SS6.3's "Indepedent Factions" {Rebels}. How are they doing? How are they affecting your game?

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

Napoleon pardoning the Rebels at Cairo


The Topic in general: So if you please let us know what AI your using, play settings, and era {early, late}. From there your thoughts on the Independent factions themselves, and how , if at all their affecting your game.


So, the topic of the day is your rebels and how they are or are not affecting your game. For me I can state of the the four campaign's that I've started... Gracul AI, M/M large unit setting, early era. Moors, Lithuania, French, and Spanish {Leon-Castile}, that they definitely make a difference.

1. Toulouse Province: Has remained independent in each game and by turn 30 or so has two full stacks waiting to greet and meet any neighbor if they choose to come to call.
This may or may not be inhibiting Goeneese and Aragoneese expansions. Admiteldey Genoa now starts out with Pisa, so I'm not sure yet how that affects they're expansion patterns.

2. Milan: In different campaigns It went to Hre in one and Venice in the other at about the usual time.

3. The Levant: {middle east mediteranean shoreline} It's hard to tell atm, cuz I really haven't been watching the AI's behavior there.

[chris7ian]

I think some would benefit from a garrison script. I have been manually adding units to place like Bruges to keep the Scots out. They wont bother Ireland but want to get right dab smack in the middle of the emerging cluster [____] of Holland. For some reason, savage AI, the rebels tend to go to their borders and cop a squat for many rounds. If the borders are more than a turn away its easy pickings. I also increase the CS at Jerusalem quite abit. They keep losing Jerusalem then everything else in 50 turns. I play four turns a year, and it 1105 and I'm having to increase their garrison. Savage AI doesnt seem to stress defense of your capital and number one settlement sadly.

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

For some reason, savage AI, the rebels tend to go to their borders and cop a squat for many rounds.

I believe if I remember correctly that it's on turn 6 that "all" the rebel factions abandon their garrisons for the nights fresh air... Drive's me nut's cuz as soon as they do that the shmuck ahead of you gobbles up the settlement that you had been keeping tabs on. The AI always manges to gobble up settlements right when I commit to taking it. Drives me nuts!!! Nuts I tell you...

[CrayonVonCaesar]

I think some would benefit from a garrison script. I have been manually adding units to place like Bruges to keep the Scots out. They wont bother Ireland but want to get right dab smack in the middle of the emerging cluster [____] of Holland. For some reason, savage AI, the rebels tend to go to their borders and cop a squat for many rounds. If the borders are more than a turn away its easy pickings. I also increase the CS at Jerusalem quite abit. They keep losing Jerusalem then everything else in 50 turns. I play four turns a year, and it 1105 and I'm having to increase their garrison. Savage AI doesnt seem to stress defense of your capital and number one settlement sadly.

An easier way to combat this is to go into your desr_sm_factions.txt and change Scotlands 'prefers_naval_invasions' from YES to NO.

Though it can't hurt to keep a larger rebel garrison in Bruge as well.

[Alpha Zeke]

i always beat the ai to my settlements! but I also dont take no for an answer
i havent played in a while because ive been working on modding, but last thing i can remember, a few rebel castles held out till turn 100 and were stronger then any local faction!

[E.K]

In my early england campaign I invaded ireland with a full stack only to get there and see 3 full rebel stacks.
It took a few heroic victories to deal with them

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

In my early england campaign I invaded ireland with a full stack only to get there and see 3 full rebel stacks.
It took a few heroic victories to deal with them

About what turn, please... if ya remember...

[E.K]

About what turn, please... if ya remember...

I think about turn 50 might be a bit earlier I cant remember exactly.

[Tate]

In my TO campaign I noticed the the rebel settlement of Upsala was garrisoned by only one unit of spearmen. I was like "sweet, easy pickins!". So I send five units of low-end militia units up to take it, and when I get there a whole stack rebel army ambushes me right outside the city. Needless to say I failed.

I'd never seen AI Rebels act like that before. I love SS 6.3

[Desley]

In my campaign (which u can read all about if you click the link in my signature) Toulouse was taken by the whats their name again? euhm the guys who own Barcalona... anyways it happend around turn 20 if im right.

And Milan was taken by Genoa somewhere around turn 10?

And im fighting the independent states in greece
And they just defend their territory, they dont invade.

[Freek]

So far they seem to be content recruiting units and staying in their own territory. Greece and Constantinople are still in independent hands (turn 65). The Saudi Arabia provinces are really the only other major territories still in Rebel hands.

[Lushang]

The Rebels added in Late Campaign by Teutonic Order don't seem to do anything, I was expecting them to siege my cities, as if I don't have enough problems with back stabbing Christians and instant war with Lithunia. Russians are invading me right now, I had to Crusade to save myself, I'm in Greece sieging Constantinople, hoping to take it then head to the holy land but holding the settlement after it's taken might be difficult.

VH/VH

[Meneth]

As Norway, they'll once in a while lay siege to one of my settlements, but they don't seem to have the guts to actually assault, and most of the time they lift the siege the next turn.

[Slyspy]

In my Poland campaign the rebels amused themselves by besieging Krakow twice. The only surviving rebel settlement in my sphere of influence is the castle to the far north on the east Baltic coast, whatever it is called. With a sizable garrison and two full stacks of decent troops.

Edit:

I seem to be seeing more random rebel armies in the heart of my country than before 6.3. This is annoying and adds nothing to the gameplay.

[dominion]

Gracul's AI, when i have low garrisons and my main army is fighting a faction, they attack my settlements and take some when playing as roman empire....real backstapping....keeps the game interesting.

[Gorrrrrn]

If you want rebel garrisons to be stronger:

increase the slave faction income in descr_strat.
increase the starting garrisons
In descr_campaign_db.xml change value of : <min_turn_keep_rebel_garrison int="20"/> to a higher number so the garrison doesn't go wondering off. It controls which turn rebel garrisons leave.

(NB that's the value I'm currently using)

If you stop rebels (and other factions) building forts they MAY be more likely to defend settlements and not borders.

NOTE if you improve rebel faction garrisons that can have a negative impact on other AI faction ability to expand and provide you with tougher opponents.

[MadJackMcJack]

Savage AI, early England campaign, rebels are mostly dead except for north Poland, Finland and two provinces right at the bottom right of the map. Since few large wars broke out until roughly turn 30, the various nations were able to expand at the expense of the rebels. Oh well, the other nations are doing a good enough job of keeping me busy.

[For England Men]

I notice a few cities remain independent until quite late on in fact a few outlast major factions but most get swallowed up in the first 50 to 100 turns, seems about right to me.

[Aranu]

early era, Savage AI, they seem normal.

wel Garrisoned, sometimes they go out and fight, but they will protect their lands(it seems that way)
Milan was idd conquered by Venice.
Toulouse is going to be captured by either aragon or Genoa.
some will definitely outlast major factions, spain and portugal are in trouble ^^

ireland will outlast all! 3 ful stacks ^^