AI army composition any better in 1.2?

[rebelscum]

Originally Posted by ataribaby
Why can't the AI think along the lines of: "Ok, we've got three catapults. That should be enough of those. Lets have four spear units next and then we'll need a few militia crossbows, so we'll need to build the city watch before we recruit anything else. Meanwhile, the neighbouring fortress will give us a couple of units of heavy swordsmen and a couple of units of heavy cavalry. They'll be with us in a few turns escorted by Prince Bob the Nob, and then we'll have our balanced stack."

Oh if things were that simple. It might also be nice if the AI decided that discretion was the better part of valour and decided not to try to seige your fortresses with 2 unit stacks.

[DensterNY]

I've noticed no real difference so far since upgrading to 1.2.

Unfortunately, Total War has been a work in progress since Rome so for myself to make things interesting (at least in Vanilla) I've given tons of trait bonuses, extra cash, city and castle upgrades to the AI to make them competitive. I pretty much try and emulate the experience I have facing the Mongols who are the only real competition.

However, my tactics have only helped at least by giving me enemy armies that aren't entirely composed of militia units but they're still not balanced just more powerful units. As someone else said the AI needs to think of its empire as a whole... missile units from one city, heavy infantry from another but that's asking for a whole lot unfortunately.

[Cheetah]

As the previous posters pointed out the AI usually just builds whatever it can in a given settlement often resulting very one sided armies.

Also, even where it could be possible the AI builds very few cavalry making it even more easier for the human player.

The only good stacks you are likely to encounter are the Mongol original stacks. These are not just very well balanced but consist of highly experienced soldiers led by experienced generals (this later is also missing for most AI armies).

Alas, once the mongols settle down they seem to revert to the "old AI" tactics of producing whatever they can. I have met a mongol army consisting of more than a dozen town militia and one or two light lancer.

The AI often hires mercenaries too, which is not much of a help, at least in europe as mercenary stacks are also rather one sided, consisting mostly of spears and shooters. The easiet way to help the AI would be to create well balanced mercenary pools, with spears, shooters, heavy and light cavalry (one would think that at least in eastern europe one should be able to find plenty of light cav mercenaries, like hussars but no).

[ToothyTurtle]

Playing on M/M and the spanish declared war.
They sent a single balanced army against me then they have reverted to sendung armies of town Militia to siege Caen. I try to send in my longbows for hand to hand combat to get bonus valour.
Yet the Potugese were sending quite mixed armies until I sacked there only Castle!
I'd definatly say that the French seem to have balanced armies at the moment but I haven't started that offensive yet, it's just what my spies told me.