AI Captain-led Armies

[TheBard]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask it, but I figured I may as well try anyway.

I'm wondering if there is any way to create a script that encourages the AI to use generals/family members to lead armies, rather than captains. Now maybe AI just doesn't have enough family members for governing and leading armies, but I find that about 2/3 of enemy full stacks are led by captains, making it much easier to rout them.

I don't even know if this is possible, but is there any way to do this? Perhaps the AI needs more family members somehow?

[Gogolometro]

Differ fromperspective you watch. Me personaly I use few times my generals on field. Wow dull dread! He will route your army. Not necesary. I use Magdonels, fire weapons, catapults and fire arrows. Dread or not,magdonels never make a difference. When play like teutons and you have twice more city to develop than generals, belive me you not want waste them on fields.
Is a exception tho that, eastern muslim factions and byzantium. Their generals are for a lot of thime the most heavy cavalry you can have, so on field they make wonders. Even in west,in early campaigns a general is the superweapon available, but when you get feudal and much better cavalry, is no need for them to stay on fields.

[For England Men]

they do use their generals but depends what faction you are talking bout, say if you are england fighting scotland they will have generals in their army as they are quite small and you are there one front whereas if you are france fighting hre you might get lot of hre captain armies as their generals will be spread thin on all fronts

[TheBard]

Hmm, good point. I've noticed it as Aragon fighting the Moors, as Portugal fighting the Moors, as Portugal fighting Leon, and as Portugal fighting Aragon.

Maybe it is just an issue with Spain?

[HolyDevil]

Hmm, good point. I've noticed it as Aragon fighting the Moors, as Portugal fighting the Moors, as Portugal fighting Leon, and as Portugal fighting Aragon.

Maybe it is just an issue with Spain?

the peninsula has 4 factions fighting for few settlements, and at least 1 of them has 2 constant enemies, or they are neutral/allies

if they are neutral, AI tends to leave general and a few units in border city/castle, or if allies, leave only a general, since they consider the units to be more important somehow

and since its a multiple front war, well they tend to spread out more, not to mention they die more often as well

[For England Men]

plus moors has a big empire to spread its generals across and the other factions are little spread out and constantly at it as holydevil says. I believe also the number of generals you get as a faction is dependant on the provinces you hold also so if aragon has like 2 provinces they will probably only have two generals for example.

[philipjd]

try playing a campaign when you keep your generals in cities/fort's and not with armies, I found that to be a superb way of balancing out the ai's tendancy to throw its generals away or lead with only captains in the first place. Of course.. it causes major problems when you face an AI army led by a truly 'dreaded' general..

Only tried it once myself, but was fun

[Fakir]

I use generals as heavy cav, usually to take on the enemy general bodyguard.

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

I use generals as heavy cav, usually to take on the enemy general bodyguard.

Hmmm... Do you lose alot of them? The AI Generals shredd mine like a chesse grater on cheddar. if you want to keep them alive...."they die". If you want them to die..."Their Immortal".

[Gogolometro]

The byzantine and muslim generals are very, very strong. In fact I defend very well Caffa against AP generals of KIev, having not a wonder units, just toxotai and city spears. Kiev come with 3 generals and my general make my day. Next turn a stack of Kiev start a new siege, I was totaly outnumbered, my troops remaining cant get retraining, and at the end of battle, just 2 general cavalry man, the general itself and his flagmen was the winner and all kievean units was slain.
So if you play byzantium, early especially, general is the best unit can be find on map. Their only big fanger are crossbows, and javelins.

[Fakir]

Hmmm... Do you lose alot of them? The AI Generals shredd mine like a chesse grater on cheddar. if you want to keep them alive...."they die". If you want them to die..."Their Immortal".

Hahahahaha! Yeah that does happen to me from time to time. I've had this one useless general on mine who's been on death row for like 5 battles already. I still refuse to grant him a better fate, but he just won't die!! And I'm now playing as Kiev, which has relatively weak general units. Lol in one battle I took out the enemy's heavy cav with him, then rammed him into the main battle line of spearmen in like the first half of the battle. By the time the battle was over, there was still his 1 unit left, the general himself, still fighting spearmen just before they routed.

And not just that, after the battle, half his bodyguard healed! So he was ready to play heavy cav again in the next battle.

I use my good generals a lot as well, but I do try to keep them alive. I just don't like the notion of a general who has to hide behind his troops.

[SinerAthin]

Hahahahaha! Yeah that does happen to me from time to time. I've had this one useless general on mine who's been on death row for like 5 battles already. I still refuse to grant him a better fate, but he just won't die!! And I'm now playing as Kiev, which has relatively weak general units. Lol in one battle I took out the enemy's heavy cav with him, then rammed him into the main battle line of spearmen in like the first half of the battle. By the time the battle was over, there was still his 1 unit left, the general himself, still fighting spearmen just before they routed.

And not just that, after the battle, half his bodyguard healed! So he was ready to play heavy cav again in the next battle.

I use my good generals a lot as well, but I do try to keep them alive. I just don't like the notion of a general who has to hide behind his troops.

Are you sure to have checked his traits to see if he's got any connections to Chuck Norris?

[HolyDevil]

thats why any "jinete-like" unit will pwn any unit if you use lots of them, only problem is their very short supply of javelins ><, still they are useful to afterwards pursue archers/flanking tactics

[Fakir]

By the way, I meant that I use "bad" generals as heavy cav. The forum replaced my curse word of choice with that smiley face.

[Arker]

Back in 6.0, I had this English prince who was dangerously mad. Even before he became Prince, I sent him flying into rebel armies, but the bastard just wouldn't die. Ended up becoming a good general due to all the heroic victories.