1.0x AI Faction Progression Thread

[Ravenfeeder]

Baktria H/M BI.exe

The changing fortunes in Gaul, Italy and Asia Minor are interesting. Plus, the Getai are now a real faction!!

260bc


250bc


240bc


230bc


220bc


This game is effectively over, what to do next? Probably Lusotannan.

[iwwtf_az]

you can really see the effect of the new rebel armies standing in the way of the sweboz from going east. it worked quite well!


and look at the dwarves go!

[Numahr]

Baktria H/M BI.exe

The changing fortunes in Gaul, Italy and Asia Minor are interesting.

In particular, what a punic war you had in your game! Carthage capturing Rome, Latium and surrounding Italian provinces, putting Rome at the edge of a crushing defeat; and then Romans slowly re-conquering their heartland! I can imagine epic battles fought, and how much Romans must now hate Carthaginians...

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Updated.
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[Geoffrey S]

Looks like a great campaign you've got going there; some really nice expansion, and it's interesting to see Saba slowly securing the Arabian peninsula.

Now if only there'd be a game with steppe factions expanding a bit more...

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Looks like a great campaign you've got going there; some really nice expansion, and it's interesting to see Saba slowly securing the Arabian peninsula.

Now if only there'd be a game with steppe factions expanding a bit more...

Thanks sir. I'm trying my best for the glory of Lusotana.

The steppe expansion looks like will happen eventually, once one of the three manages to survive their internal conflict. AS are fighting on 2-3 fronts at once and Baktria may vanish anytime.

Save game available.

House rules:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

• Pursue the victory conditions and don't expand meaninglessly.
• Always build the Type I and Type II governments where available.
• Favour building up and economy over warfare.
• The throne remains in the Lusotanakum family from all male line
• The capital can't be changed unless the candidate town has at least King's Hold and Stone Fortress. In any case, it can't be changed before next year (not necessarily 4 turns) once the turn is ended. (You may rehearse options within the same turn.)
• Every expedition force must be commanded by a general. Small peacekeeping troops against brigands can be commanded by captains.
• No campaigning in the winter unless in defence.
• Never attack an ally before dissolving the alliance.
• Never attack a neutral faction without making/creating/inventing a diplomatic excuse, such as threats etc.
• Armies and diplomats must rest in the minor settlement tiles (mines, markets, vineyards etc.) or otherwise generals build forts, unless they mean to ambush. Spies and assasins may rest anywhere.
• No local autonomy/local taxation. Towns without a governor are directly ruled by the King's loyal servants. Ones with governors are the fiefs of the generals.
• Maximum happiness policy in all settlements
• If you are going to keep a settlement, then;
  
  • Occupy
  • Occupy or Enslave
  • Enslave or Exterminate
  • Exterminate
  
  If you are raiding/sacking always exterminate.
• (I toggle fow off but) Let your diplomats travel the world, learn about the states of affairs and build relations. Don't exploit the radar if the fow is off.

A few more running in my brain I believe but I can't recollect right now.
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[Justiciar]

Those are some great rules, Mouzafphaerre. I was doing much the same in my Pontos campaign, before I dropped it (getting pwnt by an abnormally powerful Seleukeia every other turn can get a little wearisome) - I only obtained Galatia by "liberating" it from it's wicked Seleukid conquerors, for example, and didn't invade Sinope and Trapezous until after I'd already fallen into war with the Koinon Hellenon. Little wonder I failed so miserably, but it was damned fun roleplaying the politics of the nation.

Alas, I just can't summon the will power to do the same with the Epeirotes. Then again, it isn't so unrealistic for them to invade everything under the sun.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Without the roleplaying, even EB gets repetitive after some point.
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[Olaf The Great]

Baktria H/M BI.exe

The changing fortunes in Gaul, Italy and Asia Minor are interesting. Plus, the Getai are now a real faction!!

260bc


250bc


240bc


230bc


220bc


This game is effectively over, what to do next? Probably Lusotannan.

Mind if you make a savegame download for that?

[Ravenfeeder]

Sure

http://www.axifile.com?8250918

[Hound of Ulster]

The thought of Poeni in Rome(!)...

No wonder the AI went bat-t with the Romans in that one. The Selucids just don't have chance.

[Olaf The Great]

Sure

http://www.axifile.com?8250918

Thanks dude

[Elminster12]

Pontic Campaign, 231BC. Some points of interest.
-The Hai have an army marching on Olbia
-Baktria is besieging Kophen
-Rome and Carthage are at war
-The Arverni must have taken Massilia fairly early on, as that seems to drive them to expand like that. So far, the Eastern Boii have kept both them and the Sweboz at bay.

