Exploring does more harm then good?

[lopschi93]

So a little question here. I noticed in story 3 and all my custom maps that, even when I play non evil faction, a lot of Ai start at war or negative towards me.
I also find monster dens.

So when I find them, they also find me.
And I have to deal with one AI at war with me (they had no reason but Ai doesn't suffer any penalties anyway) who can see all my units at all time and 2 monster spawns. The Ai most of the time has an ally free city.

Which means I am only wandering from south to north to south again not being able to expand or anything because I get a "someone has sent a war party / invading force" every 3 turns and if there is a small break and I move to deal with the monsters the waring AI who knows what my units are doing will fall into my lands.

Does the AI not get bothered by monsters at all?

Also the waring Ai who settled next to me? I don't even know where it is. It must be on the other side of the map because everything else is explored. It is also not beneath me. He just went hard to only come and bother me

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by lopschi93:

Exploring does more harm then good?
So a little question here. I noticed in story 3 and all my custom maps that, even when I play non evil faction, a lot of Ai start at war or negative towards me.
I also find monster dens.

So when I find them, they also find me.
And I have to deal with one AI at war with me (they had no reason but Ai doesn't suffer any penalties anyway) who can see all my units at all time and 2 monster spawns. The Ai most of the time has an ally free city.

Which means I am only wandering from south to north to south again not being able to expand or anything because I get a "someone has sent a war party / invading force" every 3 turns and if there is a small break and I move to deal with the monsters the waring AI who knows what my units are doing will fall into my lands.

Does the AI not get bothered by monsters at all?

Also the waring Ai who settled next to me? I don't even know where it is. It must be on the other side of the map because everything else is explored. It is also not beneath me. He just went hard to only come and bother me

AI starting out aggressively against you depend on multiple factors. However, it is mostly random. Mostly, that is. I put pointers about that in one of my newer guides.

If you find them, you find their first contact. Wherever that is. That can be in the middle of the ocean, that can be in your domain, or you in their. You will not get to see more, that your scout/unit can explorer. In worst case you trespass and your units meet their early end without anything more than that happening.

War parties and invading forces are not sent by AI rulers in general. They are sent by Free City rulers and Infestations as part of the world threat. AI rulers forces are not getting such notification, nor human rulers forces.

The AI gets definitely bothered by monsters, but it is true that it looks like it is heavily reduced. Mainly because the AI is not strategising - like my point before, I wrote about it in detail here https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2976522470
You might also be interested in this https://steamcommunity.com/app/1669000/discussions/0/5294588689510019823/
Due to the AI limitations it is correct that it seems like between AI there is mostly something somewhat like a non-aggressiion-pact all time. But that is just a misconception and the moment the balance between two AI breaks, the stronger one, provided the personality pattern allows, will take immediately advantage.

I cannot confirm either about what people report that the AI would settle instantly next to you just to bother you. What is more true is that they follow a pattern. And it just happens that you are near their next ideal location. That is the same behaviour a human would do. A human is just not limited by patterns, and they will make use of that information differently next time.

For you personally I like to recommend give my scenario guide a look and try tweaking world threat and custom factions to have some influence about the personality patterns. It sounds to me that it might be an important factor for your experience there.

[djheat]

On a map like story 3 where the AI immediately declares war on you when you meet them, exploring too much probably does hamper you. I'd be interested to know how much it matters in maps without that condition, though

[Rhudda]

I'm pretty sure infestations would send armies your way even if you didn't uncover them.

[M0rgi]

Exploring is one of key game mechanics that should always kept in high regard like in most strategy games. it shows best locations to settle, best route for efficient growth for hero to take, biggest short term threats to ypu as well as long term threats, growth of your enemies. Esentially information in power

[lopschi93]

So I just restarted.

Same map.
Just didn't explore.

There was so far only one invading army, no free city has sent waring parties and of the 2 Ai who found me one is friendly and one will probably war me at some point but not exploring deffinetly makes it easier :D

[melkathi]

Story 3, which has a special condition that everyone is at war with everyone and quite aggressive, you don't really want to explore.
Other maps, where not everyone is aggressive, you want to explore a lot, so you meet free cities before the other players do and can get a head start in vassalising them.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Hagrid Glodson:

I'm pretty sure infestations would send armies your way even if you didn't uncover them.

