AI medium setting aggressiveness bug?

**EddyP** · February 09, 2012, 04:21 AM

I'm playing on the medium aggressiveness AI setting, but every game I play by turn 15 I'm being attacked by every neighbour I'm not allied to and the Pope demands I stop defending myself at risk of excommunication. Playing as England, I get attacked by Scotland, France, Norway, Leon and Portugal. Playing as HRE by turn 15 I'm being attacked by Hungary, Poland and Genoa, and the only reason the Pope hasn't excommunicated me is that he's my ally (though he's not doing anything about my aggressors). The reason I ask whether or not it's a bug is because I don't see how the AI can get any more aggressive, and this is only the medium setting. However, the AI is only aggressive towards me - in both of my games I'm the only catholic faction at war with other Catholics.

If this isn't a bug, all in all it makes for a pretty boring game - no-one at war with anyone but me, and just me repelling/eventually succumbing to endless stacks of levies because I'm trying to avoid recruiting too many troops so my towns and castles can grow (which, going by the fact that when I captured Edinburgh it had a population of 12000 without the most basic farm and had recently churned out 3000 troops, is yet another area in which the AI receives substantial help).

Is there anyway of either making the AI less aggressive towards me, or making it more aggressive towards everyone else?

**Kaidonni** · February 09, 2012, 05:22 AM

You need to maintain better relations with the factions around you. Pay attention each turn to the diplomacy screen and what your relations with your neighbours are. Gift them gold to keep them happy. Also, not entirely sure if it is connected, but keep an eye on your reputation - don't execute prisoners or sack settlements or exterminate settlements, as those all decrease your reputation, and the AI may respond in a hostile manner towards factions with a low reputation.

Also, your size and power affects how the AI will react. A larger faction will always have a bullseye painted on it. You wouldn't want your neighbours growing too powerful for you to handle, would you?

The reason your settlements grow slower is due to the AI generals having Chivalry boosts to aid them in growing their settlements. It's the AI, it isn't too good at developing infrastructure, so it needs the help. A Human player can manage settlements much better, so we don't really need as much assistance. Try to develop Chivalrous generals, as Chivalry adds to settlement growth (always occupy settlements and release prisoners - ransoming does nothing for your reputation or Chivalry/Dread). I also do not think that default SS 6.4 has population lowering upon recruiting troops, so you don't need to worry about that.

I play with Gracul's AI, the most aggressive, and the AI doesn't declare war like there's no tomorrow. It's all in how you handle your relations with your neighbours and how powerful you are. Not to mention, if you leave settlements on your border relatively undefended, the AI may see that as an invitation to expanding into your territory. They'll want to head for the easy targets.

**ksenagos** · February 09, 2012, 11:14 AM

1)try getting better relations with every one
2)get some alliances early on.
3)you are probably not strong enough that's why they gang up on you like that
4)Bribe the Pope

And something else.If you attack other a catholic army that invades YOUR lands it is not considered act of aggression so you don't get excom.The pope orders do not prevent you from defending but only from invading other Catholics lands

**Kaidonni** · February 09, 2012, 12:00 PM

Do be careful about fighting the enemy in your own territory. Up to a point the Pope will allow it, but eventually your relations and Papal crosses do suffer even from acts of defense. At least, that's how it goes for me.

**ksenagos** · February 09, 2012, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by Kaidonni

Do be careful about fighting the enemy in your own territory. Up to a point the Pope will allow it, but eventually your relations and Papal crosses do suffer even from acts of defense. At least, that's how it goes for me.

Indeed.You might not get excom for defying pope's orders but still your fighting against Catholics so crosses will go down.At zero crosses you usually get excomed

**Kaidonni** · February 09, 2012, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by ksenagos

Indeed.You might not get excom for defying pope's orders but still your fighting against Catholics so crosses will go down.At zero crosses you usually get excomed

And if you're playing as Sicily, the bloomin' scoundrel will attack you with his own forces.

**GiddeeUpp** · February 09, 2012, 12:46 PM

Try the Carl script, changes the AI money script around a bit.

**EddyP** · February 10, 2012, 12:35 AM

Thanks for the advice. I didn't realise that recruiting didn't lower population, so that'll help me raise better and more troops at least. The problem with relations is that my diplomats are usually limited, so I can't really afford to have them not constantly moving towards new factions, especially in the early game. I'll try the release prisoners things though.

**Lowell43** · February 10, 2012, 01:06 AM

I wonder too. I am a long-time Stainless Steel player. This is my first Byzantium game (M/M, Savage AI) in 6.4. All of my neighbors are attacking over and over! All of the Catholic factions HATE me, though I have not attacked or taken a single province from any of them; I prefer to turtle in the West. I have tried bribing the Pope, the Venetians, the Hungarians with hundreds and then thousands of florins for peace, but no luck.

The Crusader States are suicidal in their hatred. I conquered the castle of Aleppo from the Fatimids and then gifted it to the CS plus a tribute of 1000 florins per turn for 10 turns. They still attacked me again within 5 turns. Ironically, the Islamic factions, whom I have attacked (I drove the Turks out of Asia Minor) are the only ones willing to occasionally accept peace and trade.

This is very strange and different from any of my previous Byzantium campaigns, even though I am using roughly the same strategy now as I have previously.

**Caesar Clivus** · February 10, 2012, 01:26 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell43

This is very strange and different from any of my previous Byzantium campaigns, even though I am using roughly the same strategy now as I have previously.

Isn't it better to have campaigns that go differently rather than exactly the same every time?