Nobody at war : boring campaign

[MikeFriks]

Hi everyone, I discovered this beautiful mod recently, and after having a short test with Sicilia to try mechanics, I am now doing a french campaign.

The problem now is that AI is absolutely doing nothing, nobody is doing wars, even between different religions. As I am bordered by same religion countries, I can't attack to avoid the risk of excommunication... The "Total War" name is just a name finally.

After 50 turns and all rebel cities wiped, it is kinda boring to move forward. I even tempted the IA to attack me by leaving a city unprotected, but nothing happened.
I played the great other mod named SSHIP before, where AI tends to be more agressive, so I prefer to ask here if it is normal behavior scripted by the mod or a bug ?

I am playing medium difficulty, as recommended by commentary that I read. It may be the explanation ?

[Elendil 03]

Which version are you playing? I recommend you to try the Enhanced submod with Piter AI on hard difficulty. Be warned, though, the turn times are quite long (but absolutely worth it).
Btw, the pope won't excommunicate you just for starting a war with your catholic neighbors. Rather, he'll demand you to stop attaking them for a certain number of turns, bur even then, you're still allowed to continue sieges and take settlements by defeating sorties. The same is true for defensive wars. Papal favor can be restored by bribes monetary donations. Also, if you're excommunicated, you can still choose to set up an Antipope, thus forming a new religion.

[Jurand of Cracow]

Well, attack yourself ;-)

I always play Med2 mods in Very Hard, there're some hardcoded mechanics that make the play more interesting.

IIRC, the first 30 turns the AI is forbidden to attacke, in the BC.

[MikeFriks]

Thanks to both of your for your advices, I had installed the enhanced version if I did not mistake.
About the Piter AI, I indeed read about yesterday, but it required a new campaign so I will continue my current one a bit (with agressive stance), and if nothing move enough, I will give it a try for sure !

And as you said Jurand, I will probably increase the difficulty if I relaunch a new campaign, as when I played SSHIP before.

[MikeFriks]

I launched a new session, already at war with 2 countries it was quick and indeed, from the turn 30 ! I am glad to have prepared armies before because it is heavy attacks.

Sorry for this open thread, I should have been more patient !

[Jurand of Cracow]

Just write us how it was later on. What's good, what's not.

[MikeFriks]

Honestly, it went very bad, England and Pisa (which had taken 2 regions in south of me) declared war on me, I fought with many amazing battles but their army stacks (kinda Divide et Impera feelings) which never ended pushed me to moved almost everything to the west front. As I was in huge money dept due to successive sieges in every turn (I broke them, but following army stacks...), I could not recruit more.
My ally, HRE, betrayed me and attacked 3 castles/cities in same time. I was positively impressed by the strategy, it was the first time I saw it on Med 2. But being stabbed by an ally is a huge malus. I could of course predict this betrayal, I saw the armies slowly approaching the frontier, but I had still hope.

I had to give up my current campaign, I will start again of course, as now I know that I have to prepare myself for turn 30 with much more units and economical buildings.

And I was just playing in medium. Honestly, if the HRE did not betrayed me (I trusted him as an ally), I could kicked the english and pisa "easily". English especially had empty castles near my frontier, with armies spreading everywhere. Quite a pain to catch them and avoid sieges. I forgot which mod it was, but one avoiding such a betrayal by keeping strong and faithful ally for a long while.

Oh, to talk more positive about the mod, the unit skins are so beautiful, not AI related but it was a pure pleasure to fight on the battlefield and using GEM.