Is it just me or does the AI almost never take settlements?

**droppedthebaby** · May 29, 2018, 05:21 AM

I've been playing as Macedon. Having the best time, but I've noticed that the AI rarely take settlements. By rarely I mean I can only think of two settlements taken by the AI. They will bring multiple stacks and besiege a settlement for ages, bringing the garrison down to nothing and the walls to below 50%, but never take the settlement. AM I the only one whose noticed this? I'm playing on Hard if that matters.

**droppedthebaby** · May 29, 2018, 05:22 AM

The current year is 184BC, so I'm about 80 or so turns in.

**Nochyan** · May 29, 2018, 10:41 AM

Hm, can't say the same from my experience playing as Nabatea, The Seleucids played very aggressively, top dog with ~ 35 settlements and also broke our trade and non aggression pacts and declared war on me, taking some of my settlements in the process.

Could be the AI behaves differently depending on faction?

**asher237** · May 29, 2018, 03:17 PM

I actually quite like the slower pace of nation building compared to vanilla. Reminds me of DeI. I am currently at 182 BC myself and the only places that have changed hands are Carthage (burned to the ground by moi) and the buffer states between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires in anatolia and syria. It's pretty cool.

**RedGuard** · May 29, 2018, 03:58 PM

I think what OP is saying is that the ai very rarely occupies settlements, mostly they just sack them. And this has also been my experience as Rome on Normal/Normal as well. the only settlements I've had taken are Segesta in Spain by a spanish faction. So im wondering if the ai is coded to only grab settlements of thier culture or something.

then again that celtiberian faction with the cross that starts out with tolosa has expanded into gaul and has aquitaine, so it might just be they are very tentative when they take player settlements

**droppedthebaby** · May 30, 2018, 02:33 AM

Originally Posted by RedGuard

I think what OP is saying is that the ai very rarely occupies settlements, mostly they just sack them. And this has also been my experience as Rome on Normal/Normal as well. the only settlements I've had taken are Segesta in Spain by a spanish faction. So im wondering if the ai is coded to only grab settlements of thier culture or something.

then again that celtiberian faction with the cross that starts out with tolosa has expanded into gaul and has aquitaine, so it might just be they are very tentative when they take player settlements

That's exactly it. They seem to besiege for ~10 turns and then disappear. I like the slower pace, but now that I'm in to the steamroll stage, I'm destroying Rome while they keep multiple stacks in northern Italy and for some reason won't reinforce their settlements and although the Seleucids are still the most powerful, not by much and they aren't expanding. I love this mod. It feels awesome to play my favourite time frame and I love how difficult the economy is, how patient you have to be. The mid-late game for TW is always a steamroll ever since Rome 2, so it's suffering that right now. The timid AI is just contributing to that.

**asher237** · May 29, 2018, 07:41 PM

Oh totally. I get sacked up the wazoo, though Liguria switched hands a few times. But that was against other cisalpine factions.

**stevehoos** · May 30, 2018, 12:12 AM

Had a bizarre scenario playing as Pergamon. The Seleucids sieged Nicomedia with three giant armies, I was waiting for them with a huge army and a formidable garrison, but not enough to hold them off. The 3 armies waited 7 turns, then proceeded to leave for no apparent strategic reason. This has to be looked at, the AI is breaking off sieges in odds where the outcome is not in doubt. In fact it did this twice in a row. This will be too easy with bailouts like this.

**Fraxinicus** · May 30, 2018, 12:20 AM

Is it possible that some of the economic changes are messing with the AI's calculations? They might be seeing the huge upkeep costs on buildings and concluding that it isn't worth taking the city.

**General Grievous** · May 30, 2018, 01:10 AM

well, i must be disagree with you, in my game. I'm playing as Macedonia.
Dacians are dead, Rhodes is dead.
Ptolemy took several settlements in Anatolia.
Rome (the city) has fallen. Celtic factions share 80% of Italic peninsula.
Numidian are dead...

And this is the only things i saw, but i have many messages from factions that die or emerge...

After all, my game is more dynamic than a vanilla one!