GAAAAH! Aedui Avalanche!

[Auxilia]

Hi all

Fairly new to RTw/EB. In a word -

I've tried various strategies with Rome - mostly trying to secure the Italian peninsula, then going after the Mediterranean islands, and subsequently expanding east and west along the northern coast on either side.

For most of the early stages, the Aedui stay quiet, and from what I can gather from various posts on here it's best to leave them be. Problem is - they seem to suddenly spring into life and make mine very difficult, and I always seem to end up expending all my resources and units fighting an endless war with them in Cisalpine Gaul and Northern Italy.

This time around it's started in 243BC. In the north I'm holding Segesta, Bonona, Patavium (which has just fallen), and in the South, Taras and Rhegion. I did actually bribe them into a ceasefire with 1500 mnai and trade rights and the swine still waded in!!!

What I'd like to know is, are there certain triggers which set in motion AI faction behaviours (I know Carthage breaks off it's alliance and declares war if you expand into Sicily for instance). I've read that the Aedui tend to ask for a ceasefire early in the game if you leave well alone but that's never happened with me

So is there some strategy I've missed out on or should I admit my lameness and change settings to easy/easy

Thanks in anticipation - aside from this little difficulty I'm really enjoying the mod!