AI Balancing Mini-Mod

[GracchusTheGreat]

Redmeth,

The previous version of your mod utterly changed my EB experience for the better, especially with regards to the power it gave to the rebel cities. Which is why I thoroughly anticipated your latest "Challenge" version.

I'll admit I might have done something wrong, but I'm afraid this one is much less "challenging" than the previous. And the free cities have been totally nerfed. Although, perhaps that was your intention. I could easily just shut up and go back to the previous version if it weren't for the AIs improved use of elite units.

So my question is, did you purposely nerf the free cities or did I just install something improperly? Somewhat ironically, having stronger free cities actually makes other factions tougher due to the experience gained from constant fighting as well as keeping them close to the lands where the factions can recruit the best troops, contributing to overall more "compact" enemies. For example, in the latest version, Epirus simply ignored its immediate neighbors and charged straight north, steamrolling free cities and then recruiting only basic units. Next thing you know, Pyrrhus and sons are lost in the forests of Germania with endless bands of levy hoplites! In the previous version, Epirus' battles with nearby free cities, mostly in Illyria, kept it close to its homeland where it could easily replenish its premier forces and, most importantly, keep them together. This time, it was Pyrrhus and sons duking it out in Greece and Macedonia at the head of some formidable armies. I guess my overall point is that AI factions, as opposed to the player, don't necessarily benefit from expansion, especially if it isn't toward a certain faction's optimal zone. A delicate business this is, and all my respect to you.

These are all thoughts and not criticisms. Without your mod EB just ain't worth playing!

One last question...(sorry!) Given your experience with scripting, would it be possible to implement either an auto-merge for the AI (which has been done), or something similar that simply disbands units that fall below a certain number? I've seen too many impressive AI armies stymied by a few groups of 10 or 20 units that can't be merged, and which the AI doesn't exchange for better and more complete units, resulting in endless numbers of separate AI stacks scrambling around the map.