Strategy games that let you play as a subordinate of an AI player?

[komi]

For me it would be more fun to have my AI "boss" handle the big strategy while I just helped back him up (like a vassal), rather than me having to take charge of everything myself.

Do any strategy games like this exist?

[Χάρης]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/25990/Majesty_Gold_HD/

[komi]

Автор сообщения: Χάρης

https://store.steampowered.com/app/25990/Majesty_Gold_HD/

Can you explain?

[Χάρης]

Автор сообщения: komi

Автор сообщения: Χάρης

https://store.steampowered.com/app/25990/Majesty_Gold_HD/

Can you explain?

you can't directly control your units, but you can build and upgrade. Your heroes are doing whatever they want. Well, almost.

[komi]

Автор сообщения: Χάρης

Автор сообщения: komi

Can you explain?

you can't directly control your units, but you can build and upgrade. Your heroes are doing whatever they want. Well, almost.

Sorry, maybe I didn't explain myself clearly. In that game, despite your heroes being AI-controlled, it looks like you're still the big boss in charge of everything. I'm looking for a game where the roles are reversed.

For example, let's say it's a military strategy game. Instead of me controlling a whole faction, I'd rather have the AI be in charge of the faction while I just played as one of his vassals/generals backing him up. He makes the grand plans, forges alliances, declares wars, and I'm just there with my little group of soldiers helping him out in whatever campaign he decides to do.

[Triple G]

Problem would be the lacking AI in most games. The only thing i could think of would be something like Bannerlord, in which You can be an individual or a captain under an AI controlled army. It´s not really a strategy game, but there are battles. It´s in early access and the AI is basically non-existent - if we say that it is on the same level than Warband, which is some years old and was also bad. The AI basically works that way that it goes to the closest target and attacks constantly till it dies, so having 400 people on the field ends up in a big blob of people, bigger as it would be with just 100 people, but smaller than with 1,000 people. Perhaps ArmA 3 would be something like it, too. But it´s not a strategy game either, but has a better AI.

The game You´re looking for would be a frustrating game for anyone who is not masochist. Else there are certain games which let You control any individual unit, but handles everything as part of an AI. Just can´t think of any strategy games. But in many it works like that, that if You ally someone, they will take Your strength into account, to then attack everything till they get overwhelmed - while You as the player can clean up the mess, which never works - which is probably what You´re looking for. Paradox grand strategy or Total War series would be like that. Just ally someone so they boss You around, while You "help" (like fighting their war, because they just sit somewhere and get destroyed)

[komi]

Автор сообщения: Triple G

Paradox grand strategy or Total War series would be like that. Just ally someone so they boss You around, while You "help" (like fighting their war, because they just sit somewhere and get destroyed)

I've actually tried some of the Total War games, but the problem I've found is that there's really no way to make my AI ally the senior partner. It's basically 50/50 in most situations, and quite often it ends up being me who has to take the lead. I'd really prefer a game like Total War, but where the AI controls my faction and I just have to follow his lead as one of the army commanders. In other words, in a Total War context, rather than playing as an independent faction, I'd be playing as one of the General characters. Or perhaps as a minor vassal faction of a bigger AI faction.

[komi]

Автор сообщения: Triple G

Else there are certain games which let You control any individual unit, but handles everything as part of an AI.

Do you mean a game where I can control a single unit while the AI handles the rest of the army that my unit is part of? I would be fine with something like that, if you have any games to recommend.

[Bison]

Crusader Kings 2 and 3? You can play as a defacto vassal of a kings, emperors etc. its up to you how you wanna play it. And Crusader Kings 2 is free

[Triple G]

Like said - the only thing comparable i´m aware of is Bannerlord. There You can be a vassal of a faction. And You have individual units on the field. With one person You play. That can be army leader, captain of a unit, or just go for itself. But the AI is lacking. The battle AI of Total War is miles ahead, even if not very good, but at least it looks like a battle and the units act somehow reasonable. In Total War it´s more the campaign AI which is lacking. You´ll always have these problems with strategy games and AI, because it´s about planning into the future and making decisions some turns ahead. To rely on that can be frustrating. Bannerlord is an ok-ish game for the price, but early access - so many patches. It´s unfinished. Lacking content. The battles are entertaining - till they reach a certain size and You recognize how bad the AI is. The money probably isn´t wasted if You´re into that kind of thing. Just be prepared. I for myself wouldn´t buy it again, but also don´t think that i wasted money, because it gave me good hours of gameplay. It´s just sad if i think about the potential the game had - and i guess they will probably not introduce a proper AI, which does a better job at it.