They cannot. The AI has to follow the same rules as a human. They just get discounts. No other cheaty things people imagine they see because they cannot explain it. In doubt "a wizard did it".

[Rhudda]

Originally posted by アンジェル:

Originally posted by Hagrid Glodson:

I'm pretty sure infestations would send armies your way even if you didn't uncover them.

They cannot. The AI has to follow the same rules as a human. They just get discounts. No other cheaty things people imagine they see because they cannot explain it. In doubt "a wizard did it".

Infestations aren't the AI. Infestations are monster spawners that are dormant at the start of the game, and when awake will send out armies (likely to their closest neighbours).

The whole point of them is to give you a threat you need to take care of before it gets too strong, or else suffer raids, so it would be silly to have them only send out armies once they've been discovered.

[lopschi93]

Originally posted by melkathi:

Story 3, which has a special condition that everyone is at war with everyone and quite aggressive, you don't really want to explore.
Other maps, where not everyone is aggressive, you want to explore a lot, so you meet free cities before the other players do and can get a head start in vassalising them.

Not talking about story 3. Talking about custom maps on brutal.

[lopschi93]

Originally posted by Hagrid Glodson:

Originally posted by アンジェル:

They cannot. The AI has to follow the same rules as a human. They just get discounts. No other cheaty things people imagine they see because they cannot explain it. In doubt "a wizard did it".

Infestations aren't the AI. Infestations are monster spawners that are dormant at the start of the game, and when awake will send out armies (likely to their closest neighbours).

The whole point of them is to give you a threat you need to take care of before it gets too strong, or else suffer raids, so it would be silly to have them only send out armies once they've been discovered.

Ai does not follow the same rules. That's already proven.
And they definetly don't send them towards the closest city.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Hagrid Glodson:

Originally posted by アンジェル:

They cannot. The AI has to follow the same rules as a human. They just get discounts. No other cheaty things people imagine they see because they cannot explain it. In doubt "a wizard did it".

Infestations aren't the AI. Infestations are monster spawners that are dormant at the start of the game, and when awake will send out armies (likely to their closest neighbours).

The whole point of them is to give you a threat you need to take care of before it gets too strong, or else suffer raids, so it would be silly to have them only send out armies once they've been discovered.

They work with the same basic rules and principles with different patterns. Even if it might look different to you, it is how it is.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by lopschi93:

Originally posted by Hagrid Glodson:

Infestations aren't the AI. Infestations are monster spawners that are dormant at the start of the game, and when awake will send out armies (likely to their closest neighbours).

The whole point of them is to give you a threat you need to take care of before it gets too strong, or else suffer raids, so it would be silly to have them only send out armies once they've been discovered.

Ai does not follow the same rules. That's already proven.
And they definetly don't send them towards the closest city.

You cannot just claim something as a matter of fact which is not true. If you do that, then it is not worth discussing with you since you use a mistaken base.

[Rhudda]

Originally posted by lopschi93:

Originally posted by Hagrid Glodson:

Infestations aren't the AI. Infestations are monster spawners that are dormant at the start of the game, and when awake will send out armies (likely to their closest neighbours).

The whole point of them is to give you a threat you need to take care of before it gets too strong, or else suffer raids, so it would be silly to have them only send out armies once they've been discovered.

Ai does not follow the same rules. That's already proven.
And they definetly don't send them towards the closest city.

Why are you and アンジェル taking my comments to argue about the rules the AI follows or doesn't follow? I am not talking about other Godir or free cities, I'm talking about infestations.

[Rhudda]

Originally posted by アンジェル:

Originally posted by Hagrid Glodson:

Infestations aren't the AI. Infestations are monster spawners that are dormant at the start of the game, and when awake will send out armies (likely to their closest neighbours).

The whole point of them is to give you a threat you need to take care of before it gets too strong, or else suffer raids, so it would be silly to have them only send out armies once they've been discovered.

They work with the same basic rules and principles with different patterns. Even if it might look different to you, it is how it is.

My point is that they will activate whether uncovered or not. Prove me wrong.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Hagrid Glodson:

Originally posted by アンジェル:

They work with the same basic rules and principles with different patterns. Even if it might look different to you, it is how it is.

My point is that they will activate whether uncovered or not. Prove me wrong.

Mind your phrasing.