Better AI Recruitment

[Hunor]

thx the help mate. Happy Xmas!

[MKeogh]

I consider this mod indispensable as to improving the campaign. I routinely encounter AI armies packed with heavy infantry that can inflict serious damage. However, I have noticed that the AI does not seem to be recruiting any artillery units. It is 60 BC in my VH Roman grand campaign and I have seen only one (1) AI army that had a single artillery unit. And that doesn't even really count because that single artillery unit was captured from one of my defeated legions. It certainly doesn't appear that the AI is recruiting artillery. I don't know whether it's this mod causing it or some issue with the vanilla AI.

The AI not recruiting artillery certainly makes life easier for me because each of my legions always has two ballistae units and the BAI has been programmed to attack if it's at a disadvantage in artillery regardless if it is on the "defensive" or not. (This is a holdover from the BAIs of Empire and Napoleon- if you have more guns than the BAI then it will attack you on the battlefield even if the player initiated the battle on the campaign map.) So, every battle in which my army has two ballistae I can just sit back and wait for the BAI to advance. It doesn't matter if it's on the defensive or positioned on good defensive ground because it's programmed to attack rather than sit back and be pummeled at long range without the ability to reply. (This made a little more sense in Empire or Napoleon where artillery ammunition was unlimited, but not so much in Rome 2.) The game would be a bit more challenging if AI armies didn't always concede the artillery advantage to me.

So, my questions are: 1) am I the only one experiencing the AI not recruiting artillery and 2) is it this mod that is causing the issue?

[Litharion]

So, my questions are: 1) am I the only one experiencing the AI not recruiting artillery and 2) is it this mod that is causing the issue?

I have drastically reduced AI recruitment of artillery. Barbarian factions will not recruit any at all. All other factions have very low priorities.

[MKeogh]

I have drastically reduced AI recruitment of artillery. Barbarian factions will not recruit any at all. All other factions have very low priorities.

Thanks for answering my question which certainly explains why I never see AI armies with any artillery. (I didn't know this mod limited artillery recruitment so drastically which also appears to make the use of the "No Barbarian Artillery" mod superfluous.)

As I said, though, the AI not bringing artillery to the battlefield gives the player a BIG advantage. Unless the player artificially limits his own artillery use then he'll almost never have to attack on the battlefield. The BAI will even abandon field fortifications and go on the attack if the player brings more artillery. This has been one of the biggest exploits of CA's BAI since Empire. Doesn't matter if you're the actual attacker: if you brought more guns and then all you have to do is just sit back and wait.....

The solution, of course, is not recruit my own artillery, but I LIKE using artillery in my battles! They're part of the game! So, I'm disappointed to hear this mod limits AI artillery recruitment so drastically. (Granted I don't want to ever see stacks of almost all artillery as we occasionally saw in Empire, but the AI virtually never recruiting ANY is just as extreme.)

[Litharion]

I will certainly not add artillery to Barbarian factions, I will however take a closer look at greek/eastern and the roman factions

[kruma]

This mod is better loaded before or after the " Better Aggresive CAI v2" ?

[Litharion]

This mod is better loaded before or after the " Better Aggresive CAI v2" ?

it does not matter at all. Both mods should work great together.

[Celtik]

it does not matter at all. Both mods should work great together.

Actually it does matter as both mods change the following parameters:
- RECRUITMENT_ARMY_CATEGORY_BASE
- RECRUITMENT_MINIMUM
- RECRUITMENT_NAVY_CATEGORY_BASE
- BASE_CONSTRUCTION_BIAS

They work together alright but one will overwrite these parameters over the other. I suggest you to load Better AI Recruitment before.

[Litharion]

okay, thank you

[Iz_IP 8]

I'm happy that your mod decreased the ai artillery thanks to you. Great factions now recruits better armies but still a bit disappointing sometimes. While the medium and smaller ones still recruiting levy and other low end units even if i reached turn 120. To be honest Most of the factions recruit bad units. Your mod is working i'm sure. The main problem is the ai can't afford elite units and ESPECIALLY HE CAN'T DISBAND HIS OLD WEAK ARMIES. This is a huge problem since med 2. I'm playing on hard with aggressive AI mod.

[Litharion]

...ESPECIALLY HE CAN'T DISBAND HIS OLD WEAK ARMIES. This is a huge problem since med 2...

yeah, nothing I can do about it.

[SharpEyed]

yeah, nothing I can do about it.

will u be doing the same detailed mod for Attila as well?

[Litharion]

will u be doing the same detailed mod for Attila as well?

As soon as I have a few hours of free time

[SharpEyed]

As soon as I have a few hours of free time

I see

Actually AI recruitment is better with Attila than R2 i guess, but could be better