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Strategic AI & Tech Mod (all Campaigns except IA & ED)

For: All campaigns EXCEPT Imperator Augustus or Empire Divided
(Use my "Strategic AI Mod" (which does not modify Tech) for the Empire Divided or Imperator Augustus Campaign).

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=346957233

(IMPORTANT: This mod can be used with almost any other mod with this as long as it is not AI or technology related. Will not work with 2 or more turn-per-year mods.)

Do you think that the AI spends all its time moving back and forth in the Mediterranean, never really doing anything other than being completely indecisive? Are you tired of watching the AI starve to death so you never really have any epic battles or struggles? As the Romans, do you feel like Rome 2 isn't much of a challenge? Do you feel like the AI doesn't spend its money wisely, nor does it react well when threatened with destruction? Are you opposed to "total conversion" mods and seek a minimalistic solution to all these issue? If so, then this mod is for you!

All changes made here originated from the desire to make co-operative and head-to-head campaigns "better", from over 1,800 combined hours of multiplayer campaigning experience. This mod is intended to be played on Legendary and is not for the weak - it is for those of us who like to be challenged.

Changes:

<Technology related>

MARIAN REFORMS adjustment & AUXILIA

*COHORT ORGANIZATION TIME:

This change requires extensive explanation. My personal pet peeve with Rome 2 is that the Romans are too powerful early on, and this makes the game unbalanced. The culprit for nearly all of these problems is that Romans receive MANAGEMENT technology upgrades too quickly. Amazingly, the Romans receive legionnaires 165 years (turns) sooner than they did historically, so in just 12 turns of the standard game you can throw out your Hastati, Principes, Triarii and replace them with legionnaires. This is RIDICULOUS, and it is why there are no epic struggles early on. No epic battles against the Averni, no feeling that you are challenged in any way -- just go straight for the Cohort Organization technology from the beginning and in 12 turns you will be marching across Europa with very little opposition. Historically, the cohort was not officially adopted *as a tactical unit* until the Marian Reforms of 107 BC. The cohort existed before this (218 BC), but it was only as an administrative unit. The key here is that this tech introduces legionnaires: a product of the Marian Reforms.

This change alone makes Rome 2 more balanced, ESPECIALLY IN A MULTIPLAYER CAMPAIGN, because we found that a Rome vs. Carthage OR vs. Averni campaign was pretty much a foregone conclusion with the Romans obtaining legionaries so quickly. To put it politely, the Romans had a walk in the park. Now the early period of the campaign is much less about walking across Gaul, and more about slow and careful expansion, and scratching tooth and nail in survival.

*TRAINING REFORMS TIME:

The training reform tech allows Auxilia Camp II (moved), which allows the recruitment of auxilia. It used to be that Auxilia Camp II was given with Supply Reforms tech, but this was far too early. Auxilia were not widely recruited until 200 BC, so the historical time to obtain Training Reforms reflects this. Socii units are also changed so that they can be recruited immediately, being that they were Roman allies and not true auxilia, and were historically in use before the campaign began.

*PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERY TIME:

With the same reasons above, in the standard game you actually can obtain professional soldiers (the best Roman infantry) about 150 years/turns before the Augustan Reforms of 30 BC (Imperial Roman Army). Therefore, additional turns were added to post Cohort Organization technologies (Merc Assets, Remuneration Reforms, Professional Soldiery) so that obtaining the final tech happens closer to correct time of 30 BC. The Roman player is expected to obtain libraries before this point, in order to substantially speed up research.

***SUGGESTION: You can also research one of these longer technologies for five or so turns at a time, then research another "quick" technology, for example in the civil tree. Careful management of research and research structures is key and it is intended to be tough!***

*ALL OTHER TECH TIMES:

All other technologies (all factions) have research time increased by 1.5x. This was done to make obtaining all technology a major feat, and it makes tech buildings actually useful. Previously, tech buildings were a waste, and every faction can easily earn all technologies. Now it requires effort and planning, and this further helps slow the pace of the game down and makes the technologies more meaningful (because some factions can gain superiority in the long term). Note that obtaining research buildings is encouraged, and just obtaining several research type temples and libraries can create a snow ball effect at quicker research times, so it is perfectly possible to obtain all technologies, but it is no longer a foregone conclusion anymore that by turn 300 all factions will be able to.

REASONS FOR TECH CHANGES (summarized):

1) Historical delay in the obtainment of legionaries
2) Historically difficult "early period" for the Roman Republic
3) Historical balance for head-to-head multiplayer campaigns against the Romans
4) Diverse period of warfare where the Hastati, Pricipes, Triarii play a historically wider role in the campaign
5) Historical delay in the Marian Reforms
6) Historical delay in the Augustan Reforms
7) Historical delay in the recruitment of auxilia
8) Make the obtainment of all technologies a major feat
9) Make all tech buildings useful and important



<Campaign AI related>

The following campaign AI changes are straight forward and were made in the interest of keeping the adjustments minimal but effective. **Disclaimer: this mod in no way claims to make the AI "smart", the goal is to make them "less stupid".**

*AI behavior priorities have been adjusted. In the standard game (and almost all AI behavior mods) the AI priorities were scaled between 0.1 and 3. This makes it difficult to follow and diversify the priority, and creates situations where the AI can be indecisive because too many tasks are assigned the same priority (so it flip flops between many different intents and goals). In this mod, the AI priority scale's spectrum/spread has been increased to 1 through 9.

*AI should now spend more money on land forces when at war, and more on construction when at peace, and almost all money on land forces when in "last stand" mode.

*Slightly more severe diplomatic reactions if you choose to be more warlike and destructive (just enough to cause you to be less reckless).

*At higher difficulties, AI is now less likely to starve to death. It will try to capture food producing regions and is given some bonus food.

*AI will now create armies with less missile units.

*Roman faction AI should now be more militaristic, aggressive and warlike (to minimize tendency to do nothing).



<Misc changes>

*Replenishment rates have been reduced by 1/2 because the rate was so excessive that you never really felt the effectis of attrition through successive or costly battles.

*Doubled zones of control for naval units to allow better control and prevent the "naval dance effect".

*The most elite units are limited in number in the campaign (see "Change LII" in notes for more info).

*Enhanced Roman field fortifications.

*Adjusted the Wrath of Sparta campaign, with changes to cause smaller armies (less is more). If you don't like the WoS campaign changes, then simply disable this mod while playing that campaign.

For income related modification changes to the Grand Campaign only, get this mod:
(Grand Campaign) Faction Income Mod
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=243483973