Great Mod

[St Naffatun]

Just wanted to say this mod should get more exposure, all this time playing SS/BC/Retrofit with GUAM I never thought to try this out. It's excellent whilst keeping the flavour of vanilla (flavour of vanilla - haha) err anyway good mod.

XAI

I've tested XAI for other mods this seems to come with a whole bunch of other files. I am reluctant to install the test as it will overwrite files I have modded to my personal taste.

Modded to Personal Taste

An idea from Broken Crescent - I give the AI generals extra hitpoints, command, build points, troop morale bonus, decreased squalor, increased local popularity.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

;------------------------------------------
Trait ai_bonus
Characters family
Hidden
Level ai_bonus
Description ai_bonus_desc
EffectsDescription ai_bonus_effects_desc
Threshold 1
Effect HitPoints 5
Effect Command 8
Effect SiegeEngineering 60
Effect Loyalty 8
Effect TroopMorale 8
Effect LocalPopularity 8
Effect BattleSurgery 70
Effect Squalor -10
Effect NightBattle 4
;------------------------------------------

So AI settlements grow a bit quicker with a govenor and have less plague. Ai generals don't die to easily, AI armies suffer less attrition from battles it wins (battle surgery) so they have more veteran troops as a result (over time). Yeah it's great. Here's the trigger.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Trigger ai_bonus_trigger
WhenToTest CharacterTurnEnd
Condition not FactionIsLocal
and IsGeneral
Affects ai_bonus 1 Chance 100

Also I only field a small number of armies usually one per castle upto a maximum of 5 (I roleplay basically) but it's hard to roleplay with an army with such high propertion of casualties every battle so I do 2 things. I improve the battle surgery for the Doctor ancillary to 70.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ancillary doctor
Type Health
Transferable 1
Image civil_master.tga
ExcludeCultures mesoamerican
Description doctor_desc
EffectsDescription doctor_effects_desc
Effect Fertility 1
Effect BattleSurgery 70
;------------------------------------------

And give Doctors to all worthy generals (AI or human) with "worthy" being determined by having 4 or more command stars.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

;------------------------------------------
Trigger doctor_vnv_trigger
WhenToTest CharacterTurnEnd
Condition IsGeneral
and Attribute Command > 3
AcquireAncillary doctor chance 100
;------------------------------------------

So yes every AI general will have a doctor and it means their armies have better survivability in the field and it also means YOU and the AI are fielding fewer green troops and more veterans due to increased survivability (assuming you win.. if you lose the battle your casualties are high - which is a great balance).

This could conceivably be combined with higher recruitment cost so that you develop what you have rather than you and the AI pumping out more inexperienced troops constantly - which is boring. Big balancing issue there though.

I've removed Crusade desertion as it's not something I exploit and I think it might help the AI to not lose so many men and be ineffectual on crusade (meaning I always arrive first which is boring).

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

<crusades>
<required_jihad_piety int="1"/>
<max_disband_progress float="20.0"/>
<near_target_no_disband_distance float="40000.0"/>
<disband_progress_window float="3"/>
<crusade_called_start_turn float="20"/>
<jihad_called_start_turn float="20"/>
<movement_points_modifier float="1.3"/>
</crusades>

Also lowered the Jihad piety required as I enjoy the extra drama of more Jihad being called. Just my preference as I generally play catholic factions. I don;t exploit I just try to help the AI give a better campaign.

I made changes that improve missile cavalry in terms of keeping them out of melee more effectively but I can't be bothered to apply it to all missile cavalry in the EDU.

[Dave Scarface]

@St Naffatun,

Thank you for sharing these ideas for AI bonuses with me. I am currently working on a new update for KGCM, but I would not be able to use these new traits as they are the property of Broken Cresent. However your suggestion to lower the piety level requirement for jihads is a good idea and one which I will take up, more jihads more fun, thanks!

regards,
Dave

[Henry of Grosmont]

It's excellent whilst keeping the flavour of vanilla (flavour of vanilla - haha) err anyway good mod.

That, exactly, what makes it so good. Sounds easy, but I'm quite sure that Dave got his scars on the face (hehe) while making this mod.

My thought on your suggestions (keep in mind, I have no idea how to script and wouldn't know many nuances you implied).

So AI settlements grow a bit quicker with a govenor and have less plague. Ai generals don't die to easily, AI armies suffer less attrition from battles it wins (battle surgery) so they have more veteran troops as a result (over time). Yeah it's great. Here's the trigger.

I find AI settlements developing faster in KGM as well. As for generals, from my experience, it's already hard enough to kill them. Especially those Danish bastards. Make them tougher for a player too, I say.

Also I only field a small number of armies usually one per castle upto a maximum of 5 (I roleplay basically) but it's hard to roleplay with an army with such high propertion of casualties every battle so I do 2 things. I improve the battle surgery for the Doctor ancillary to 70.

Will this make AI army tides innumerable? For they bring stack after stack the moment they developed a little.

And give Doctors to all worthy generals (AI or human) with "worthy" being determined by having 4 or more command stars.

I think, I get it now. You mean higher recovery only for General led armies? That would be nice. One thing, what's the point of the Ransom feature then?

