15-2007, 04:03

I have often thought that the AI expands too slowly against the slave faction in this game. What do you think about giving them a hidden bonus on fighting slave units? (possibly +8 vs slave?) Is it even possible to make a trait that will only triiger for ai units?

**Teleklos Archelaou** · 02-15-2007, 04:12

But the whole map wasn't conquered within 20 years by our factions. We don't want Pontos and the Getai and the Casse eating up all available territory in every game. Carthage would have all of western Africa within five years if it was an AI faction and had huge bonuses (and +8 is huge) vs. eleutheroi. Saba would cruise and in five years would have all of Arabia. Baktria would have its empire within ten. Same for Sweboz. This matter hasn't come up once inside the team that I can remember.

**germanpeon** · 02-15-2007, 04:35

I agree with Teleklos. I think the expansion rate against the Eleutheroi is realistic in its speed (but not necessarily its direction).

**MarcusAureliusAntoninus** · 02-15-2007, 06:03

Ha ha
I was just thinking of something the exact opposite. The thread about Roman expansion made me think there needs to be something that makes it harder for the AI to take rebel towns in order to balance their lust for attacking them.

**skuzzy** · 02-15-2007, 07:41

Is the income bonus from the AI on a per faction basis? If so the easiest way would just be to curb the economy.

**Kull** · 02-15-2007, 08:34

Originally Posted by Piddyx

I have often thought that the AI expands too slowly against the slave faction in this game. What do you think about giving them a hidden bonus on fighting slave units? (possibly +8 vs slave?) Is it even possible to make a trait that will only triiger for ai units?

Here's the thing, in our minds there isn't a "Slave Faction". The Eleutheori represent hundreds of small independent nations of varying size and strength. Historically, you did not see the ancient world divided up between 20 some nations, so why would we want to have that in EB?

**McHrozni** · 02-15-2007, 15:35

My personal opinion is that the Rebel faction is too strong (and not that AI is too weak against it). After a few decades of gameplay, every rebel city you take will be either Large or Huge, depending on the area. It is kind of silly to see the city population of Britain be far larger than that of Greece, really, or their development to outmatch that of Rome or any other faction. All but three cities in France (Gaul) and Germany were large cities when I took them in my last game as Romans.

It would be cool if the rebels had a severe growth penalty, at least, or 3x build times. Can it be done?

McHrozni

**blacksnail** · 02-15-2007, 19:10

There will be an across-the-board reduction in growth rates that will affect everybody.

**Dumbass** · 02-16-2007, 12:25

how much of a reduction are we talking? half price? Will a lot of provinces actually need to build growth boosting buildings to advance? Because I think that growth booster buildings are useless and need to have a point; most of the time I build growth decreasing buildings.

**Schatten** · 02-16-2007, 19:03

reduction in grow rates only will be not enough i think.
If you reduce only the grow rate so you will have all city´s large or huge after 30 years and not 20 as now...its no really way to fix it.

the only way i think is to allow only few cities to going large or huge at best you allow only lv 3 palace for most cities, for some desert oase´s only lv 2 or 1 and for few like rome,athen,karthago,antiochia etc. lv 5.

Same way as in RTR Naval and City Mod where most Cities can go only to lv 3 (and have no walls too, a other point that were good for EB)

**MarcusAureliusAntoninus** · 02-16-2007, 21:24

Originally Posted by Schatten

reduction in grow rates only will be not enough i think.
If you reduce only the grow rate so you will have all city´s large or huge after 30 years and not 20 as now...its no really way to fix it.

the only way i think is to allow only few cities to going large or huge at best you allow only lv 3 palace for most cities, for some desert oase´s only lv 2 or 1 and for few like rome,athen,karthago,antiochia etc. lv 5.

Same way as in RTR Naval and City Mod where most Cities can go only to lv 3 (and have no walls too, a other point that were good for EB)

I was thinking about making a minimod restricting city level, one 0.81 comes out.

**Xtiaan72** · 02-17-2007, 00:53

reduction in grow rates only will be not enough i think.
If you reduce only the grow rate so you will have all city´s large or huge after 30 years and not 20 as now...its no really way to fix it. The only way i think is to allow only few cities to going large or huge at best you allow only lv 3 palace for most cities, for some desert oase´s only lv 2 or 1 and for few like rome,athen,karthago,antiochia etc. lv 5.

This is a good idea

**Kralizec** · 02-17-2007, 01:09

The same idea, but reversed: how about a small-to-modest bonus against a certain faction for the Eleutheroi, if that faction tends to expand to quickly?

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 02-17-2007, 12:26

Originally Posted by Schatten

reduction in grow rates only will be not enough i think.
If you reduce only the grow rate so you will have all city´s large or huge after 30 years and not 20 as now...its no really way to fix it.

the only way i think is to allow only few cities to going large or huge at best you allow only lv 3 palace for most cities, for some desert oase´s only lv 2 or 1 and for few like rome,athen,karthago,antiochia etc. lv 5.

Same way as in RTR Naval and City Mod where most Cities can go only to lv 3 (and have no walls too, a other point that were good for EB)

The problem with that though is that you're reailroading the player into doing certain things, because they are restricted in what they can do with their settlements. Rather like scripted characters this is not what EB is about.

The problem is to do with money. The Free Peoples have a huge faction and therefore shed loads of hard cash.