1.x AI Faction Progression Thread

[Ayce]

Forced Diplomacy

[Swordmaster]

Forced Diplomacy

[QuintusSertorius]

A necessity for anything remotely resembling sensible diplomacy in the game.

[Swordmaster]

A necessity for anything remotely resembling sensible diplomacy in the game.

Depends on your playing style, of course. I like to use it to a moderate extent, and only in some campaigns. In a historical Roman campaign, it is quite necessary, indeed, for it makes no sense to expand historically without actually fighting the historically right (or approximate) enemies.

[Senshi]

I made the experience that for a reason unknown to me the diplomacy of the AI is far more reasonible on "Hard" difficulty than on "Very Hard". I play with all the 1.1 fixes and the "Win Conditions"-Mod with RomeTW-BI.exe

If they conclude alliances, they actually keep them for quite a long time even if direct neighbours, they accept ceasefires when their border provinces are conquered and they are obviously on the losing point, that's something I thought impossible up to now. Of course there still occur some impacts of madness on the AI, but it is very low...
For example I, playing as Casse, were allied with the Arverni and the Aedui, as time passed on it came to a super alliance, SPQR, Aedui, Arverni and me were all allied with each other. When I had captured almost all Eleutheroi settlements in Gaul and Spain, the SPQR opened a full scale war on all frontiers on me after about 6 years of peaceful coexistence with a long common border, the Arverni kept their Alliance with the SPQR while the Aedui kept theirs with mine and even started war upon them when I threatened them a bit...perhaps this was all just coincidence, but it worked really well and especially the long-term-lasting part was astonishing.

I try to use FD only if absolutely necessary, if the AI sometimes completely freaks out and act completely out of reason, it always resembles a bit of cheating in my eyes....makes a victory/loss a bit hollow...

[QuintusSertorius]

M/M Epeiros-as-Pergamon game with rtw.exe and not as much cheating as I usually use to muck around with the AI factions. I've changed my colour to Royal Blue and the Ptolemies to gold so they're easier to distinguish from Seleukid silver. I did a proper migration in the first year.

It's in a five-year progress stylee.

272BC



Immediately after my migration, not much else has changed. Unlike in the other game, I didn't help Roma by giving them Taras, just made it rebel.

267BC



I took Nikaia, Rome blitzed north and south.

262BC



Saka, Pontos, Hayasdan on the move. I take Halikarnassos.

257BC



After causing Sardis to revolt, I grab it. Also take Byzantion.

252BC



I take Tylis.

247BC



I take Mytilene, which now gives me naval yards to build ships. Krete is next.

242BC



I took Krete. Galatia was taken by the Seleukids, then rebelled to the Aedui. I gave the Casse Bratosporios to create a distinctly different "Belgae" nation.

[QuintusSertorius]

Continuing with my Pergamon game

237BC



I took Rhodos. Sauromatae, Baktria and Pahlava expand. Sweboz continue inexorably on. Makedonia manage to take Epirus, and KH Aitolia. Romans kick Qarthadast out of Sicily.

232BC



Seleukids expand, most of Gaul now with one faction or other. I gave Aedui Naissos and Singidunum. Casse now have just Wales and Ireland to complete the union of the UK.

[Tyrfingr]

Attempt as Pontos to recreate the Byzantine Empire of Basil II, 217BC



* Arche Seleukeia Satrapy of Dayuan

** Bastarnoladam (Sweboz ally)

*** Sequallra (Arverni ally)

Things are going pretty well in my attempt to recreate Basil II's byzantine empire. In the west, I have invaded the Greek Peninsula and have reduced Makedonia to a puny single-province state based on Thermon. They do however have two fully stacked armies, and I need to replenish mine for the final assault. Waged a triple war against Makedonia, KH and Epeiros at the same time, and as you can see, I have killed of the greeks and are just about to do the same with Makedonia. In the northwest, I have established good relations with the getai, which they better maintain. Don't make me do to Getai what Basil II did to the Bulgars.

In the east, I have conquer all the eastern provinces of the Byzantine Empire, all but Sidon from the Arche Ptolemaioi, but since the diplomatic status between us is neutral, it will have to wait. I'm going to conquer Edessa, although the Byzantines just held it a couple of years.

[QuintusSertorius]

Continuing the progression in my Epeiros-as-Pergamon game. A fair bit of FD in the later one, much less so the earlier.

227BC



Spain bounce back, the Aedui recover a little, I take Ipsos.

222BC



Carthage get to work in Spain, Rome start branching out along the coast. I take Kallatis and Chersonesos.


214BC



Much FD involved here in causing the Second Punic War and similating a "Hannibal" invading Italy and causing Capua to defect and Cisalpine Gaul to revolt. Baktria and Pahlava expand at the expense of the Seleukids, though the latter with some help (not Gandhara though, that was a revolt). The AI took Arpi all by itself. I took Pantikapaion.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Attempt as Pontos to recreate the Byzantine Empire of Basil II, 217BC

May I ask what map you have used?

I think the opposite of ulterior is citerior. The opposite of inferior is superior.

[Swordmaster]

May I ask what map you have used?

I think the opposite of ulterior is citerior. The opposite of inferior is superior.

Looks like it's MAP_REGIONS.tga he coloured.

[Tyrfingr]

Attempt as Pontos to recreate the Byzantine Empire of Basil II, 211BC



* Saka Rauka Protectorate of Nisa

** Free City of Asaak

*** Aedui Protectorate of Rhaetia

**** Arverni Protectorate of Sequallra

In the east, I only have to conquer Cyprus and Sidon from the Ptolies, then my eastern Byzantine Empire's borders will be secured. In the west, I have to conquer Singidunum and Segestica from the Aedui, and Taras abd Rhegion from the romans, then my reconstructed empire of Basil II will be complete.

