How do I build strong diplomats?

[Ludens]

Basically, yes. With reload they will no longer break off a siege. But you can fairly reliably (assuming their forces are capable of matching off with the defenders) get them to besiege a settlement on reload if you've moved a stack next to it. It has to be one bordering their existing provinces and they'd want. It's not foolproof or 100% reliable, but will often work.

I guess they couldn't solve the problem of A.I. priorities being lost, so they simply added a rule to encourage besieging after a reload.

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

I guess they couldn't solve the problem of A.I. priorities being lost, so they simply added a rule to encourage besieging after a reload.

Not really sure if this is what Quintus is saying. I think what he means is that if you move an AI stack outside of a town you want it to take, save and then reload, the AI will reset, realize its right near a town that it would like to take, and besiege it.

On the other hand, if you just move that stack without resetting the AI, it might wander off to do what it originally was intending to do.

[QuintusSertorius]

Not really sure if this is what Quintus is saying. I think what he means is that if you move an AI stack outside of a town you want it to take, save and then reload, the AI will reset, realize its right near a town that it would like to take, and besiege it.

On the other hand, if you just move that stack without resetting the AI, it might wander off to do what it originally was intending to do.

Precisely. If you reload, it will besiege the town 75% of the time. If you don't, it's more like 10% of the time.

[Ludens]

Not really sure if this is what Quintus is saying. I think what he means is that if you move an AI stack outside of a town you want it to take, save and then reload, the AI will reset, realize its right near a town that it would like to take, and besiege it.

On the other hand, if you just move that stack without resetting the AI, it might wander off to do what it originally was intending to do.

Ah, I see. I thought you meant placing one of your own stacks next to the town, rather than the AI's.

[QuintusSertorius]

Ah, I see. I thought you meant placing one of your own stacks next to the town, rather than the AI's.

No, I meant getting the AI to besiege other AI towns. Which is useful if you're trying to channel the AI into going a particular direction (like making the AI Romans head east and south, not north and west).

[Ludens]

No, I meant getting the AI to besiege other AI towns. Which is useful if you're trying to channel the AI into going a particular direction (like making the AI Romans head east and south, not north and west).

Yes, I got that. I thought you were moving your own stacks, rather than A.I. stacks, to induce them to attack certain towns.

[QuintusSertorius]

Yes, I got that. I thought you were moving your own stacks, rather than A.I. stacks, to induce them to attack certain towns.

Oh no, this is using the move_character command to put AI armies next to towns I want them to take.