This has been a fairly hectic campaign, especially since the beginning of the war with the Ptolemies. I am currently besieging Side, for the second time. The first time my army got beat pretty badly, but I was able to keep the Ptolies at bay with my Mazakan and Phyrgian armies. Mithridatis II is currently on the throne, though he has failed to sire a son. Arsames Kianos, his uncle, is currently heir. Arsames has a son(Anixibius), which is fortunate, because I was concerned my royal family would die out on me.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Silver Death's Iran + Iraq isolation looks funny! Interesting how lazy the Catelluvani are...and the seemingly death-bed ridden Makedonia.
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[Elminster12]

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Silver Death's Iran + Iraq isolation looks funny! Interesting how lazy the Catelluvani are...and the seemingly death-bed ridden Makedonia.
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Interestingly enough, I made peace with them a couple of years ago, and the turn before I called it quits for the night, they offered me an alliance, which I, of course, accepted. It's really not going as smoothly as one might first think, as the war with the Ptolies is fairly large-scale and they love blockading Sardis on me. I'm more or less supporting the largest number of troops I can manage without draining my treasury. Amaseia has an Imperial palace going, and Sinope and Nikaia are close. I've won and lost battles by a razor edge on a number of occasions. It DID make the early-going easier, as the Seleukids(obviously) didn't really have much to attack me with.

Also, the Casse have been lazy. They literally took Ictis less than ten years ago. The Getai started out real slow, but they've taken off. The only thing I have to complain about is that the Hai and the Getai have thus far not built any more port upgrades, which would be nice for my treasury, and the Ptolies (luckily or unluckily) betrayed me JUST as I was going to launch my second Bosphorous campaign. Don't ask me about the first, it never existed.

[beatoangelico]

Baktria H/M

236 BC



230 BC



Casse = usual expansion in britain

Lusotann = allied with the Karthadastim from the start

Averni = one of the main SPQR enemis atm, had expanded much in Gallia in recent years

Aedui = more static than the Averni, allied with Roma

Sweboz = big expansion in Germany but still friendly with the Gauls

Romani = the big surprise of the campaign atm: they headed north leaving alone the Epirotes, that after the Makedonian disaster in Greece had conquered Rome and most of Italy. Really bad position now with Epirotes Karthadastim and Aedui all trying to break them in pieces.

Karthadastim = stationary in Spain and not really aggressive in Sicily they had focused in Africa waging war against the Ptolemaioi after conquering Cyrene

Epeiros = after 25/30 years of unstable balance in Greece the crushing defeats of the Antigonids have freed their forces from the Epirote homeland, beginning a double expansion in Illyria and Italy and managing to conquered even Rome after some unsuccesful sieges

Getai = started a strong expansion from 255 BC, allied with Epeiros and for now at peace with KH

Makedonia = lost Corinth quite quickly, then in about 3/4 years KH suddenly conquered all the makedonian cities except Mytilene. From that point they launched an uneding series of sieges and assaults on Pergamon that regularly resists and push back what remains of the Antigonids.

KH = one of the most succesfull factions so far, first Corinth, then all mainland Greece fell in their hands. Around 240 bc they launched a full scale attack on Pontos, seizing Thrace in less than 1 year and then crossing the sea. There after some non decisive fights the Selekids wiped out in a single huge battle most of Pontos army and KH had easily occupied Nikaea. Now storming what remains of Pontos and starting a very interesting war with the AS.

Pontos = atm it seems quite doomed, at war with both AS and KH and a devasted army, but 10 years ago was one of the emerging factions, with Thrace and northern Anatolia in its hands.

Hayasdan = at peace with the AS but constantly struggling with the nomads, first the Sauromatae and now the Sakae, but not much seems to have happened.

Ptolemaioi = quite surprising they have been forced to defend their territories from both SSBQ from west and Saba from south-east, so they was unable to focus on the Syrian front after they managed to conquer and sack Antiochea. The long term conseguence was the loss of all cities in Asia Minor, including Halikarnassos, when the war with Pontos forced the AS to send significant forces in Anatolia. On the other hand they have recently regained provinces from both Saba and the Karthadastim.

Sauromatae = after some succesfull campaign against Parthia they were overrun by the Sakae and reduced to just one province. Now the war between Saka and Hayasdan could change something.

Sakae = allied to AS but for now mainly focused on the west with a few very succesfull attacks on the Sauromatae

Parthia = my long time ally, without much luck for now. First lost a northern steppe province to the Sauromatae, then in constant strife to expansion in the Seleukid territory. In 334 they lost Dayu Daha to AS, but I decided to retake it and give it to the "rightful" owner.

