Battle AI doesn't defend

[Hobbеs]

Hello everyone,

has anyone encountered a similar problem of the AI not defending in battles? I started differented campaigns with the Byzantinians and every faction I encounter starts to run into the attacking armies and their archers instead of waiting for the attack. Its making everything way to easy.

Is this a common problem? Has anyone done some experiments with other AI files?

Thanks for your help!

[Tears of Destiny]

Hello everyone,

has anyone encountered a similar problem of the AI not defending in battles? I started differented campaigns with the Byzantinians and every faction I encounter starts to run into the attacking armies and their archers instead of waiting for the attack. Its making everything way to easy.

Is this a common problem? Has anyone done some experiments with other AI files?

Thanks for your help!

If you have a significantly stronger strength ratio then the AI army, they will wait and defend. Binary situation with no real allowance for random decisions, when it comes to that piece of AI code, if I remember correctly.

[Wismer]

I have also noticed that if you attack with a single stack against two or more full/semi-stacks, the ai will wait for you, even if the odds are 50/50. had that situation pop up unexpectedly last night. anyone else notice that?

[Tomato_Sandwich]

I've always thought that if you out-do the ai on range troops of any kind they will attack no matter what the situation.

[Ichon]

I have also noticed that if you attack with a single stack against two or more full/semi-stacks, the ai will wait for you, even if the odds are 50/50. had that situation pop up unexpectedly last night. anyone else notice that?

Only seems to be true if the AI stacks are almost evenly split 50% each one. If 1 AI stack is much larger than the other it will attack especially if it outnumbers your own army.

If AI has large numbers of archers and few cavalry it will also wait despite having more numbers. Not sure how it calculates gunpowder infantry.

If AI has more cavalry than you it will attack directly with its full force of cavalry but I have seen it hold back and wait when it had as many as 6 cavalry because my army had 10 cavalry. Not sure exactly how much more cavalry your army has to have but its definitely more than 6-5 ratio.

[Chevalier IX]

In several battles using the savage ai the enemy army has maneuvered itself to a defensible position and awaited my attack,keeping their archers in the front and their cavalry prowling the flanks.Only by sending a vanguard of light cavalry to harass their flanks was I able to draw them into battle allowing for my men to assault their lines without being peppered by arrows for the length of the march.even then they advanced their melee units forward and drew back some ways from the main line with their archers to allow for ranged activity despite the melee swirling in the middle.But to the point of the above poster the composition of your forces will impact the AI decision of attack or defend.Naturally if you have mases of archers they are going to try to close the gap immediately

[bɑne]

In several battles using the savage ai

Savage AI in ss_setup.exe = Campaign AI, not Battle AI. 6.3 switches its Battle AIs routinely, only way to have a "fixed" Battle AI is using the default.bat afaik. So it is enterily possible to fight the same battles with different battle behaviour.

[Hobbеs]

Thanks for your answers, I'm a little bit relieved now and do some more testing in my recent games. Its interesting to know how much work was put into the SS Battle AI.

[midget_roxx]

I've seen the AI defend but then you can abuse this espeically on hills because they try to have their entire army facing yours, so if you move your troops around they start to run their troops everywhere tiring them out.

On a side note I've seen the AI use all their arrows before assualting a bridge :O. I was very impressed (and they kept reserve archers so when my archers wasted all their arrows they brought in reinforcements :O)

[Chodetaculous]

I've been having this problem too. I just make my army march forward anyway. There is a bigger problem I've noticed which is the AI's inability to keep its formation. It looks nice and organized when standing still, but as soon as it starts moving it becomes a disorganized mess. Is this just a medieval 2 thing, or is it possible to change a value in the AI files to make them keep their formation (especially their front line?)

[rockman4417]

Also I might be crazy, but it seems like the AI acts more intelligently when it has a general commanding it. Like they prefer to hold back rather than blindly charging in like the dumb captains.

[Chodetaculous]

Also I might be crazy, but it seems like the AI acts more intelligently when it has a general commanding it. Like they prefer to hold back rather than blindly charging in like the dumb captains.

That's another problem, the AI loves to send out full armies with no commanders, which makes 90% of the battles trivial. If they don't have a general, they shouldn't be sending out these armies to assault cities.

[rockman4417]

A huge host of men, but not one decent commander among them. So they all run around like headless chickens...

[Gorrrrrn]

AI uses the old RTW usage of generals - as governors of settlements - rather than generals for battles
UNLESS
they going on crusade / jihad, or they have a surplus of generals.

Generally speaking.

I don't know how to change that unless you want to script even more family members?

(With some mods (such as the RozMods) you'll probably find small factions will have a surplus so use FMs as generals.
especially early on.)

[JorisofHolland]

I read somewhere about the 'Unlimitted Battle Time' button, which should be checked always can solve the problem. Seems the AI doesn't try to rush you when you have battles that last forever.

[Chodetaculous]

I read somewhere about the 'Unlimitted Battle Time' button, which should be checked always can solve the problem. Seems the AI doesn't try to rush you when you have battles that last forever.

This isn't true in my case.