Ridiculous AI or what?

**Monsieur Alphonse** · 09-11-2007, 20:37

This is not a rant. Lets say that I am simply amazed of the utter stupidity of the diplomatic and battle AI

I started a new campaign this evening as New Spain because I wanted to try something. On my last campaign I was able to buy a town of the Aztecs in turn 2. Later they attacked me and I got a ceasefire in exchange for four cities. My new campaign was on H/VH and I bought an alliance from the Aztecs in exchange of four cities and 7000 per turn (3 turns). I restarted my campaign on VH/VH and this time I asked for all the cities they had (except of course their capital). I had to pay 18000 for three turns and got an alliance and eight

cities.

My mission from the Spanish consulate was to capture rebel held Tototepec. It is village without walls. I let the rebels sally and was assisted by my precious allies. I withdrew my forces to a nearby hill and got the message that my allies had entered the battlefield. I was able to control them. I set them on offensive and let the attack the village center. From mu nearby hill I was watching the natives slaughtering each other. The outnumbered Aztecs routed and withdrew from the battlefield pursued by the entire rebel army. When the rebel army was almost out of sight I entered the village.The rebels returned only to get slaughtered. I lost eight 8 men and some native mercenaries.

My army is on its way to Tenochtitlan to finish the Aztecs off. It is now turn eight and within some four turns the Aztec empire will be gone. Not by blitzing but because absolute lunatic diplomatic behavior of the AI.
I have already finished and won a New Spain campaign. I really loved that one because I had some hard fights and had to preserve my Spanish soldiers and had to loot cities to get some money.

The battle AI is overly aggressive, but is also attacking the wrong enemy. This was not only in this New Spain campaign. I discovered in an Apachean campaign that the AI forces during a sally were attacking my scouts that were supposedly hiding near the village when my army was deployed on a hill. Again the entire rebel army pursued one unit of scouts while my army could simply take control of the village center and win the battle.

This way it is to easy. Play twelve turns and the Aztecs are gone. Turtle a bit, build up a sizable force of conquistadores and the Mayans are extinct.

**Rhyfelwyr** · 09-11-2007, 21:03

I usually find it very difficult to barter settlements off the enemy. When offering ceasefires, the AI acts according to both their and your power level (eg Supreme, Modest, etc), also taking your reputation into account. What was your power level when you made the deal?

As for using the scouts to lure the enemy away from the settlement - don't do it! If you want a challenge don't deliberately find ways to exploit the AI and then complain to everyone about it.

**ReiseReise** · 09-11-2007, 21:12

Amen CR

**Gaius Terentius Varro** · 09-11-2007, 21:18

I can't believe that you are complaining that the natives signed away their lands for some glass beads and pox infected blankets. I actually never get to buy enemies cities because i don't try to do it.

**Monsieur Alphonse** · 09-11-2007, 21:23

The Apache scout trick wasn't intentional. I wanted them to attack the enemy in the flank. But because the rebels send their entire army after them I was able to exploit that. Of course I want a challenge, but what is the sense of sending 12 units to attack one single unit as the AI did. Why didn't they attack my main army.

As to the barter of settlements. I find it usually impossible to buy settlements from the AI. I my other campaign a rebel chief asked over 200,000 florins for a village. But on turn two to buy the entire Aztec empire is ridiculous.

@ Varro. I just wanted to see if it is possible. I retried it and bought the empire for 15,000 florins for three turns.

**Gaius Terentius Varro** · 09-11-2007, 21:29

It's like taking away all the enemy castles in vanilla MTW2 and then complaining about the low quality of the troops it's sending against you. If it bothers you don't do it. Give the AI a chance or join a chess club
Edit: this might have sounded rude but you just named exploits with which you made the game too easy for yourself so my advice is: DON'T.

**Monsieur Alphonse** · 09-11-2007, 21:44

@ Varro

You are right about the challenge. The only thing I am complaining about is that I find it amazing to buy an entire empire. Especially because it is the most powerful empire at the start of the game. I was expecting that they ripped the hart out of my explorer, offered it to their gods and send his head back to me.