Saba = after the eleutheroi arabian provinces they attacked the Ptolemaio with some big initial succes, but now are mainly on the defensive.

AS = the Silver Death is still the biggest power on the map, even if at war with almost everyone as usual. In the easter front against me (Baktria) and Parthia, after some rebellion problems, only 3-4 times they have send a large wave of troops, but it often seem that its main concern is the Asia Minor/Syria front.

[Beefy187]

239 bc. Hai campeign...

Going solo. Seems like Pahlahva, Bactria and all the other bunch are happy being slaves to AS. I managed to free half of Asia minor. Wow Beefy your good? Sorry im playing H/E campeign

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Hmm, I get the impression the KH is a bit overpowered?

*cowers behind the walls, awaiting the inevitable castigation*

[hoom]

Update on my Getai campaign:
222BC


212BC


*Not much happening in Gaul.
*Carthage has finally expanded in Spain but rather than heading East into Egypt & the sand wars and at the expense of Sicily, Carthage has launched several naval offensives at Athens! They did take Athens off Makedon but it rebelled to KH

*Sweboz slowly expanding. The Boii etc are doing a magnificent job keeping them away from my borders. I've seen stack after stack beaten off with little loss. Recent gain to my North I believe to be rebellion from Hai.
*Frankly the thought of trying to go up against Boii stacks like this is kinda terrifying:

*Hai went North with great power but may have peaked & have declined slightly recently
*Sauromatae were nearly wiped out at one point but have come back
*I've taken out most of Epiros & Makedon are reduced to Euboia
*Various Hellenes have continued to land stacks on Rhodos including most recently a pretty full stack of Makedons. It remains in the hands of the Ptolomies though.
*KH came back from the brink with the help of Athens rebelling from Carthage & also picked up Halicarnassos in rebellion from AS about the same time
*Sabyn have taken over the Upper Nile
*Pontos are quiescent
*Ptolomies continue to spar with AS over the Levant, they held Antiochia for quite some time, it having only recently been won back by AS
*AS has gone East with great force & reasserted itself quite firmly
*Bactria Parthia & Sakae are not doing well at all against the Grey Death.

[pseudocaesar]

Rome needs to be adjusted, they never win anything or go anywhere.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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I had a blast with RTW diplomacy tonight. I name it an unfeature from now on.

As you may know

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

the diplomacy AI and the military AI in the TotalWar games, as declared by CA, were programmed separately, by separate programmers. The thing is that, while the diplomacy AI makes decisions taking the military situation into consideration, the military AI doesn't even know that there is diplomacy built into the game.

Roma attacked me. What an attack though! Merely blockaded a port of mine. Every next turn I either decimated a few of their scattered 'armies' or ransacked a settlement of theirs (or both), and requested CF+TR via my resident diplomat in Roma. They accepted every time, just to attack the next turn again, only more miserably. Why? See inside the spoiler.

Having to fight off a few mosquitoes every turn is a nuisance. Will have to radically solve the problem.
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[Soggius Chippius]

Well, ten years have passed, so its time for my Casse campaign's next update.
Here's the state of the world at 206 BC



First off, what's happened to the world in that 10 years?
Well, as far as Greece and its surrounds go, the Getai have died off after their impressive start, while the Epeirotes have ballooned into an empire that is beginning to scare me a lot more than Carthage. KH are still somehow hanging on to Greece and the Hellespont, but far more impressive so far has been their unexpected expansion all around the Anatolian coastline and even into Syria.



O_o I suspect they took advantage of a crippled Ptolemaic 'empire' that was too focused on Carthage, but I can't be sure since I had fog on for most of the time. Hmmm. Greece. What else...Oh right. Makedon has said goodbye to its homeland and now controls inland Anatolia. How long they'll be able to hold onto that I don't know. The Seleukids will be fairly eager to lap it up, that's for certain.
Speaking of the Seleukids, the situation east of Anatolia has gotten pretty interesting actually. Not only the KH, but the Seleukids as well have been taking major advatage of the Ptolemies' weakness and snatching up large swathes of land to put them back in the game. Which is a very good thing for them really, because Baktria has started moving back from their steppe exile too. I have an unpleasant feeling I'll be getting the Blue Death in a few more decades, with their current interest in the Seleukids' eastern parts that have been left lightly garrisoned while they try and capitalise on the Ptollies.
The Sarmatians have been doing freakishly well for themselves, having only really lost one province to Baktria while having gained about 4 I believe. Perhaps they'll be the supersteppe faction Geoffery S was going on about. Somehow I doubt it though. They've been doing well enough against Eleutheroi, but I doubt they've beaten Baktria too many times so far.

