Does the AI not attack other planets/strongholds on lower difficulty?

[sportblort]

I just want to start this off by saying I'm not that great at this game and I've never touched hard mode.

As I progress through the campaign, I always notice that the AI never seem to make the effort to take over other planets or even other strongholds like they did in DC. Even on easy mode in DC the AI was aggressive and could actually take over other strongholds and venture well away from their own stronghold.

In SS, they usually stay on their planet going back and forth over the same two territories. The only time I've seen the AI travel to another planet was when the DE took over a gate on Kaurava I. Even then, they never advanced on the planet and just went back to their own planet fighting over the same two provinces. They never make any progress and I could take over a planet (so I'm safe from the other AI on the planet) and skip my turns x100 and they never do anything (I actually did this before just to see). It seems normal if you're not paying attention, but the AI really are just twiddling their thumbs in the campaign doing nothing.

Are there any mods that can correct this? The only reason I play the campaign on this game is because I have Ultimate Apocalypse installed and the campaign enabled which makes for crazy fun stronghold missions. But even without that mod, the AI still does nothing.

[The Mighty Mulletman]

It's not a bad thing if the AI doesn't take any strongholds. It let's you experience it for yourself instead of a normal skirmish against whomever managed to take it.

[sportblort]

Originally posted by The Mighty MulletMan:

It's not a bad thing if the AI doesn't take any strongholds. It let's you experience it for yourself instead of a normal skirmish against whomever managed to take it.

Right, I can understand that. I guess the main thing I'm looking for is more variety in the campaign. I want to see the factions travel to different planets and change things up. Pretty much every playthrough of the campaign I do I'm fighting the same faction for each map as I did in a previous playthrough on those same maps if that makes any sense. (IE: I'm always fighting Orks on the Rokclaw Foothills, Space Marines on Cerulea, etc.)

[K84]

The AI does occasionally venture to other planets - it's pretty rare though, and they never (for me at least) make any real impact.

[A Rather Edgy English Wangcore]

Tho for me I have to rush Chaos because it always seems the Dark Eldar take them down if I wait too long.

[bazza_manazza]

Originally posted by SpeedRacist:

strongholds like they did in DC. Even on easy mode in DC the AI was aggressive and could actually take over other strongholds and venture well away from their own stronghold.

Personally, this is why I love Dark Crusade and will come back to it. Many a year ago, I managed to finish the campaign (and Soulstorm I think) for all races on Hard. By the end of it, it was quite monotonous (especially all those level 10 territories in Soulstorm), but you learned your person route and moved through.

But the one thing that kept the game alive was the DC AI and their aggressive game play. Over the last few years, I have created the #-Down play-style for the DC campaign. You must wait until # of strongholds have been defeated before you take your first movement. While the first 15 minutes of the games is clicking end turn or re-enforcing troops in your stronghold (especially on Normal+), it makes the first skirmishes really engaging (which territories to take and defend are more interesting when a full upgraded commander is coming for you), while limiting the grind (less strongholds = less battles). Also I usually eat a meal while narrating warfare between the races (Eldar hunt the Necrons, IG unceremoniously dislodges the Space Marines, Tau get stomped and Orks get Bulwark). It means on easy with 3 or 5 down you can have a evening, 3-4 hour play through.

However, the Soulstorm AI seems so defensive and it is a challenge to get one stronghold down by the AI. There is no thing of a quick campaign of Soulstorm like you can have in DC.

[Buuh]

Originally posted by bazza_manazza:

Originally posted by SpeedRacist:

strongholds like they did in DC. Even on easy mode in DC the AI was aggressive and could actually take over other strongholds and venture well away from their own stronghold.

Personally, this is why I love Dark Crusade and will come back to it. Many a year ago, I managed to finish the campaign (and Soulstorm I think) for all races on Hard. By the end of it, it was quite monotonous (especially all those level 10 territories in Soulstorm), but you learned your person route and moved through.

But the one thing that kept the game alive was the DC AI and their aggressive game play. Over the last few years, I have created the #-Down play-style for the DC campaign. You must wait until # of strongholds have been defeated before you take your first movement. While the first 15 minutes of the games is clicking end turn or re-enforcing troops in your stronghold (especially on Normal+), it makes the first skirmishes really engaging (which territories to take and defend are more interesting when a full upgraded commander is coming for you), while limiting the grind (less strongholds = less battles). Also I usually eat a meal while narrating warfare between the races (Eldar hunt the Necrons, IG unceremoniously dislodges the Space Marines, Tau get stomped and Orks get Bulwark). It means on easy with 3 or 5 down you can have a evening, 3-4 hour play through.

However, the Soulstorm AI seems so defensive and it is a challenge to get one stronghold down by the AI. There is no thing of a quick campaign of Soulstorm like you can have in DC.

If you like the Dark Crusade Campaign, try the titanium Wars Mod for Dark Crusade. I'm playing it atm and it's amazing. Updated graphics, tons of new units from Techmarine to Warhound Titans, Annihilation Barks and what not. Chaos can choose between the chaos gods which they whorship in a mission. All Factions have new units and Buildings and Techs, while still including the base game units of course.

Just to name a few and yes you can play it in campaign. The creator even reworked the strongholds, so that they include the new units, even the cutscenes during strongholds are reworked so it fits the new units. While everything you encounter in base game strongholds is also in them, but better ai and he added new cutscenes . Hordes of enemies. Unit scale is like doubled. Remember when Necron stronghold was ez on hard in DC? Now it's certainly challenging especially on hard, but not too hard just fun and carnage.

Units get experienced so they get more powerful and remember when for example space marines got 1 Company Veteran as honor guard? In this you get a proper squad as honor guard.

Make sure you install a 4gb patch too if you try it out. For some reason DC only used 2GB and I couldn't find a DC 4GB patch, but I used the Soulstorm Large Awareness Patch on Dark Crusade works fine now. No lags. LOL

And this Mod was also updated in 2019 last, so yeah really well done mod full of carnage. Installation is ez just download and unzip, put Mod folder and mod module into DC folder done, but it includes install instruction too.