Are Roman AI a bit strange at 0.8?

[MaximianusBR]

I am plaiyng a campaing with Kart-Hadast at VH/H for 60 years and the roman AI looks kind of strange to me...They just taked iuvavoeta(sp?) and reunited all 2/3 of their armies there imobile...changed their capital to Arriminum and didn't give too much attention to south italy...
after a war against me they didn't gave attention to my armies and continued concentrating armies at the alps...i almost tooked all italy but decided to return the lands to them plus Alalia and give them 60000 Mnai in exchange for ceasefire, alliance and military acess(a litle gift for them to recover their power)...so after the war they get with all italy less:Capua, Taras et Rhegion...Rhegion stayed with me and Taras et Capua I gave to Epeiros to criate a buffer...
After 20 years a most strange thing happen...Epeiros attacked Rome and conquered it's lands all the way to Arretium...rome have some 3 and a half stacks starring at the alps that cold easily retake rome and the other lost regions and even conquer all the epirian lands at italy, but they just ignore it and keep on vacation at alps while their homeland are conquered...

I think it's a strange behavior from the roman AI...some thoughts about it?anyone had the same experience at their campaings?

BTW, this game rocks!!!
A lot better than Medieval 2!!!

[Teleklos Archelaou]

The most likely reason is that the faction is going after rebel lands first. If they take Rhegion often they stay balanced, but factions always want to go after rebel territory first, and they are no different. We might like to see them go for some other places first, but it's not easy pushing them in certain directions (as I've found from trying to get Baktria to head to India first, without making india a pushover).

[MaximianusBR]

The most likely reason is that the faction is going after rebel lands first. If they take Rhegion often they stay balanced, but factions always want to go after rebel territory first, and they are no different. We might like to see them go for some other places first, but it's not easy pushing them in certain directions (as I've found from trying to get Baktria to head to India first, without making india a pushover).

can be it...but...They just kind of stopped after conquering ivavoeta(sp?) and acumulated troops there for 20 years...
...and, is it normal they just don't react agresively against invasion to their heart lands??(Rome,Capua, Arriminum etc.)
and, why did they changed their capital to Arretium?

[Imperator]

couldn't you put a spy in Taras or Rhegion to encourage the romans to expand there? That's what they did with Sardinia and it seems to work pretty well? Or put a spy in Sicily so they either attack by sea or go overland. Maybe even moving their standing army into Tarentine land would convince them to take an offensive (and by the way, don't you think the garrison at Taras needs to be toned down? It's pretty formidable right now, maybe more than it should be)

just a couple of suggestions...

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Three problems:
1- Capital Change - Oh, how I hate that. I want to punch the guy at CA who thought it would be a good idea to let the AI change their capital with the only consideration was that it was the centerist (not a real word?) city in their empire.
AI behavior:
2- The AI always goes after rebel territories first unless they are extrememly well garrisoned (and often then too).
3- The AI will only wage war on a single front. And once dedicated to that front they will not change fronts (unless then new front is with the human player).
Take a look at the AI expansion thread. I forget who, but somebody had a campaign with a great example of this with Pontus. Ever update they gained two terrritories to the north and lost two to the south. In the end they were a Baltic State.

[Moros]

perhaps the stance towards Epiros can be made more hostile, making them go south for taras faster, then the step to rhegium will be smaller. And perhaps making the northern celtic towns stronger and rhegium a lil smaller might helps as well.