1.x AI Faction Progression Thread

[Hax]

Yes that's 1176 total battles.

Actually, that's 1185. Or are we conveniently overlooking those you lost?

Oh my. Imagine being part of the 'Yuezhi Invasion', that arrived around this time. Yep, yer screwed.

[Fondor_Yards]

Losses? I don't follow you, I don't lose battles.

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Yea.....

[Ayce]

12 years, all that!!!!!!!!

[Maion Maroneios]

@Fondor Yards: Wow man!
@Tellos Athenaios: Nice looking campaign, but why don't you unit the British isles?

[The Persian Cataphract]

Just to conveniently piss on your parade Fondor, I could conquer the whole map in less than years (40 turns), using money cheat and diplomats

On a serious note, holy fucking shit... You must have a tremendous patience, and a serious lack of social life, because you sir deserve a medal. By 106 BCE, with 120 years left (480 turns) until the mod's time-frame reaches its end, you just crushed all the competition. Happy micro-managing

[Tellos Athenaios]

@Fondor Yards: Wow man!
@Tellos Athenaios: Nice looking campaign, but why don't you unit the British isles?

That has both an early and a mid (I am not in late-game stage yet) game reason:

Early game:

I went to the mainland because those provinces aren't as strongly guarded by Eleutheroi. Consequence: should the Sweboz decide to have a go at you --> you are dead in the water. Should the Aedui get too agressive too early --> you're screwed too.

But in case you can manage to maintain good relations with the Sweboz & Aedui as long as you need to; you can exploit these regions as a very viable & resilient powerbase. Milnaht? Duguntiz? Iosatae? Mercs in abundance? Belgae Spearmen (forgot how to spell them) ? Hell yeah!

The Eleutheroi & Sweboz cavalry is an easy meal for your generals; and you can actually risk a charge or two in the enemy ranks without getting slaughtered right away. The units I mention are, with a little strategy & tactics a truly powerful & yet very cheap force. Living off trade + sacking Eleutheroi settlements got me going. As a matter of fact, I could exploit the fact that the Sweboz (after a diplomat offered it to them + tribute)/Aedui/Arverni were both allies & targeting the same general region (Arctaunon, Vindelcoppidos, Batasporios) to take them with little losses. (I took Arctaunon without losing a single man on my side...)

However by that time the Eleutheroi on the other side of the sea are still very much alive and kicking: full stacks in *every* town surrounding me + highly developped civic & mic structures... And Eleutheroi half-stacks roaming the boarders isn't happy conquering either, considering I can't afford a full stack just for the explicit purpose of mopping them up -- at least not without seriously weakening my mainland strategic positions. Also the fact I only have a navy ferry since what 2 or 3 turns now didn't make it much easier, eh?

Mid game:
But there's more: the Sweboz intervened, and boy they pack some serious manpower. OK, granted nothing able to actually stand up against my Milnaht + Iosatae + Belgae Spearmen + General; and little capable of dispatching the mercs thrown in for additional numbers... Still, enough to keep my full military occupied for about 6 or 7 years now? (The war is over, the Sweboz are dead now, btw.)

But there also was a much more devious part to it:
a) The Eleutheroi are of my own culture. That means: free civic development, if I but wait till I take those towns!
b) The Eleutheroi are stupid like other AI: once their family members die the movement restrictions vanish. By 237 BC; that's not a long way to go anymore (considering most of them are by now in their end 50's or mid 60's). So that means the cities are much easier targets (just one unit) after those rulers are gone. After that I still have to wade through the masses of Briton Midlander Heroes, Spearmen, Axemen, Skirmishers, Gaeroas, and what not... But at least I'll have the towns quickly.

Last game-reason: also upgraded towns with lotsa population are worth more and will be rich targets. Also these will contribute much more significantly to reaching the last Celtic reforms (which require x large cities ) if I let them grow. And quite a few of them are bordering that size already... That's a whole lot different from, say, the Germanic forests which after continuous warfare are largely inhabited by populations not exceeding 1500 people. And most of my other settlements are less than 6000 as well. I guess I have only 3 cities which are actually inhabited by more than 6000 people; though I have many of such Cities occupied. (Just that the people are no more there...)

