AI tactic discussion (repost)

[littlemonster]

Hi all! I just wonder how everyone fight in their battles and what happen with the AI. For me, it seems that almost 90% percent of battles appear in the same ways.


well I certainly see some improvement in patch 6.2 like this:

1. AI will mostly retreat their army away from my regions in campaign map if they have nothing to do there. That is a great improvement!

2. AI agents seem to be doing sth rather then travelling around.

3. AI horses sometimes tries to chase my calvery, especially if they have light calvary.

4. AI does try to use artillery first when it cans.

However:
1. I still see that AI stand under my arrows rains especially in mountain battles.

2. AI seems to face me head on mountain rather then travel around to fight me in better terrants. Even in the case when I am the attacker and they are the defenders, they attack me.

That seems to be funny since I just choose the best defending place and they surely face me there. In one battle, when I have my general standing to far away from my main armies. They actually tries to find way to attack me in the back, which was very good. However, as soon as I move my general a few step forwards, they return back.

3. On flat terrent, what I usually do in a game is have my calvary charges their missle first or infantry, especially their dismount feudal knights or so. Then I have some calvary splip to their back. My army then attackes their main lines while the calvalry charges in their back. AI seems to have no defend for such units!

The games is just a bit more complicated if AI have horses also. But I just assign some spearman to take care of them. AI calvary doesn't really retreat or try flanking or attack my horse but fight heat on. Missle calvaries tries to retreat but as long as the spearman caught one of their man, the whole unit will fight head on and loose.

4. Furthermore, it seems that AI doesn't deploy stakes.

5. AI never ever devide 1/3 or half of their armies to ambush but simply group in one unit.

6. If I am not too wrong, I know that armies usually have battalion attacking once by once. The tactic of retreating is of utmost important. It seems at AI never every use it.

For me, if AI with very superior infantry in charging, I usually retreat one unit, open more space for missle units already behind can take a few more shots. Then third line infantry my attack head on or flank if possible. So my army usually has 3 lines, missle first, then 2 infantry with a space in between. Missle retreat to the space, then first line infantry retreat, then third line infantry attack.

I spread out my army to make AI chasing a bit more.

It seems that AI always move their army at once, attack head one. Never play defensive in such way.

Finally, AI never choose unit to fight. Sometimes, they have militia spearman attacking my dismount knight !!!

I would love to see how modders can mod such tactics!

[cang087]

The games is just a bit more complicated if AI have horses also. But I just assign some spearman to take care of them. AI calvary doesn't really retreat or try flanking or attack my horse but fight heat on. Missle calvaries tries to retreat but as long as the spearman caught one of their man, the whole unit will fight head on and loose.

well I might have to disagree with you regarding that. I have noticed many times with 6.2+RC4 that the AI cavalry does flank me and it is really annoying, it only usually does it once my main infantry core is engages, but it does do it though. However, it does not do a pre-emptive flanking position, like the way you would position your cavalry on the flanks or rear of the enemy army prior to the engagement. Nevertheless, it is quite an improvement on the ai.

Also I find it harder to flank on my own. If the enemy army has spearmen, they will try to mirror the movement of my cavalry. For example, instead of just charging straght form the rear, if they have enough spearmen, they will have on unit tracking the movement of my cavalry unit, and position themselves in such a way to avoid flanking them, also a really good improvement.

A thing that had to be done is to improve sieges... Usually the AI just sends the siege equipment forward defenseless, prone to a sally out charge form your own cavalry, the ai will shoot if they have archers but will only move once you charge the siege equipment. The AI should either screen their siege with spearmen or some units or move on forward once it is detected that a unit has sallied out from the settlement to attack.

We might never reach perfection, but can help tossing in my 2 cents

[richieelias]

The AI not using stakes is most likely a good thing. I doubt they would know how to avoid them when they shift their formations around at the start of battle. The likely result would be cavalry suicide.

[Santiago de Pola]

I think that AI can't deploy stakes..or at least I never seen them do! :hmmm:

If you want an improved battle AI..check Condottiere's Freedom BAI, its very good: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=2225

The files go in ss/data folder..if you'll try it, don't forget to make a backup of original files!