Understanding diplomacy

[Archesel]

Hello,

As the title says, i want to discuss with you about how AI nations behave. Maybe the majority of you know that AI are despicable traitors, they are used to backstab you when you are allied with them, and nothing can make them not attack if you share borders...

Even with Alexander, which is said to have a far better AI than vanilla, computer plays like this. In a recent (Total Realism with alexander) campaign, i was playing Sarmatians (= scythians in vanilla), thrace was my ally since the beginning of the game (mod feature), but attacked me for no evident reason. I don't remember the campaign difficulty, but i think this occurs in Hard like in Medium.

So it's up to you: let's share your remarks, impressions...

[vavaboom]

In multiple game the AI has been sieging a city of mine, demanded I become their protectorate, I accept, then they immediately re-siege the city. Sometimes there is a semblence of diplomacy and negotiation which is enjoyable when it works. For example, when playing as the Britons, Germania was sieging Samarobriva. They demanded I give it to them in a diplomacy meeting (even tho they could take it by force) and instead I offered them it, in return for Trier and Batavadorum. They counter-offered these 2 cities in return for Samarobriva and 1000 Denarii tribute for 2 turns. I accepted.

Occassionally you can get them to barter like this, however, in terms of alliances the AI is especially broken. It's worse on higher difficulties too. Basically, you have to view every neighboring AI faction as an enemy and somewhere you are going to eventually expand into.

[John Adams]

Hello,

As the title says, i want to discuss with you about how AI nations behave. Maybe the majority of you know that AI are despicable traitors, they are used to backstab you when you are allied with them, and nothing can make them not attack if you share borders...

Even with Alexander, which is said to have a far better AI than vanilla, computer plays like this. In a recent (Total Realism with alexander) campaign, i was playing Sarmatians (= scythians in vanilla), thrace was my ally since the beginning of the game (mod feature), but attacked me for no evident reason. I don't remember the campaign difficulty, but i think this occurs in Hard like in Medium.

So it's up to you: let's share your remarks, impressions...

When I play as the Romans (the Brutii I believe), I try for an alliance with Macedon so that I only have to fight the Greeks and not both the Macedonians and the Greeks together. Generally speaking in most of the games I've played the alliance works out and Macedonia does not betray me even when we boarder our settlements, and I have captured Athens. With no way to expand to the South, except to fight the Greeks, or me, Macedonia typically goes North and/ or is defeated by Thrace rather quickly (typically they are left with one settlement, although I have seen them expand to a few more then that).
If you do not play too aggressively and hold up alliances I find that the AI is pretty good at not attacking for no reason. Of course, there is no reason to trust an alliance too strongly, and sometimes I have been attacked with no warning. Perhaps it is because I try to gain alliances with only people I haven't fought before, or ones where we have many common enemies.

~John

[Trobalov]

Basically if you fortify your borders well, you can make it harder for the AI to attack you whether allied with it or not. One example is that as Gaul if you just put a bit of army in the bridges connecting you with Julii they will not attack you as fast as they normally would.

Also never sell map information with any neighbors otherwise the backstab will be more than certain when they see some settlements with minimal/no garisson.

Another thing to note is the AI diplomats. If you have several of them near one of your settlements, it means they are very much intersted for it. (basically it is a sign for an attack in the near future most of the times)

[Brusilov]

You may find that the Alexander improvement over previous versions is AI battlefield tactics and not diplomacy. As far as I am aware diplomacy in R:TW is broken (or almost broken). I think that is why there is such a thing as the 'forced diplomacy' mod (or add-on).

Expect everyone to attack you if they can - after all the AI is trying to win as well. This means that a small faction will still attack you if you are the dominant faction in the game.

I tend to build a series of watch towers around my regions (and in them) so there is no area obsured from view. I will build forts and put a single weak unit in them at natural choke points. The idea is to not stop the enemy invasion but to slow it down. I usually have some (full stack) armies to act as a reserve in my home territory and also have smaller armies roaming around to take out any rebels that spawn (which also trains up that reserve army).

If I see an enemy army approach my border I try to send one or two armies to the area. Take that as a warning that the AI will attack you and build up (or relocate) armies for the additional cover.

Yes, the diplomats outside your settlement that seem to be doing some sort of action are actually trying to bribe your settlement. So, make sure you've got a diplomat in that settlement as that makes it more expensive to bribe (do the same thing with armies). I also put spies and assasins in my settlements and armies as well.

I've attached a PDF document that was produced back in 2004 to cover T:TW Diplomacy. I can't recall how helpful it is.

[Archesel]

Also never sell map information with any neighbors otherwise the backstab will be more than certain when they see some settlements with minimal/no garisson.

Oh, that's a mistake i have made in lots of games! Thanks for the advice

Yo
If I see an enemy army approach muy border I try to send one or two armies to the area. Take that as a warning that the AI will attack you and build up (or relocate) armies for the additional cover.

Interesting, if i remember it well, i've ever done this (non intentionnaly, thougth) and it seems it works.


Anyway, playing the classical RTW grand campaign with BI shortcut (in a mod), the AI might accept to become your protectorate if they are in a desperate situation, whereas in RTW it never appeared. Have you ever managed to make a vassal state in RTW?