Finally there's a purely practical reason: yes I have only 1 year ago embarked on an assault against the Dummones. But a CTD prevents me from ending the one turn before the battle...

And without a war (the war against the Sweboz managed to halt my civic developments considerably) I can make much more money. Which I'll need later on as the Arverni are getting powerful, and the Romani are way too filthy rich and way too overly ambitious to be content with just Italy.

[grwn]

Casse Campaign



Romans: Doing fine, they're going after the gaul territories. They have besieged Rhegion a couple of times, but they have n't been able to take it yet.

Lusotannan: After taking their first 3 provinces they have come to a sudden stop.

Arverni: They were doing fine until I started conquering the mainland

Aedui: They were doing a little bit better than the Arverni, but after I started conquering their provinces they slowly fell into a decline. Only one province left, Mediolanum, which the romans don't want to have I think

Sweboz: After taking their current provinces they stopped, after I've defeated the Arverni and Aedui they are my next victim.

Getai: They we're doing a nice job, until the Mak's came around

Epeiros: Slaughtered by the Mak's in 4 years time...

KH: Athenai being besieged, they will soon lose their provinces in Greece, but they still have Rhodes and the province above.

Makedonia: They have taken absolute control over the Greek peninsula.

Pontos: Stuck at their first province.

Seleukids: Slooowly losing their provinces to the Ptolies

Hayasdan: Doing nicely, 'till the Sauro's started progressing.

Ptolemaioi: See the Sele's

Sab´yn: Stopped conquering, but have been the richest faction multiple times.

Pahlava: After splitting baktria in two, they have been on a decline and slowly losing provinces to the Sele's

Baktria: They were doing great, until they were split in half by the Pahlava's and the Sele's.

Saka-Rauka: Standard Saka expansion I think.

Sauromatae: After taking a couple of provines, they seem to have lost their warlust.

Carthage: Sloooowly taking the Iberian peninsula and the north african provinces.

[Ayce]

Sauromatae are doing better than usual me thinks.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Cool AI progression, grwn.

[Olaf The Great]

I have 2 active campaigns and I'll show you people the expansions once I get home but they both have unusual expansions, especially my Sabean one, and one BIG difference in my Baktrian one.

BTW I need to give out my save game for the Saba one, as theres some horrible CTD with the people that come after the Arverni(Romans?)

[Aaldaemon]

Looking at grwn's map I'm more convinced than ever that Ptolies need something done about them... Unless you have a say in the region, it seems to me they're pretty much always pushing the Seleucids back...

[QuintusSertorius]

If you're willing to take on the job, it's certainly possible. With much manipulation, this is my Romani game in 149BC (no one dead yet):

[The Persian Cataphract]

That looks very nice; Besides manipulating the Ptolies, did you mayhap manipulate the Pahlava? Because as far as I'm concerned by the 140's, that looks quite spot on, almost as if it was ripped completely out of the description of Mithradates' conquests. It surprised me that Saba reached as far as Characene (A possession which I think was more of Parthian interest, but it creates some very interesting scenarios nonetheless). Armenians, Pontus, Graeco-Bactrians, Sarmatians and Sacae all look excellent

The displacement of Epeiros is very surprising, and the completely apeshit Lusitanians are ripping up North Africa. Saba looks extremely strong with their lucrative coastal positions and the possessions in Africa. The Seleucids are in truth a former shadow of themselves.

[QuintusSertorius]

I manipulated almost everyone to suit what I was guessing was a historical projection of where they should be. I use every tool at my disposal; tinkering with treasuries, moving armies, spawning units and Force Diplomacy, as well as the occasional war.



In summary (At 149BC):

Casse: Gave them the Belgae provinces in northern Gaul once they'd united all of Britain, which also conveniently stopped Sweboz incursions across the Rhine. Seems they don't want to war with those crazy Britons. I took southern Ireland off them recently to mimic the Iberian migration.

