Is the AI more anti-player now?

[Jiffypop]

I played EU4 a lot a few years ago, and decided to come back. Three games in, it feels like the AI is basically acting completely counter to me, and doing really stupid things they wouldn't do if I were an AI. Back in the day, I'd feel like an AI against the AI. They'd just be normal. But now, randomly, France decides all of Korea (me) is of critical interest? Spain attacks me SIX times with a vastly inferior force and gets ♥♥♥♥ on every time, but still locks me out of doing anything else for a decade? Historic rivals and countries that should ABSOLUTELY be at odds for some reason forming a 200 year hugbox? Countries with 200 relation, no debt and no MP deficit breaking defensive alliances after calling me to a dozen offensive wars? Like wtf is going on with the AI man, this just makes the game feel like a slog.

[Marquoz]

I say it over and over because it's true: bad players who blame non-existent cheats and "player targeting" for their failures stay bad. Players who get good realize they themselves are the problem, learn how to outplay the AI, and succeed as anyone against everyone.

[Smeggy]

Originally posted by Dante_Deepdarkness:

Originally posted by Smeggy:

It happened once or twice on the declare war screen look over and there is was it not does the AI target the player its will the AI target the player and the answer is yes

So, because it happened once or twice... is it fact? For real?
I can give you as many examples as you want of the AI not targeting the player than doing it, once you have played a lot of runs and think carefully about them, you get that conclusion. But because it annoys you, you just remember the moments it seems to be like that. But AI works for its interest, and at the same time, it is quite stupid.
If AI targets the player, it will make sure that whatever you are trying to do, you have tones of problems. You go for colonization? You should face Portugal, Castile, France and England (at the very least), with all of them picking exploration as first idea (so you have a lot less land to colonize, for example), and it is very rare for France and England to pick exploration as first idea, I have seen it, but not during a colonization run.
From time to time, I "suffer" a warning, but out of curiosity, I am a small nation targeting the same provinces as the bigger than me guy wants, and I can get them earlier for whatever reason (like truces, for example). That is not targeting the player, that is trying to stop the nation that is becoming powerful and fast or try to stop whoever wants the land you also want, be it player or not, but usually the player the biggest problem for the AI (if you play slow and grow just enough so you don’t look like an easy sweet, very little from these things will happen).
I have seen AI forming coalitions against France (more than twice), Poland-Lithuania (more than twice), Bengal, Uzbeks, Sweden, etc while I was close enough to be "concerned" about that big guy, and in the case of Bengal I had direct border so... Why would the AI fight and decimate Bengal if AI targets the player? That Bengal would have been a huge problem to me, but that decision made my run smoother.
AI works against what it is dangerous, if the player is dangerous, AI works against, if another AI country is dangerous, it will work against. If the player is not dangerous it will eat the player because it is easy land, just like what the player is going to do, but I guess this is also “targeting the player”.

My god if it happened all the time i wouldn't play this game when it does happen its annoying and when it happens its the AI targeting me

[Smeggy]

Originally posted by Marquoz:

I say it over and over because it's true: bad players who blame non-existent cheats and "player targeting" for their failures stay bad. Players who get good realize they themselves are the problem, learn how to outplay the AI, and succeed as anyone against everyone.

But I don't fail in any of my games if I'v restarted its because i'v thought i could do better i know what im doing i know my plan gonna do it better or i'v started as Albania see the ottomans guarantee Serbia and gone nope i'm sure a better player would win against Serbia and ottomans sure sure but I don't strive to be better then you i strive to be better then me i don't need tell people there bad at a game i am quite content telling myself i'm bad

[Marquoz]

Originally posted by Smeggy:

My god if it happened all the time i wouldn't play this game when it does happen its annoying and when it happens its the AI targeting me

No, when it happens, it's the AI targeting a threat. The fact that you the human player are in charge of that threat is absolutely irrelevant.

[Dante_Deepdarkness]

Originally posted by Smeggy:

My god if it happened all the time i wouldn't play this game when it does happen its annoying and when it happens its the AI targeting me

So, you are saying we are right when we told you that AI does not target the player. If AI targets the player, it will happen every time, doesn't it?
The fact that annoys you when AI does those things doesn't make it targeting the player, because a coded machine to target the player will always target the player, no matter what, becuase it is the reason behind coding it that way. The moment it does not happen most of the times (because happening once or twice is far from being the norm) means... exaxctly, no.
EU4 have flaws, problems, but this one is not one of them.

