AI Campaign Issues

[notnicklee]

So I don't know if the settings for AI behavior are wrong (set on default) or if the devs just didn't bother but in my current and first campaign, (Ramesses Hard/hard), the AI factions literally do not initiate any sort of interactions with each other. The only thing they will do is move to engage nomadic or sea peoples armies that spring up. They don't declare war on eachother or make friends. It's like they are just completely static. Is this everyone's experience?
I understand wanting to keep factions around for you to interact with as the player but when I am literally the only one doing anything on the campaign map that completely destroys the immersion.

UPDATE: started a new campaign as Seti on Veteran difficulty, this time with the map revealed. It seemed to help somewhat, though the pendulum spun hard in the other direction. By turn 20, my ally Tausret has declared war on nearly ever Egyptian faction. Additionally, random Hittite factions declared war on me for no reason.

My hypothesis is that the AI knows it is supposed to do X and just does it with no reasoning. So Tausret knows she wants to take out the other Egyptian factions, but instead of taking on only a couple at a time she declares war on every single one.

I am not sure why the AI can't be written with some reasoning. It had been done successfully in other Total War games I think.

[x260bm]

Originally posted by notnicklee:

Originally posted by x260bm:

This is what happens during the civil war. When it ends half the factions will be gone and everyone is at peace until the timer counts down again. Or if the pharaoh is too strong, you have to start the war again if you want to conquer every single Egyptian faction before moving on to other areas of the map. Personally I like having to option to skip that part because it makes for an extremely long game otherwise.

I was under the impression that Civil War was a campaign mechanic that is meant to happen when Legitimacy for the Pharaoh is low. You seem to be describing it as a one time thing. I know that in my first campaign there were 3 "civil wars", and no one even fought eachother in them, only whoever the current Pharaoh was because the mechanic forces you into war with only that faction. Then in my campaign as Seti, I am at war with everyone in Egypt before Merneptah even dies and the first Civil War even starts.

From what I have seen the AI will start a civil war whenever the option is available and everyone who has enough legitimacy will join. It can happen multiple times. Sounds like there was two big factions with no vassals in your game.

If you are particularly weak all the factions will attack you. The AI spams trash armies with lots of units at the beginning of the game and you probably looked like an easy target.

[degumuto_berseg]

worst campaign AI I have seen hope they fix

[Darth Glorious]

You can tune your campaign as you like in customization settings, you still get achievements in the end...

[Fang]

This has been a theme for a while now. It's not as bad in Warhammer because there are so many disparate factions there is a little bit more activity.

The AI, for the most part, is designed to be an adversary to *the player*, not to each other. It will declare war or move armies across the map to attack the player, even ignoring hostile AI's along the way. It's nothing new. It was even in Three Kingdoms, though to a lesser degree.

The player is the prime target, at all times. That's why the AI rarely expands in any other direction. It's the same if the player decides to ally with an AI faction, that AI will suddenly become completely braindead because it lost its entire purpose in the game: To kill the player. It's part of the modern Total War formula.

[Darth Glorious]

At the end of my Amenesse campaign, I got 29 vassals, including Hittite king. Playing Pharaoh is like Yuan Shao in the late game.

[Ghost]

Originally posted by notnicklee:

An update on this: I think if you change the campaign setting to "reveal map" then the factions will engage in diplo and wars. However, the caveat is the diplo makes no sense. For example, I am in a test run as Seti on Veteran difficulty, and random Hittite factions are declaring war on me. Very confusing.
Maybe I am missing something but it seems to me that the campaign AI needs some fine tuning. Their priority should be to engage in diplo/war with the factions immediately around them, and secondarily with major powers that they have and affinity for or aversion against.

I'm playing as Amenmesse with everything set as default (no changes) and no map revealed. Half the Hitties have declared war on me for no reason, plus 5 or 6 Egyptians. All sending armies across the map and dessert for no logical reason, marching through 12 different territories with no political side effects.

In addition to constant raiding from 'off map' factions that can literally spawn armies inside my territory without notice.

There's no logic or reasoning to this game at all. Might as well be an elaborate game of Solitaire. It's a crime to label it as "strategy."

[Kendji]

If problems with AI there is Heaclas AI mod on the woekshop which is good

[Darth Glorious]

A trick to get out of Seti/Taurset toxic alliance is to left the alliance, then trade some land back for Defensive Alliance only.

[Schnell_Scheisse]

So I've finished two campaigns on veteran difficulty and aggressive AI setting. Twice as Ramesses and once as Seti. After the first 20-30 turns the AI factions hardly offer any challenge. If you make a non aggression pact and you're stronger than the AI, there's little to no chance of them declaring war on you, even when you're armies are on another front. The AI could certainly be more opportunistic and aggressive. I've noticed that the AI factions don't seem to make new alliances with each other that much either.

The Sea People invasion provides some challenge, but after surviving that , there's little challenge left to conquer the rest of the map and it becomes boring. The AI doesn't seem capable of building an empire and they don't seem to declare war on each other that often, apart from the civil war mechanics.

I think Troy total war had a better campaign AI and really hope the same can be applied to this game. I think the game has good mechanics and I like the setting.