Aedui: Now my allies, for a time I was doing all in my power to prevent them destroying the Arverni. About 40 years ago, when I was at war with both when re-taking Cisalpine Gaul (which I'd given away to them to simulate it's revolt with the coming of my "Hannibal") they actually declared a ceasefire with each other, and have been static ever since. I've been giving them former Getic lands to curtail the activities of the Dacians. I've also been repeatedly restoring them in Celtiberia, which the Lusotanii repeatedly try to take. Keep having to intervene to stop them kicking the Casse out of Gaul.

Arverni: Again they're at peace with the Aedui and ignoring the Casse. Their main focus is the Sweboz. Gave them Galatia early on in the game and they've kept hold of it. Not really doing much besides, seem to be consilidating the new lands I've given them.

Sweboz: Gone quiet now the Casse are barring their path across the Rhine, although there's low-level fighting with the Arverni in their shared border. I saw low-level, both have full stacks bashing each other. Plus the "central European defense" stops them harassing my northern border or expanding too far.

Sauromatae:Struggled in the early game, especially against the ever-northering Hai. Been receiving regular drafts of console-money and help to prevent the Hai getting a foothold in the steppes. Kicked the Greeks out of the Chersonesus all by themselves. Recently gone to war with the Saka.

Saka: Seemed to be steamrollering Baktria initially, then my aid tipped it too far in the other direction. I recently gave them two of the northern-most Parthian provinces to cut down the territory and finances of the latter. There was a brief war when they rebelled, but it's all calm now. They're even at peace with Baktria, though I think that's only temporary.

Getai: They were huge 50 years ago, until I got annoyed with them repeatedly trying to take Illyria off me, and I went on a gifting spree. I'd conquer their settlements and give them to other factions. Thus I've got a nice Aedui buffer between Illyria and them, and now they're being closed off from Makedonia as well. Although I recently gave them Bithynia when I took it off Makedonia. The rebellion of the Bastarnae lands stopped their war with the Sauromatae, and expansion into the steppe.

Lusotanii: I'm currently at war with them, though it's going to be a long, slow campaign. I'm nibbling away at them, though I did give them southern Ireland which prompted a blitz taking the north and Scotland before I FD'd them back to the Casse. Things are quiet there now. They keep going to war with the Aedui over Celtiberia, which I give back to the Aedui not long after they take it, or else boost up Numantia's garrison to stop them taking it at all.

Hayasdan: I've spent most of the game trying to stop them becoming rulers of the steppe, and I've now resorted to simply draining their treasury every turn to deprive them of the resources, along with putting their full stacks on Krete. I managed after a long process to make them go to war with the Seleukids, which has pulled some of their attention south, instead of north.

Pontos: Another one I've been restraining, they also have armies on Krete. Early in the game they started rolling across Thracia, which I put a stop to. Again I'm having to keep their treasury empty to contain them. When I warred with the Seleukids, their fortunes rebounded quite a bit, prompting a new round of control.

Baktria: After some initial support, I've spent most of the game slowing them down once they'd taken out all the rebel lands around them.

Pahlava: I initially slowed them down a lot when they seemed ready to wipe out the Seleukids in a matter of years, then recently, since about 200 I've been aiding their growth. Had to push them back when they've come too far, too fast, and they've been having financial difficulties to slow them down. They were too slow to grab Charax, the Saba got that all on their own. I've seen maps of Parthia in 200BC and later, so I'm roughly trying to match that.

Makedonia: I'm at war with them, they're heading somewhere rather final. Been helping them against a rampant Koinon Hellenon for a long time, after my war with the Seleukids gave them provinces in Asia Minor. They're presently losing those as I fight them on two fronts - Roman army in Thessaly and my "Asian" armies in Anatolia. They'll eventually be reduced to only holding Krete, which they'll become by default.

Koinon Hellenon: Been almost permanently acting to stop them steamrollering Makedonia, gave them provinces in Asia Minor where they'll become a generic "Asiatic Greek" faction for a time, before I create Asia province proper. Eventual plan is they'll just hold Rhodes.

Epeiros: At the opening of the game, they nearly destroyed Makedonia. I halted that right away, then they were inactive for the better part of 100 years. Literally did nothing at all. Then I decided to migrate them to Kyrenaia rather than destroy them in 167BC when I plundered Epirus after my Third Macedonian War (a kind of nature reserve!). Now having to do a little managing because they keep trying to take Lepki.

