getting the AI to behave properly

**Centurion Crastinus** · 10-20-2007, 18:18

I know that this is a long shot, but it would be really cool. Is there anyway to make the AI behave the way it did in antiquity? By that I mean having the AI factions conquer the areas that they conquered in real life. I think that it would add a whole new level of realism previously unseen. However, I am willing to bet that if it could have been done it would have.

**Pharnakes** · 10-20-2007, 18:31

Correct.

**johnhughthom** · 10-20-2007, 18:40

I think the team have put a lot of effort into this, there isn't much they can do but they have put strong rebels in certain areas to make expansion there difficult and I'm sure there are things we dont know about they have tried/put in.

**NeoSpartan** · 10-20-2007, 20:05

can't

and here is why:
1- exessive scripting

2- Here is the REAL reason. EB is about protraing the factions and the people as they truly were in 272 BC. From that point on it is up to YOU to decide the fate of the know world. So what you are doing is kinda like a "what if" history. ex: what if the Aedui would have considated Gaul? Where would they go next? Would the romani still be aroudn??? see what I mean.

--EB is not a documantary of each faction's expansion (although you can play it that way by Roleplaying the ROMANI, but the AI won't cooaperate)

--And if you think about it, having a game were each faction expands "historically" would be pretty boring. Since only a few factions would do any kind of expansion, most would just stay where they are, other loose territory. And only the Romani would do any type of MAJOR expansion. So... yeah thats pretty lame dude.

--What the EB team has done though, is to sorta "slow down" exesive AI expansion into some areas. For example increasing the garrison of the rebels in northen italy to slow down Romani northward expansion.

**Thaatu** · 10-20-2007, 21:16

Originally Posted by NeoSpartan

2- Here is the REAL reason. EB is about protraing the factions and the people as they truly were in 272 BC. From that point on it is up to YOU to decide the fate of the know world. So what you are doing is kinda like a "what if" history. ex: what if the Aedui would have considated Gaul? Where would they go next? Would the romani still be aroudn??? see what I mean.

Although, I think if it could be done, it would be done.

**skuzzy** · 10-20-2007, 21:21

I don't think it would be boring if they expanded somewhat historically. You don't have to have it done verbatim per year per territory but instead have some general guidelines for the AI as to where to go and have moderately fluctuating levels of aggression on a somewhat historical basis. This is but a dream but having historical AI expansion would definitely not be boring and not to mention with your human interference you could change the course of certain factions with money, land, etc... but that's just my opinion even though TW doesn't agree :D

**Pharnakes** · 10-20-2007, 21:47

I entirely agree with skuzzy, afteral, even if you did manage to pkay it to death the historical way, there would be nothing stopping you disabling the scrips and playing like now.

And what would be even cooler was if the AI for the expansions was moddable, so you could make a what if for every faction, or several for each, so they never ever got boring.

*sigh*

We need some millionaire to come along and give the eb team an infinite budget to build eb like it truly should be, on a completly non profit basis. Ahh well, now you all know what I'll spend it on if I win the lottery.

**Maeran** · 10-21-2007, 01:45

Originally Posted by Pharnakes

We need some millionaire to come along and give the eb team an infinite budget to build eb like it truly should be, on a completly non profit basis. Ahh well, now you all know what I'll spend it on if I win the lottery.

Should I win the lottery I'll give it some consideration.

the pessimistic side of me suggests that it just isn't possible (or at least practical) to do. But you don't have to have set in stone expansion. You could have 'preferences'. 'Create a buffer zone around the homeland' or 'unite the Germans first' would both be better than what the AI actually does which is 'spam the human player'.

**NeoSpartan** · 10-21-2007, 02:23

Originally Posted by skuzzy

I don't think it would be boring if they expanded somewhat historically. You don't have to have it done verbatim per year per territory but instead have some general guidelines for the AI as to where to go and have moderately fluctuating levels of aggression on a somewhat historical basis. This is but a dream but having historical AI expansion would definitely not be boring and not to mention with your human interference you could change the course of certain factions with money, land, etc... but that's just my opinion even though TW doesn't agree :D

You may be right but after the 3rd campain it will get pretty "predictable" and hell even "boring". Besides, let me ask you... Where are most of the factions going to expand??? Really...

Most ain't gonna move. Hell if u play Parthia or something out of the western part of the map, you WILL ALWAYS see the Romani kicking butt while everyone else just kinda "stays put and dies". I mean really.... KH didn't do jack, Carthege expanded a bit and later died, Lusotana/aerui/arverni/sweboz didn't really move beyond their geographical area, and niether did Decia. Makedon died, so did Epiros, Ptolemoi became a Roman protectorate, Pontus grew a bit, and so did Hydiasdan (sp) but they eventually died. Only Pavhala (sp), Bactria, Saka did any kind of major expansion. Of the 3, Pavhala grew into an empire, and Bactria died because of Saka. The Seleucids fractured and broke, and the Romani grew. I don't know about the Sarmatians and Saba. Thats IT!!!

Yeah this will be fun. Really. I would love to play as the Aedui an not have to kill the Romani until Ceasar (or someone like him) decides to show up after a LONG time. But after that campain.... then its done.

The reason why "historical" expansion seems like a TON 'A FUN is because you don't have it right now. IF you did have it then, I bet you, that after the 2nd or 3rd time you see the same stuff happening, it WILL get boring.

**skuzzy** · 10-21-2007, 03:07

That is a very cynical view of what I said. It would still be you who sets the tone, and I hardly suggested that Rome may or may not sit around until Caesar to go into Gaul. But just have levels of aggression for Rome per faction etc... but that's not even the point. I think the problem is you're justifying what I said regarding the TW AI which by all means I know this is not possible, I was just suggesting in a dream land with a practical AI that this would, could, and should be a possibility.