Quote Originally Posted by Weebeast View Post
That coast-raid, mounted x-bow thing is an exploit.
Both hints are exploits, no question about that.

Even more so the one with the spies since the AI never uses spies and cannot really defend itself (it takes ages before it add a border fort).

For the one with X-Bows, it's an exploit that uses the AI's reliance on likely auto-calc results to decide whether or not to withdraw (just the opposite system as the one to which you refer with Chivalric Seargents). When the two mounted xbows attack, the AI is silly enough to imagine that the fight will be decided hand-to-hand and assume that a high valour katatank will prevail without problem.

On the other hand, you have to acknowledge that the Byz are massiverly advantaged when they fight the Turks lead by the AI. Given that all battles between AI factions are auto-calc, missile units are not properly taken into account and it's a common occurrence to see one jedi general with a few peasents and slav warriors beat one full stack of HA, spearmen and Turcoman horses.

I am not saying that those tricks should be used but I find they are a nice way to readjust a war between two AI factions without needing loads of ressources ... If you use those tricks against a faction that is already fully at war with you, the games becomes way too easy. I would say that the best part of those tricks is that they enable you to turtle while making sure that one of the AI factions does not own the map before you start making a move.

After that, it's up to anyone to use (or not use).