Seleukids: Been supporting through most of the game, because they folded like a house of cards under attack from just about everyone. Had to give them serious boosts to make them an actual contender when I fought them in 192-188. Then I've been presiding over a steady decline in their power and influence. They're down to a hub of seven provinces, but holding out. Largely because I've been hamstringing their numerous attackers.

Qarthadast: Have suffered at my hands both through wars (I've just started the war that will end them), and me giving Saba Mauretania and Gaetulia. Been at constant war with the Saba while trying to unite northern Africa. They're going to be the first faction I'll actually destroy (because I can't think of a sensible role for them acting as another faction).

Ptolemaic Egypt: Been getting the nerf from me since the beginning to prevent them rolling up the Seleukids. I neutered the Yellow Death rather effectively, especially through supporting the Saba in Ethiopia/Kush, and preventing them getting Kyrene. I've also provided a lot of support to the Seleukids to ensure they didn't lose the war in Syria. I still think they've got a while before they wind down their vast treasury and stop being so aggressive.

Saba: Been a major recipient of help from me since the beginning, especially when I decided to make them into Mauretania (it's them, not the Lusotanii in north Africa). They're my allies and have been consistently at war with the Ptolemies and Qarthadast. Recently added the Seleukids to the list.

Romani: Me. I've been keeping myself to largely historical expansion, and even major wars ("barbarian" wars aside) for the most part, with one exception. I took Massalia and Pergamon in 200, and they've had client rulers and entirely native armies since. Pergamon has two full stacks of Greek troops, with Greek mercenary generals,a long with a full garrison in the city itself. They've been fighting KH in Anatolia a fair amount. I'm not going to expand there until after it becomes a Roman province in 133BC. Then I'll use their armies to take a few settlements and fill in the vaccuum when Rhodes becomes the sole KH holding.

[Irishmafia2020]

Just for the record, in my current Baktrian Campaign, the Ptolomies were the first faction to be destroyed (by Selucids). I even tried to save them, but to no avail....

[Hax]

By the way, Quintus, why did you give Byzantion to the Aedui?

[QuintusSertorius]

By the way, Quintus, why did you give Byzantion to the Aedui?

I figured for the Thracian, Gallic and Gallo-Thracian tribes there, it made sense. Obviously not, given how fast it revolted.

[schlappi]

Look what Pontos did in my current KH campaign. 233 BC



I am allied to Pontos, we never had a conflict and i did not trade regions.
Though, 10 years after the screen was taken, i threatened Pontos to attack them if they did not turn over Byzantinum and Olbia and they did (for 30.000 mnai).

[Gaivs]

Mithridates VI here we go again!

[Tyrfingr]

Pontos campaign, Alex.exe, VH/M, 252BC

[Leviathan DarklyCute]

Pontos campaign, Alex.exe, VH/M, 252BC

I have a suggestion for you: How about you try conquering the territories of the Byzantine empire at it's height using Pontos? I always thought it would be an awesome challenge to achieve.

[Tyrfingr]

I'm going for something like that actually :)

[Leviathan DarklyCute]

I'm going for something like that actually :)

Good luck! I hope to see your report! :)

[Swordmaster]

Ptolemaioi in the Baltic? Spare me!

[QuintusSertorius]

My Romani campaign, 139BC:



Bit of a war going on in Cyrenaia with the Ptolemies. Otherwise things are relatively stable. Carthago delenda est - I've let a lot of their old territories, and even those I'd given to Saba go rebel.

[Hax]

232 BC



222 BC.

Makedonia campaign. FD activated, BI.exe

212 BC


202 BC



Highlights:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Romani: Awesome. Actually, they were a bit too fast in their expansion, so I gave Singidunum, Ak-Ink and Naissos to the Getai. Still involved in a very hard struggle with the Epeirotai.

Epeiros: Man, oh man, they just deny to die. They have conquered Sicilia, as you can see, and still cling on to Taras and Kapua, while still having the power to invade Corsica and Sardinia numerous times, along with Arpi and Rhegion. They also field an interesting army, mostly levy hoplites and phalangites with Southern Italian support.

