Fixing the AI money script (preliminary tests)

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Will the altered script be picked up when you load a save, or restart EB, or do you need to start a new campaign?

Any script changes are savegame compatible (basically). So you can apply it to a game in progress.

[The Errant]

Eminos64 kindly found time to answer my PM conserning the original testscript. Here is his answer to my question in full.

"Hi.

I'm glad that you and others has found this topic interesting. Yes I've continued with my tests but found that the 0.81a version was better than previous versions, i.e. I played as Casse and just watched the other factions. What I could see was that its quite likely that the EB team must have made some changes, intentional or not, that to some extent cured the problem I was talking about in my thread. I'm not saying that the Seleucides are weaker, but the Ptolies now more often manages to fight back. However, I tried to play as Sauromatae and got second tired again of some ridiculously rich factions. They don't need to pass the million mnai line I think, so I've used my step function approach but has also added some lines that Epistolary Richard wrote in his tutorial about scripting (see below where I give you the lines I added for KH, maybe I will change it and allow them to get a little bit richer, I don't know yet but I simply hate too much bribing in my campaigns.) I added similar lines for Romani (and to lesser extent to the Ptolies and Baktrians). I did not add them to Karthadast since I want them to be rich so they can have a big navy and dont get stuck on some of their Islands. Since I'm a Sweboz lover I didn't add the lines to them either, not historically accurate maybe, but personally I just love to see the Romani get some hard resistance from Sweboz. Maybe I will even boost up the Gauls, by giving them a very kind "step function" with more than 1200 mnai per city. Compared to the EB teams level of historical knowledge I'm a nobody, but I know that the Romani should have to wait way past 230 B.C. or something before they can crush Vercingetorix et. al.
OK so here are an example of some lines that makes it harder for the A.I. to get very very rich, and I think
it has given me a nice effect that I like, and that is that I don't see "stack parades" as often as before.
I think its more realistic and makes every "full stack" battle more crucial:

monitor_event FactionTurnStart FactionType greek_cities
and Treasury > 100000
console_command add_money greek_cities, -30000

end_monitor

I'll have to stress once again that they are not mine, I simply took the idea from the excellent tutorial at the Guild.
Players that likes fighting stack after stack of Selucides or whatever can simply chose to not add these lines. Looking back at your initial question I can just say that I think that my tests has shown very promising results, but thats what I think, some players are way better than I am and wants four or five full stacks attacking them, maybe not every turn but not far from it, I don't (at least not when I'm trying some of the very poor step factions). The point is that with the "step function" approach you can make your game tailor made for your preferences. By the way, feel free to quote this answer in your thread if you like."

Apparently Eminos didn't abandon the idea but simply sought help from the Guild to refine the idea further. Thank you Eminos64.

edit. Sheep. We now have a method to put a cap on the AI treasury. Not all the factions will need one I think but some of the richer ones certainly do (Bactria, Seleukids etc.). We can adjust the values for the script on a per faction base. Depending on who gets rich and powerful and who dosen't. This bit of code will still stop them from getting that humongous treasury that allows six or seven, fullstack field armies and enough money to bribe any settlement lacking a governor.

;Arche Seleukeia

monitor_event FactionTurnStart FactionType romans_julii
and Treasury > 100000
console_command add_money romans_julii, -30000

end_monitor

monitor_event SettlementTurnStart FactionType romans_julii
and not FactionIsLocal
and I_NumberOfSettlements romans_julii < 6

console_command add_money romans_julii, 1200

end_monitor

monitor_event SettlementTurnStart FactionType romans_julii
and not FactionIsLocal
and I_NumberOfSettlements romans_julii < 12
and I_NumberOfSettlements romans_julii > 5

console_command add_money romans_julii, 1000

end_monitor

monitor_event SettlementTurnStart FactionType romans_julii
and not FactionIsLocal
and I_NumberOfSettlements romans_julii < 20
and I_NumberOfSettlements romans_julii > 11

console_command add_money romans_julii, 800

end_monitor

monitor_event SettlementTurnStart FactionType romans_julii
and not FactionIsLocal
and I_NumberOfSettlements romans_julii < 30
and I_NumberOfSettlements romans_julii > 19

console_command add_money romans_julii, 500

end_monitor

OK. In light of the developments and some constructive critisism from MAA I decided to make some alterations to the script. First. All empire building factions (Rome, Arche Seleukeia, Ptolemai, Macedon, Saba, Baktria, Epeiros and Koinon Hellenon) received higher cutoff numbers in their money script. As per the example above. They also however received Eminos64 new AI treasury cap. Which monitores AI treasury and immediatly reduces some 30000 mnai if their treasury exceeds 100000 mnai.
Second. All steppe factions (Saka Rauka, Pahlava, Sauromatae and Hayasdan) get the full benefit of the higher cutoff numbers without Eminos64 new AI treasury cap.
All remaining factions (Pontus, Kart-Hadast, Sweboz, Getai, Lusotannan, Casse, Arverni and the Aedui) keep Sheep's original AI trasury cutoff values without Eminos64 new AI treasury cap.

I'll start running some tests to figure out what needs improvement.