Anyway, enough about the rest of the factions. What about me?

Well, basically as far as the Casse have been concerned, the last 10 years have been almost solely based around the conflict in Italy with Carthage. Granted, about a turn after my last update I finally crushed the Arverni and a few turns later I took the two last eleutheroi territories in Gaul, but Italy has been by far the most important battleground for a while. Happily enough, unlike certains modern wars, there is an end in sight!



As you can see, it's being waged on two fronts. My main army has been crushing their forces and taking their settlements as they march slowly southwards, while my spies have been informing the general populace of the predilection for furry porn that certain members of the Carthaginian Senate have. As a result, Capua, Arpi and Messana have revolted (although Capua was taken back by the Carthies. For about a turn)
Currently, Taras has fallen back into the hands of Epeiros through a civil revolt (this one wasn't me oddly enough. Perhaps the rumours are true) and as one might expect, the Carthies and the Epeirotes aren't the best of friends right now. I can't see that going my way for a great deal of time, because the next factional city I'm going to encounter on my march south is going to be Taras anyway. -_- The plan at this stage is to try and take the rest of Italy and Sicily before the Tarentines decide my towns look attractive enough to attack. Then I'll nick off with Taras and leg it back up to the Po where I can a. refresh my dwindling supply of Calawre and b. secure Italy from Epeirote retaliation with a full army at....Patavium I believe.
Anyway, obviously Italy isn't the only potential problem I face, so let's look at two others.



Spain is starting to look a bit dodgy. Currently the border looks peaceful enough, but then you look at the map and realise that Carthage has bugger all land left, and Spain are feeling notably expansionistic.
"But Soggius! Surely there's a respectable Carthaginian presence in those three home provinces! I'm sure you've nothing to worry about. They'll hold out for ages yet."
To which I say.



Bollocks.
That's all they have left. Carthage has ignored almost every other front (even Egypt. Comapred to last update anyway) and put all its blasted resources into stopping me crushing them. It hasn't worked out for them very well unfortunately, as they've lost all the momentum they had in Spain, as can be seen from the above, and I have a strange feeling they stopped producing units for use in Egypt around the time the war in Italy started, because 5 years ago they had *everything* in Egypt (except for that one strip of land opposite the Arabian Peninsula. It's either Axum or the province above it) as well as its current holdings in the Levant. Then they just stopped expanding, and suddenly, in the last 3 turns, rioting broke out across Egypt, leaving the Carthies with the patchwork of provinces they have left there. I on the other hand have faced at least 6 fullstacks in the past 10 years, even with their unit production capacity cut down by the riots I incited.
Oh yeah, and just for a laugh, here's the current situation in central Egypt.



Nearly everything's a full stack in the Ptolly towns, but the Carthies are notably sparse on the ground.

Anyway, the point is, Carthage is sunk. At least on this side of the Med anyway. Which leaves me to deal with what I suspect will be my next big problem.



Germans.

I've been Allied to them since I landed in Europe, but....they're the Germans! They're the Milan of RTW except in every mod as well as vanilla. I'm ready for them, sure (that's quite a strong army there in Vesontio) but I'm torn between not wanting another war on my hands, and wanting to actually use that army there to get me more cash rather than having it sitting there as a money sink. Ah, decisions decisions. I'm leaving Helvetica alone, because I have a feeling it's that that's keeping them from attacking. Once that's gone, it's me or the Boii, and I know which I'd rather choose if I were them.
(Incidentally, don't worry about Olaf there. Sure he's on my land, but he's been on my land for the past 15 years, so we've managed to come to an agreement)

Anyway, that's enough from me. See you in another 10 years.

[Conqueror]

Makedonia campaign, VH/Med with BI, 250 BC:



Both Karthadastim and Ptolemaioi keep hitting me with naval invasions, the former targetting Capua and the latter going for Athenai. They always accept ceasefire & trade rights after I push their invasion armies to the sea, only to launch another invasion some turns later.

Far as AI-to-AI interactions go, Casse are totally passive, Gauls are hammering each others heads in, Sweboz are expanding but not yet a monster. Karthies expand in Africa and Ptolies are flooding into Seleukid lands. Pontos has been going fairly nicely. The steppe factions fight it out furiously and Baktria seems to be growing steadily.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Minor update, corrections and reformatting.
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[Olaf The Great]

While my spies have been informing the general populace of the predilection for furry porn that certain members of the Carthaginian Senate have.

Wat.

Incidentally, don't worry about Olaf there. Sure he's on my land, but he's been on my land for the past 15 years, so we've managed to come to an agreement.

I like your land, its nice n' blue.