With the help of some Forced Diplomacy, I have contained the Lusotanni on the right side of the mountains, though they constantly pour through to attack the romans. In the south, the carthaginians have expanded into Egypt. In the north, the germans have started to come down heavy on the gauls, but I plan to FD their Belgae settlements to the Casse, to stop them. Otherwise, not much is happening....

[SOSamurai]

Casse campaign year 258 B.C. with RTW 1.5 (no BI or Alex) and no mods/cheats (except EB 1.1 and toggle_fow ofc ).




I'm very impressed with some of the AI expansions so far. The Epeirotes started well enough which was typical, but so did the Makedonians crippling Koinon Hellenon pretty quick (they're down to just Rhodes now), and after a while they turned on the Epeirotes. Although the Maks have gained the territories, the Epeirotes seem to have slightly more armies and could do some damage, depending on the AI, though they seem to be more focused on rebel settlements atm.

Baktria are the other faction performing well. After afew settlements in the region changed hands afew times early on, Baktria came out with the spoils in the end and then managed to take additional settlements from both Saka and Pahlava. Now Baktria's forces are spread pretty thin, but Pahlava and Saka have practically no millitary presence at all. The only people that should give Baktria any trouble now are the AS, who have been pretty quite on that front.

Everywhere else is pretty typical and uneventful as far as I can see.

I've just conquered the last settlement on the British Isle, I now need to decide where to land. I want to head towards the Sweboz and let the Gauls fight themselves alittle longer, but Sweboz has 6-7 full stacks to my one.

[Marcus Ulpius]

My Romani campaign, year 224 B.C. (RTW 1.5 installed, no BI or Alex)




I've managed to kick the Carthaginians from Africa, while Lusos are doing the same in Iberia.

Arverni are in a dire situation, being at war with Aedui and Sweboz.
Aedui are fighting Sweboz and actually managed to take a settlement in Iberia (may be Luso-Aedui war is not far away).

Casse are very slowly expanding in Britain.

Sweboz are scary. Taking most of Central Europe and having some Bastarnae town rebel for them. They've already tried to raid Northern Italy, but their two full stack armies were destroyed under the walls of Mediolanum, which I'm turning into an unassailable fortress.

Further to the East, Epirotes are dieing out after managing to nearly destroy Macedonians. But somehow the Macedonians have turned the tide and now Epirotes are languishing in Pannonia and Macs have also killed off KH (only Rhodes left).

Getae are slowly expanding into Thrakia and are not doing anything remarkable.

The biggest surprize are Pontos which have pushed the Seleucids out Of Anatolia, managed to take Byzantion and Pella and are sending decently sized armies towards the last Seleucid possessions in Asia Minor.

Ptolies are slowly eating Seleucids and fighting Saba.

Seleucids are throwing everything they have at Ptolies while they enjoy a ceasefire from the Pahlave who also managed to grab some of the Seleucid territory.

Baktrians are winning against Saka, who in their turn are fighting Sauromatae, which are also attacked by the Haya.

As for my plans, haven't decided yet whether to attack Lusitania or start my Macedonian wars. I'm planning to play defensively against northern barbarians until Marian reforms.

[Spizania]

Pahlava are stopped dead by my policy of fortifying everything I can with stone walls, although they have allied with Hayasdan and Saka, who are both not currently at war with me, but the Hayasdan dont seem to be having much look expanding at all.

Pontus they made the mistake of trying to take Mazaka, so I beat them down and took Amaseia, beating an understrength stack composed of tonnes of Eastern Light Cav and skirmishers, with one unit of Chalkaspides and a couple of understrength units of Pandapoi thrown in.
Another victory for the Pantapoi, I had thought about reducing them just to Galatia, but I have bigger worries.

Ptolemaics: I took all Egypts asian holdings and Alexandria, Memphis and Paranaiton, they seem t obe recovering slightly and keep half heartedly seiging and assaulting Memphis, only to be driven off each time with light losses to my force and huge losses to them, since they seem to love attacking with a ram and a ladder.......

Sauromatae was doing well, took Trapezous which then apparently rebelled to the Koinon Hellenon and is full of a full stack of Im not sure what, as I dont have a spy to spare to go look.

Bactria has broken its alliance with me but hasnt declared war, but unfortunately has overrrun the last of the settlements between me and India, preventing my expedition of doom to secure a supply of Indian uber-archers. Not that I have troops free for that at the moment, but luckily Ive fortified my border settlements with stone walls and large complements of Persian Archers.

The western "barbarian" factions dont seem to be doing much, the Gallic civil war seems to be happening to the advantage of the Aedui at the moment

The real suprise is Getai and Epeirots, especialyl the latter, they have driven Macedonia out of northern Greece pretty much, are seiging the rebel settlement of Thermon and are fighting the Macedonians around Demetrias, although the Macedonians appear to hav elocal superiority of numbers, there are just so many epeirotes, they are fighting the Romans to a standstill in the north and are, as you can see, now loose in Asia Minor, Im at peace with them at the moment, but I may have to delay my Pontus bashing to defend Ipsos and Sidon if they turn agressive again, which they are sure to do.

Saba are doing nothnig as far as I can tell, might give them a tonne of money at some point, if I can remember what teh console command is.
I was also planning on doing an AAR of the rest of this campaign, detailing the sure to be epic war between the Seleukid empire and the Epeirots-who-are-Pergamon-without-modding

[The Persian Cataphract]

Out of what I have seen, Pahlava is taking the "Caspian empire" approach, and from there starts to pour into Medea, and sprawl out to the south and the east (A very desirable, and historically plausible model). Very nice.