So yes every AI general will have a doctor and it means their armies have better survivability in the field and it also means YOU and the AI are fielding fewer green troops and more veterans due to increased survivability (assuming you win.. if you lose the battle your casualties are high - which is a great balance).

I ain't no modder, but doesn't AI recruit more troops no matter what?

This could conceivably be combined with higher recruitment cost so that you develop what you have rather than you and the AI pumping out more inexperienced troops constantly - which is boring. Big balancing issue there though.

Isn't there a problem of worse AI armies many mods had with increasing the costs?

I've removed Crusade desertion as it's not something I exploit and I think it might help the AI to not lose so many men and be ineffectual on crusade (meaning I always arrive first which is boring).

Have no opinion on this, because I rarely take cross early in the game. Have more pressing concerns at home .

Also lowered the Jihad piety required as I enjoy the extra drama of more Jihad being called. Just my preference as I generally play catholic factions. I don;t exploit I just try to help the AI give a better campaign.

Won't that make an Antioch campaign even harder?

I made changes that improve missile cavalry in terms of keeping them out of melee more effectively but I can't be bothered to apply it to all missile cavalry in the EDU.

This would be excellent. Although AI uses skirmish mode in missile cavalry way better than I ever come to.

[St Naffatun]

@Dave, fair enough. I tweak stuff to my personal taste using ideas from wherever. It always stays personal to my PC but share the specifics from time to time.

I find AI settlements developing faster in KGM as well. As for generals, from my experience, it's already hard enough to kill them. Especially those Danish bastards. Make them tougher for a player too, I say.

I must admit I've come to these changes after hundreds of hours of other mods (I'm only a little way into a Teutonic Order campaign atm) but the AI in most mods tends to charge the general in kamikaze fashion.

With the hit point bonuses it's more a case of "oh crap here they come" rather then "this battle/siege is about to end when I kill that foolish general" which I found is what usually happened. Note the bodyguards drop as per usual but the general holds up a bit longer until the cavalry (which in this case is actually infantry) arrives. The general will then diengage with his 4 or 5 suriving retinue (with XAI).

Will this make AI army tides innumerable? For they bring stack after stack the moment they developed a little.

OK I didn't know this, however different players tend to have different experiences. In theory victorious AI armies led by a general will suffer less attrition and be more experienced as time goes on. The AI will spend more in upkeep (due to losing fewer men), less in recruitment (due to losing fewer men)... OR it will recruit just as much and hit an army ceiling a bit earlier... and that army size will reduce slower. Note this is for General armies not captains so it might not make a huge difference. Hard to tell I'll see how my campaigns go.

I think, I get it now. You mean higher recovery only for General led armies? That would be nice. One thing, what's the point of the Ransom feature then?

If you capture you ransom just like normal, doesn;t have any affect.

I have not checked this but if you lose a battle the doctor/casualty recovery calculation is not made. So losing is as disastrous as ever. I got the idea from Rome Total Realism, where recruiting in gaul etc is quite tough and you kind of go on campaign with the army you've got. So as long as you keep winning or withdrawing prudently you can keep a cohesive force.

Without any casualty recovery your army is whittled down so fast you make little progress. I liked that roleplay element - being far from home and husbanding the troops.

I ain't no modder, but doesn't AI recruit more troops no matter what?

There might be a money script in the cmapin script giving the AI a money bonus if the treasury falls below -5000 or something like that. These are good, if the AI has a huge army making a -14k deficit every turn the little money bonus will not actually overturn this so the faction does not actually recover financially immediately. It's gradual once the income/expenditure difference shrinks. So it might seem they can pump out troops no matter how many ports your blockade and merchants you slay but it has a limit. Better than alternative of a faction just rolling over.

Isn't there a problem of worse AI armies many mods had with increasing the costs?

It is really tough to balance it I was quite tentative, it's probably entering the realms of a scripted campaign or setting up for a specific human faction to play like the RTR chaps are doing with Iberia and their other projects.

One thing is for sure, later in the campaign it does get tedious fighting 6 battles per turn or something like that. However, that is very hard to address without causing a load of other problems and undesirable effects.

Have no opinion on this, because I rarely take cross early in the game. Have more pressing concerns at home .

I am a crusade history nut so I always send virtually every general, quite crazy but they did sell lands and castles to fund crusades so losing some provinces might be expected. Lots of pillaging can be done on the way.

Won't that make an Antioch campaign even harder?

Probably! I had a jihad called on Antioch fairly early - by this period of history the Muslism were beginning to set their differences aside to try to eject the crusaders. That is to say - certain Muslim leaders vied with each other to be seen as the person that could unite their people.

This would be excellent. Although AI uses skirmish mode in missile cavalry way better than I ever come to.

I posted the info somewhere in an XAI testing thread it's not hard just change a few settings. Missile cav stay more compact in horde formation and flee earlier and with greater speed from income enemies so they need less micro-management.

Heavy cavalry has little chance of catching them - which is as it should at least for nomadic-type horse archers. The player would have to employ foot archers or use light cavalry fast enough to catch the missile cav to pin them so the heavies can roll in to smash them. Maybe some of the less "nomadic" type missile cavalry like Vardariotai/Byzantine Cavalry who are basically "copied" units can remain as they are whereas the Skythikon recruited from steppes people can get the skirmish bonus for example.