[Soggius Chippius]

Wat.

They have politically unfortunate levels of fondness for their horses. I am merely making sure their subjects know all the relevant facts about their masters.

I like your land, its nice n' blue.

Keep the axe training institute running and you can stay there as long as you want. Just don't get too many ideas about self-governance.

[Olaf The Great]

They have politically unfortunate levels of fondness for their horses. I am merely making sure their subjects know all the relevant facts about their masters.



Keep the axe training institute running and you can stay there as long as you want. Just don't get too many ideas about self-governance.

The axe training institute is a non-profit organization, we would like some donations!

[Pode]

BI, VH/M Romani campaign. All unit recruitment times reduced by one turn. This is the state of the world in Spring 232, 40 years and 160 turns in (my longest total war campaign since the original MTW )



I left Sicily to Carthage until they landed an invasion force at Capua, so they forfeited their central Med holdings as punishment. The Second Punic War just ended in status quo after some polite squabbling over Sardina. The Aedui have been pounding on my new Gallic client kings so much one of them is now a vanquisher of the Galli from city defenses alone. The Sweboz insisted on getting in a lick or two as well, but are mostly keeping to themselves after a rough handling from the Boii. My Getic allies fared even worse, so I'm content to leave the Boii alone for a while. KH made a pass at Taras, but we made up.

Outside the Roman sphere of influence, the Saka took a city off Baktria and then perished in the revenge. The Sauromatae (sp?) can't buy a friend. AS is getting pounded, but still holding onto a spot in the top five powers. Makedon was reduced to Pella, rallied nicely, and reduced Epieros to a single province, but couldn't finish them off and has given back Ambrakia since the screenshot. The Saba are being smart. Not even the KH army on Crete wants Crete, the Casse have a fetish for running away from York into the woods, and I'm afraid of the garrison in Kallatis, as it has repulsed at least four sieges.

I'm aiming to stabilize the Gallic frontier and then expand into Iberia in preparation for the inevitable third Punic War. The garrisons in Carthage have been a joke, but I'm roleplaying it a bit by removing her colonies first and only taking homelands as a last resort.

[Barnabas]

I'm playing as the Averni, (Sorry: BI.EXE, VH/M) though now I'm at the point of restricting my own growth to allow the AI to catch up a bit and see how they progress with relative little interference.

I found this campaign to be especially interesting so far. Only three factions have done nothing all game: Casse, Lusotannan, and Sweboz. All of the rest have at least been modestly active.

244 BC (Averni):


As you can see, I've driven out the Audei from Gaul proper. Beyond that, I've left them alone. They have successfully expanded from one remaining province to three, and look like they will be able to hold their gains. The Steppe factions are very active, and Pontos looks to be making a move. Beyond that, everything is normal so far.

241 BC (Averni):


Carthage has landed an invasion force of 9 generals in Italia. Epiros clings to their capitol on the heel of the boot by a thread. Baktria looks to be trying to cut Seleucia in half, but has lost ground in the north to Saka Rauka. Seleucia is weakened, but not out of the fight.

In Greece, Makadonia makes a strong push to the north, threatening the already weak Epirotes at the same time as posing a challenge to the Greek City States.

236 BC (Averni):


Four factions now cling to the boot! The Epirotes still have the heel, though it is under siege by the Romans. The Aeudi have four cities, and Carthage has a firm grip on one and looks to be expanding soon at the expense of the Aeudi. Outside of accidently forcing a settlement to rebel back to Rome and stopping Aeudi encroachment on "my" side of the Alps, I refuse to interfere with this interesting development in Italia. I've never seen the peninsula so hotly contested without me being directly involved.

In Greece, Makadon continues to gain strength, though she is now expanding into Asia Minor. The Getae have woken from their slumber and stir, perhaps in fear of encroachment on Getic territories by the Makadonians.

The Steppes are very interesting. I've never seen Saka do anything before, and it looks like they are handily dealing with the Baktrians. In this screenshot, the Baktrians look like they have a fair chance of losing their northernmost outpost as it is under a somewhat strong Saka siege. Pahlava is being quite opportunistic with Baktria being weakened. I'd love it if Saka continues to expand to gobble up Baktria.

Overview of Italia: 4 AI factions owning cities in 236 BC


The Aeudi DID have Ariminium until I forced it to rebel. They retook the city from Rome, but that city continues to change hands. Current Peninsula de Roma strength in number of cities:

Rome: 5
Aeudi: 3
Epirotes: 1
Carthage: 1

Most of those Carthage armies happen to be generals. Their faction leader just sat on the peninsula for quite a while, gaining heirs.

[Gazius]

221. Guess which faction I am.