[komi]

Автор сообщения: Bison

Crusader Kings 2 and 3? You can play as a defacto vassal of a kings, emperors etc. its up to you how you wanna play it. And Crusader Kings 2 is free

Ah I'd forgotten about that one. Thanks for the reminder!

Автор сообщения: Triple G

Like said - the only thing comparable i´m aware of is Bannerlord.

I haven't played it, I'll have a look. Thanks.

[Yavin Shikanoko]

Can't you do they in the Warband games?

[Fajita Jim]

Total War games always have stuff like The Pope or The Senate telling you what to do. Personally I would rather they get off my ♥♥♥♥ and let me play.

[Devsman]

Seems to me this would more or less boil down to writing.

[Morkonan]

Автор сообщения: komi

For me it would be more fun to have my AI "boss" handle the big strategy while I just helped back him up (like a vassal), rather than me having to take charge of everything myself.

Do any strategy games like this exist?

You can do this in "Distant Worlds: Universe" and likely in its successor which is in EA atm, IIRC.

But, you do it by assigning such duties to the AI. So, in essence, you're still "The Player Faction" but you've turned over the most important decision-making duties to the game's AI. The game can be easily customized using its options to turn over most or even all decision-making to the AI. You can actually let the game play itself if you wished and every major gameplay element for a faction can be selectively turned over to the AI or the player as you wish.

A lot of games give the player tasks to complete, but the draw for Strategy games is generally that the player makes the Strategic decisions. And, most of these are of the "Big Campaign Map" sort where the player sees the entire game environment and can formulate strategy based on their knowledge of the game in that light.

Warband and Bannerlord, its successor, do have a way to let the AI be "your boss" by the player deciding to be a Lord in a faction rather than a Leader of their own. So, in essence, as a Lord the player supports their Leader's Faction and that Faction's decision on who to go to war with and how they, as a Lord, will support that effort. There is a good bit of freedom in both games for independent action during conflicts, too. Warband has a much better system, IMO, than Bannerlord for supporting the "Lord" playstyle and giving the player a good feeling of being a Lord in a medieval setting. (Bannerlord is still in EA and Warband has tons and tons of great mods for it to bring it more up-to-speed with modern gaming. It is dated, though, but it's still the better "play" for now. Though, Bannerlord could exceed it, easily, once the design-kinks are worked out.)

X3: Albion Prelude has a unique faction-conflict feature that the player can participate in to gain this sense of being part of a faction's larger wartime effort, too. (I've played X3:Terran Conflict extensively and a bit of X4, both of which are excellent. X3:AP is basically X3:TC with a revamp of certain mechanics and some extra faction/war/sector mechanics to boost the feeling of there being a true "war." They are all excellent games, though the interface for X3:TC/AP is a bit dated and the learning curve for all of them is pretty steep.) PS: X3:TC doesn't have conquerable sectors without modding. X3:AP does to some extennt as well as X4. These are primarily large open-world sandbox space trade/fight/think/do/mission/etc games and not necessarily "conquer the world" strategy games. But, the "strategy" element is very heavy in other ways.

I'm not sure, but I think some games like Europa Universalis and maybe Hearts of Iron both have options to place AI control over strategic play. You'd have to check on that, though.

[Castyles]

The first missions i.e. the tutorial of the first campaign of Age of Empires 2 are like that.

I think you're a "side kick" of William Wallace, in the PC release and the "side kick" of Joan of Arc in the NDS version.