Best submod to slow down AI expansion?

[AS1606]

Looking for the best mod to slow down the rate at which some of the AI factions expand but tries to keep everything else as similar as vanilla DEI as possible

For example in a Rome (M/M difficulty), whilst bogged down in the punic wars, by the time I had established a foothold in Africa at bout 70 to 90 turns...

- Egypt had taken all of Syria, some of Mesopotamia and Asia
- One of the Spanish factions had taken all of Spain except the settlements owned by Carthage, and was making headway into Gaul
- Athens had taken all of Macedon, Illyria, and some of Thrace and Pannonia

I've tried the expansion limiter submod - and whilst it seems like a really cool idea being based on imperium level and having factions locked to their cultural regions - I didn't like how this was achieved through auto resolve bonuses, so full stacks of my allies attacking an empty Carthaginian settlement would loose because the sub mod doesn't want them to expand into that area of the map. I've also read in the comments on steam workshop that this mod isn't as good for when you aren't playing as Rome, and I'd like something that will also work for my next campaign as a different faction

I'm currently trying the version of the official softcore sub mod that makes the AI less aggressive but doesn't include all the other changes included in the full version. But I cant work out if this only changes the AI aggression towards me, and not towards other AI factions. I'm also not keen on how easier I can conduct diplomacy and find myself having to choose not to make certain treaties to not make things too easy

I haven't tried TPY submods as I assume this would slow down both the rate the AI and myself expands, which isn't want I'm looking for

So is there anything that will achieve this or is it not possible with how certain things are built into the game?

[♔Greek Strategos♔]

Hi, AS1606!

Well, both the expansion limiter, the official soft-core and the various TPY submods are the most common solutions for a slower paced game. We can't really do great things with the Campaign's AI (Total War isn't famous for it's balanced, clever AI anyways).
You can also check Jake's submods which if I remember correctly are more turtle like mods. You can find them here. I don't think it's fully updated atm though, so you can try asking in it's thread.

[AS1606]

Hi, AS1606!

Well, both the expansion limiter, the official soft-core and the various TPY submods are the most common solutions for a slower paced game. We can't really do great things with the Campaign's AI (Total War isn't famous for it's balanced, clever AI anyways).
You can also check Jake's submods which if I remember correctly are more turtle like mods. You can find them here. I don't think it's fully updated atm though, so you can try asking in it's thread.

Thanks for the tips! I'll have a look at Jake's mods

Do you by any chance know if the reduced aggression in the softcore mod is just AI vs player, or also AI vs AI?

[♔Greek Strategos♔]

Thanks for the tips! I'll have a look at Jake's mods

Do you by any chance know if the reduced aggression in the softcore mod is just AI vs player, or also AI vs AI?

No problem.
I think it's vs player only, but I'll recheck and get back to you.

[AS1606]

No problem.
I think it's vs player only, but I'll recheck and get back to you.

Perfect, thank you!

[♔Greek Strategos♔]

Perfect, thank you!

Ok, according to Jake the default soft-core submod, is VS player only.
You can ofc play-check and use whatever choice suits you best.
CAI only aggression or No CA aggression.

[Moonflower]

Slow AI expansion is a goal for me too, so I will probably release a submod w my tweaks soon, after more testing.

Right now Im testing on:
--Tweaked auto-resolve values.
(Rome only has a minor advantage over all factions, and all major factions only have a slight advantage over minor factions. Expansion occurs, but MUCH slower as rome and major factions can actually lose even-matched battles, now. Rome for example is not keen on early northern expansion bc it relies on celtic trading partners to first secure italy.)
--12tpy (w dei 12tpy mod for proper aging and historical events),
--reduced movement points for armies and navies, increased movement for generals and agents, ( a brand new army marching from Carthage to Hadrumetum/thapsos will take you one turn/one game month.)
--increased army/navy unit recruitment cost by 300%, mercs 150%, buildings 100%; factions now actually VALUE trading partners bc every coin now actually matters, too.
(~50 turns as carthage, 16k income per turn is still not enough time and money for me to make several stacks quickly and Gifting/sweetening deals w money to factions is more valued now too bc building and recruitment cost is higher.)
--increased recruitment points for navy and army; every region/province can produce at least 2 army units per turn, but rome can still recruit more in one turn than anyone.
--tweaked army composition values: greek and roman armies hire more mercenaries than before--this helps stabilize the Seleucids and Ptolemaics and adds a degree more realism in that large, rich and powerful factions were indeed dependent on mercenaries to make war.
--tweaked stances: raiding gives more income so barbarian armies and greek navies actually use raiding tactics. gave garrison stance much stronger buffs w +30% morale, etc, and tweaked deployable defenses to be culture specific (example: rome more barricades; barbarians more spike traps). rome's fortified stance is now slightly stronger so they use the stance more often.
--changed some garrison units that didnt make sense (eg carthage now has archers instead of javelinmen [as if the city of carthage would only defend itself w spear chuckers! lol! u so funny dei ]; rome has archers instead of slingers and has more town guard [rorarii] instead of armed mobs)
--reduced the ammunition and accuracy of slingers in cultures where slingers werent well known for skill (you wont see rome or celts/gauls spamming slingers, they now choose to recruit a better diversity of troops)
--tweaked culture occupation priorities and options so expansion is more historically logical: each culture can use all diplomatic options, but each culture features distinct decision making when conquering a region; EXAMPLE: barbarians/nomads *more likely* to sack, Rome is *more likely* to conquer, greeks *more likely* to liberate, and east is *more likely* to subjugate. I've also seen rome make client states of factions like epeiros and etruria, but Rome usually still conquers them outright. (It seems the AI weighs decision making differently depending on potential net positive and negative gains, and as recruitment is tweaked, they behave a bit more rationally imo in diplomacy; Massalia for example, surrounded by mostly enemies/different cultures, will now insist on making an ally out of the Volcae or Ligurians, one way or another, because it knows it cant by itself raise the forces it needs for defense AND for expansion. You will not see standalone, single region factions creating stacks and stacks.)
--tweaked cultural affinities slightly so shared culture factions will be more likely to be peaceable than warring. different cultures would much rather fight each other than their own, but only if it's a fight they think they can win (the tribes of spain arent fond of carthage, but bc they are unsure of their victory over carthage, they choose to fight each other first, to amass more power before taking on carthage!)
--AI more likely to create/ form ***STRATEGIC*** alliances for mutual defense and offense.

im probably forgetting a few minor adjusments... but those are the main changes.

And I have to say, I am very much enjoying the results so far.

AS1606, thanks for sharing that pirates begone mod

[Jake Armitage]

nice
have fun

[Aurelianus753]

nice
have fun

Hello Jake. I remember that once you made dei submod that removes civil war. When you have time, could you please update it to 1.3 version?

[Jake Armitage]

doesn't need an update