Kart-Hadast: Has been kicked out of Iberia by the Lusotannan (scary faction). Since then, they've been a bit sleepy, though as you can see in 212, they launched a quite succesfull (but temporary) invasion of Egypt.

Lusotannan: -shiver- These guys have killed the Arverni and are marching up to Darioritum and Cenabum, the last remaining provinces of the Aedui. I expect them to die quite soon. They also took the Karthadastim holdings in Iberia (securing their economy even further)

Arverni: Dead. Actually, their death was quite unlucky. They were doing really well against the Aedui, after seemingly losing the first war, and then invaded Iberia. Alas, they foolishly attacked Numantia (which they did take over), but due to that, they were at war with the Luso's. The Luso's quickly took Pallantia, Vellika and Numantia, then took (and lost shortly thereafter) Emporion. Finally, they marched into Gallia, slaughtering everything in their path.

Aedui: Dying. Squashed between a Rain 'o Purple and Brown death.

Sweboz: Heroes still. They were in a very long war with the Arverni and Aedui, and have taken lot's of provinces. They are the masters of the Alps and field really strong armies. Still, they are in a very long alliance with the Romani. I think that the only thing that could potentially halt the insane Luso's are the combined armies of the Sweboz and Romani. Almost like an alternate World War 2.

Getai: After I gifted them the Thracian and Balkan provinces they have been bolstering their offensive towards the Sauromatae. They have been taking a few provinces off them, nothing major, but it still looks pretty cool.

Sauromatae: Still losing a two-front war against the Hayasdan of the Steppes and the Getai. I took the heartlands of the Hay, so we'll see how they'll fare without the mining income. If they should lose, and the Pahlava keep on conquering Seleucid provinces, I was thinking of FD-ing the old homeland steppe provinces of the Pahlava and gifting them to the Sauromatae.

Hayasdan: Huh, even though I kicked them out of their homeland provinces (just took Mtskheta, 199 BC) they aren't losing the war against the Sauromatae yet. Perhaps later on.

Pahlava: Three cheers for the mighty P&#228;rni. I believe this expansion will please QuintusSertorius and the Persian Cataphract (especially when I update again). They are ROCKING at the moment. They actually had a ceasefire with the Seleucids till about 20 years ago, when the city of Patala revolted to the Pahlava. Then they started conquering from the cities of Hekatompylos, Asaak, Zadrakata and Phraaspa. They just recently took Gabai (not seen here) and I believe they won't stop conquering until the Seleucids are but a footnote in history. I'm also really looking forward to fighting a reborn Persian empire (a bit like Alexander did).

Baktria: Faring kinda okay, nothing really serious. Also declared war on the Seleucids, though faring less well than their Pahlava friends.

Saka-Rauka: Nothing to see here, just passing by. Though their war with the Baktrians has been raging on for nearly a hundred years, nobody really seems to win.

Seleucids: Doesn't really need explaining. Even though they lost a lot of provinces to me and the Pahlava they have been fighting the Ptolemaioi in Syria without really losing. They just kept clinging on and even reconquered Antiocheia (which was a perfect time for me to capture it myself, heh.)

Ptolemaioi: Not really yellow-deathish this campaign. I just invaded Egypt, so they will probably be reduced to Mero&#235; in no time.

Saba: Really casual relaxed expansion in Arabia. They are the Jamaicans of Eurasia. Just chillin' out, man.

[The Persian Cataphract]

It looks like the Pahlava are finally getting their due in EB, circumventing the poor performance otherwise given in Vanilla. It's very satisfactory. Especially the direction of their expansion; First Parthia proper, then Hyrcania, and then Medea, and then a bloom over all directions.

Without the technical stuff none of this would have been possible, so here's to them

[Hax]

I agree. Also the script that makes them attack Asaak on the first turn is very helpful. I'm just sorry I'm standing in their way for Susiana and Babylonia.

[Swordmaster]

[B]Makedonia campaign. FD activated, BI.exe

What's FD? Does it have to do with BI?

[Ayce]

Forced Diplomacy