Do other factions always turn on the #1 power?

[That Darn Satan!]

In my Lithuania game, I worked pretty hard at keeping Novgorod and the Mongols happy while I fended off constant Polish and Teutonic aggression. Two or three turns after I'd more or less trivialized the Teutons without actually having destroyed them, Novgorod launched a sneak attack on Minsk ... the Mongols sided with them, and the HRE and Denmark likewise broke our alliances. Within ten turns, they were all allied against me and steaming into my territory.

Not that this was such a problem. More foreign blood for the gods, y'know.

Is this a gameplay thing, to keep the game challenging past the point your faction has become a true power, or is it more likely that some other diplomacy was going on in the background? Is there any point in taking more care to keep friends friendly?

[Captain Spanky]

I think so, yes. Generally once you pass a certain threshold in terms of land owned or military strength or something, AI factions are more likely to attack you rather than other neighbours. They wont necessarily stop fighting each other, but will direct some aggresion towards you.

[uanime5]

The AI is just doing what factions would do in real life. If one faction becomes too powerful then it's neighbours will ally and attack it so that it will not become a threat to them.

[SSJPabs]

The AI is just doing what factions would do in real life. If one faction becomes too powerful then it's neighbours will ally and attack it so that it will not become a threat to them.

The problem is, after you are reduced in power they don't stop attacking you, they keep after you until you are dead. Not that I get reduced in power much!

[Septimius The Bold]

"The AI is just doing what factions would do in real life. If one faction becomes too powerful then it's neighbours will ally and attack it so that it will not become a threat to them."

true. Think Napoleonic France of early 1900s Imperial Germany . balance of power politics is what the world 9at least in Europe) has been about since at least the Middle Ages.

[Oploc]

Pretty sure it's to do with "largest Faction". As soon as you get the message that you have the most land, everyone looks at you strangely... *sneer*

[saggsett]

Well I think the AI group together because you are the biggest threat or your reputation is bad it's also because of a different faith or also very unprotected borders but I think generally that it has with you at war with a faction and they know or at least think you have all of your power focused at that faction or as you said maybe they had some background politics.

[Drox]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that being ranked first in any of the catagories will cause the AI to become more agressive towards you. Which in my opinion makes sense seeing as military power will make them feel threatened, having the largest population, or most wealth/land, would make other factions feel like you have overstepped your bounds and they deserve some of it.

[Silent Assassin]

CA already said time and times again that the AI will counter or turn against the strongest faction on the map, the AI does so also when it's another AI faction that is getting to big

[Tropical Coke]

CA already said time and times again that the AI will counter or turn against the strongest faction on the map, the AI does so also when it's another AI faction that is getting to big

^^^Look up

[wupwup]

on a similar note if an ai faction gets the upper hand will others wipe them out for you ?

[Cmdr Chuck]

Is this a gameplay thing, to keep the game challenging past the point your faction has become a true power, or is it more likely that some other diplomacy was going on in the background? Is there any point in taking more care to keep friends friendly?

I tend to play agressively and note that I will attract the AI once I become the strongest Faction. Usually though I am either in a position to fend off these attacks or have enough of buffer zone from the next Strongest faction to be able to ramp up the troops to then deal with them.
Having said that I decided to really change my playing style for the Britannia Campaign and see if I could produce Chivalric Factin leaders. There ended up a situation that I had destroyed most of England, was friendly with the Baron Alliance, Allied with Scotland (after nearly crushing them) through marriage, and a marriage to Wales. The Norwegians had made the Scots vassals and so everyone was very friendly with each other even though I was the biggest faction.
So it is possible to be the biggest faction and keep everyone sweet, it will depend on how your relations have been with your allies and how they view you. Essentially while the Baron Alliance, Scots and Welsh were Enemies with England it was easy to keep them onside with gifts and still be aggressive towards England. Once England asked for Peace I had to make the attacks with Espionage agents (not condusive for keeping your faction leaders Chivalry but its effect can be kept to a minimum by striking where it is most likely to cause the target to city rebel)
However I still needed to gain territories and picked on the Norwegians as being the most isolated. The moment I launched my (unprovoked) 4 pronged offensive vs. the Norwegians, the Scots and the Welsh objected and started trying to take back territories I had 'purchased'. Unfortunately for the Scots they are too small to really do anything (and are already Vassals) and I managed to defend the two settlements the Welsh tried to take.
Interestingly enough my espionage efforts in causing English held settlements to rebel increased the Baron Alliance Territories and I thought I would need to take them on after crippling the Norwegians. But the increase in the Baron Alliance actually helped them suceed in their goal of Eliminating the English Monarchy (a few well placed assassins in green also cut down any potential hiers). Bingo !!! the Baron Alliance breaks up into lots of Rebel Territories that no-one will object to me claiming and the biggest faction is now the Welsh with 4 territories. I now only have to find a way (probably fast/heavy cavalry) of dealing with lots (and lots) of longbow archers and I will have made Britain a green and pleasant land.

[StalkAndStrike]

Seeing that eveyrone here seems to be a profficient player, and we ALL end up being the number 1 player eventually, and yes, everyone ( the AI i mean) hates us for it, so do you guy think its worth trying to make peace? or should we just give up on alliances and just fight back lol

[Grimmy]

Seeing that eveyrone here seems to be a profficient player, and we ALL end up being the number 1 player eventually, and yes, everyone ( the AI i mean) hates us for it, so do you guy think its worth trying to make peace? or should we just give up on alliances and just fight back lol

It depends. Not meaning that in a snarky way at all, but, honestly, it depends.

If you enjoy the diplo part of the game, then do it regardless. But functionally, it can serve a purpose to get a faction to back off a bit so you can focus on another for a time.

As in real life, alliances in this game are transitory, temporary and prone to breaking down at inconvenient times, but they do have some value.

[StalkAndStrike]

It depends. Not meaning that in a snarky way at all, but, honestly, it depends.

If you enjoy the diplo part of the game, then do it regardless. But functionally, it can serve a purpose to get a faction to back off a bit so you can focus on another for a time.

As in real life, alliances in this game are transitory, temporary and prone to breaking down at inconvenient times, but they do have some value.

I agree entierly, but its hard to see the value when the only thing one can benefit is trading rights and a shaky promise not ot attack eachother, but yes I do enjoy the diplomatic options available in the game itself