[Server Jester]

If the AI doesnt target players then why does Jaunpur hugbox me when it has no reason to

jk but i still hate ai jaunpur

[bri]

Originally posted by Server Jester:

If the AI doesnt target players then why does Jaunpur hugbox me when it has no reason to

jk but i still hate ai jaunpur

Because you're playing one of the nations it always hug-boxes. There are dozens of combinations of nations that will form alliances 70+% of games for various reasons no matter who you are playing because of the natural rivalries that exist. If you jump in and play France don't be surprised when England allies Austria along with useless Irish opms, that happens far more often than not and if you are playing one of those nations it makes perfect sense to do so as well...

[High Society]

I've seen alliances that historically would NEVER happen, however you as a player causes this.
Weaker nations attacking you out of the Blue I hate to say it. But it does happen not all time, but once ever soo often and its enoying. If I need only half my army to easily crush them they had no chance of ever winning yet they declared on me don't know why. Negative multiplier that goes crazy or some sht.

[Dante_Deepdarkness]

As promised:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3403302007
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3403303065

No big allies for the big guys around, and Poland will be my last target to complete the achievement, so they have time to put some resistance, which I doubt, I have favours with Muscovy, Ottomans and Venice if I need some "assistance", and Brandenburg will probably join without favours, despite I probably have enough.
Weird way to target the player.
Now time to play a bit, not much free time until Friday.

[jrg7777]

Really wish the ai would take into account factors similar to what we have to deal with when trying to call them to our wars. They basically refuse to join if they are in debt or low on manpower or war exhaustion, but they'll call you in no problem when you're in the same situation.

Same thing with being in a war. They basically won't join if they're already fighting someone else, but they have no problem calling you into multiple wars.

How fun.

[grotaclas]

Originally posted by jrg7777:

Really wish the ai would take into account factors similar to what we have to deal with when trying to call them to our wars. They basically refuse to join if they are in debt or low on manpower or war exhaustion, but they'll call you in no problem when you're in the same situation.

Same thing with being in a war. They basically won't join if they're already fighting someone else, but they have no problem calling you into multiple wars.

Do you have any evidence that the AI calls the player into wars in a situation in which the player could not call the AI if the situation would be reversed(but otherwise excactly the same)? I have called plenty of AIs into wars while they had loans or were fghting in another war or had low manpower. These negative factors can often be overcome by positive reasons like dip rep, trust and if they have a hostile or rivalry attitude towards the enemy

[Mr.M]

Funny discussion, i personally dont want to get too invested here...

Just my 2 cents: The only case of AI focusing the player more over other AIs that i have noticed is with rivaling. Seems to me like the AI is more likely to rival the player - midgame this could be explained due to aggressive gameplay, but at gamestart i have seen the weirdest rivalry choices of the AI when i started in the region vs when i am not.

In the grand scheme of things this barely matters of course.

[Rooter]

Originally posted by Mr.M:

Funny discussion, i personally dont want to get too invested here...

Just my 2 cents: The only case of AI focusing the player more over other AIs that i have noticed is with rivaling. Seems to me like the AI is more likely to rival the player - midgame this could be explained due to aggressive gameplay, but at gamestart i have seen the weirdest rivalry choices of the AI when i started in the region vs when i am not.

In the grand scheme of things this barely matters of course.

I was going to stay out of it, but what you say about rivals (and alliances) is fairly obvious if you experiment at game start.
Also the AI often creates an abnormally successful AI near you

[Server Jester]

Originally posted by Mr.M:

Funny discussion, i personally dont want to get too invested here...

Just my 2 cents: The only case of AI focusing the player more over other AIs that i have noticed is with rivaling. Seems to me like the AI is more likely to rival the player - midgame this could be explained due to aggressive gameplay, but at gamestart i have seen the weirdest rivalry choices of the AI when i started in the region vs when i am not.

In the grand scheme of things this barely matters of course.

memories of denmark rivaling me no matter where i was in europe

[Smukke Vaskebjørn]

It's pointless to argue with people here blatantly lying; the AI is anti-player and always was. You defending Paradox and their shi*** AI won't change the fact, or the argument of multiple people here, that you have 8 thousand hours and never saw this thing or that thing. Yeah, no, the probability of this never happening to people here claiming it is nearly zero, yet there is tons of evidence out on the internet of questionable things the AI does.


Paradox became a very greedy and terrible company in a few years. If you don't think that they would put something in their games that makes players replay it more or make them pay for DLCs in order to have an easier time against AI (something actively happening in HOI4), then you are just naive fanboys.