[Hexagoros]

Originally posted by Schnell_Scheisse:

So I've finished two campaigns on veteran difficulty and aggressive AI setting. Twice as Ramesses and once as Seti. After the first 20-30 turns the AI factions hardly offer any challenge. If you make a non aggression pact and you're stronger than the AI, there's little to no chance of them declaring war on you, even when you're armies are on another front. The AI could certainly be more opportunistic and aggressive. I've noticed that the AI factions don't seem to make new alliances with each other that much either.

The Sea People invasion provides some challenge, but after surviving that , there's little challenge left to conquer the rest of the map and it becomes boring. The AI doesn't seem capable of building an empire and they don't seem to declare war on each other that often, apart from the civil war mechanics.

I think Troy total war had a better campaign AI and really hope the same can be applied to this game. I think the game has good mechanics and I like the setting.

Same.

The Sea People's Great Wave is done, and for the last 50 turns or so the AI (everywhere) has just been sitting around doing nothing. There are NO wars going on right now (literally none).

It's like the AI just AFKs after the Sea Peoples are defeated.

[oOIYvYIOo]

The typical TW anti troll-noob question.

What level of dificulty are you playing dear one? Try to go in Legendary and accept ALL the customizations that do NOT help tou, and then, tell us your story.

[Myrden]

Originally posted by oOIYvYIOo:

To begin, you should realize that Egypt was a nation and had a Pharaoh, a ruler. They respected the Pharaoh and were united under him.
So there is no reason, and no authority, for Egyptians families/clans/characters to declare war on each other.

And they decided to make a TW out of this scenario?

lol.

[Hexagoros]

Originally posted by oOIYvYIOo:

The typical TW anti troll-noob question.

What level of dificulty are you playing dear one? Try to go in Legendary and accept ALL the customizations that do NOT help tou, and then, tell us your story.

This isn't a matter of "game too easy" it's a matter of "game not gaming."

The AI is literally sitting around doing nothing. It's not even declaring war on other AI factions.

After 30-50 turns, the AI becomes inert. After the Sea People's Great Wave, the AI basically stops playing the game.

This has to be bugged AI, this 'cannot' be functioning as intended - regardless of settings.

Originally posted by oOIYvYIOo:

To begin, you should realize that Egypt was a nation and had a Pharaoh, a ruler. They respected the Pharaoh and were united under him.
So there is no reason, and no authority, for Egyptians families/clans/characters to declare war on each other.

Don't care about this "well actually" nonsense.

The name of the game is "Total War." There needs to be war, because that's all there is to do.

[Schnell_Scheisse]

Okay I found out how to make the AI more aggressive at least in the early stage of a campaign. By turning the "random ai personality" on and setting the ai to aggressive, I've had a lot more active AI in the first 20-30 turns.

[oOIYvYIOo]

Originally posted by Hexagoros:

Originally posted by oOIYvYIOo:

The typical TW anti troll-noob question.

What level of dificulty are you playing dear one? Try to go in Legendary and accept ALL the customizations that do NOT help tou, and then, tell us your story.

This isn't a matter of "game too easy" it's a matter of "game not gaming."

The AI is literally sitting around doing nothing. It's not even declaring war on other AI factions.

After 30-50 turns, the AI becomes inert. After the Sea People's Great Wave, the AI basically stops playing the game.

This has to be bugged AI, this 'cannot' be functioning as intended - regardless of settings.

Originally posted by oOIYvYIOo:

To begin, you should realize that Egypt was a nation and had a Pharaoh, a ruler. They respected the Pharaoh and were united under him.
So there is no reason, and no authority, for Egyptians families/clans/characters to declare war on each other.

Don't care about this "well actually" nonsense.

The name of the game is "Total War." There needs to be war, because that's all there is to do.

No it does not. It is normal and balanced and nothing new.
Whether you are part of the Hitites, or Egyptians, you are under a Ruler, a Pharaoh, even if you control several cities or your a prince.
You cannot just because you want to, to keep going in war with everyone without consequences.
There are times of peace and times of war.

This game is well balanced. You already have constant invaders, that sometimes, they do not act indeed, but that is due their knowledge that they will loose the engagements sooner or later.

I am playing in Leg/Vet a campaign with Suppilluluimma, and it has been very hard. I have survived but lost the trone/ civil war where I had 4 kingdoms sending their armies to my lands, I have destroyed one strong neighbouring kingdom where I lost the regions I conquered them, to them, several ocasions, I have had to engage several Invaders. Now that i am a considerable kindgom, still without the capacity of having enough Legitimacy to claim the crown again, I have declared war against Ancyra.

My Cities are almost in all full capacity of constructions and I almost worshiping 2 divinities, and I can only upkeep 1 med/high army by myself.

But still I only got 14 Victory Points, far from reaching a minor victory.

And I keep getting my towns, cities being attacked by Invaders. But I dont come here crying and demanding this and that.

In some weeks, I will show you that still I won this campaign in Ultimate.

Yes it does have EVERYTHING TO DO with dificulty level and YES the game is more balanced, it is not like many other TW games where everyone was declaring war against you without a reason.

If you want TW, go on Civil War, Leg/Vet levels, attack bigger factions, choose harder factions to play with, and you will see it.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3071781165