Which CAI difficulty level do you typically play at, and why?

[Calypze]

I have so far played at medium, thinking of switching to hard as I saw that it was the recommended one, but my impression from posts here is that the AI will then be much more aggressive and back-stab you at any opportunity, which I don't think is really historical, and which sounds a lot like the RTW engine, in which diplomacy was virtually useless as the AI would sooner or later attack you if you shared borders, no matter your diplomatic relations.

I recall in my recent KH campaign (medium CAI difficulty), me and the Ptolemaioi were allies for well over a century, cooperating against the Seleukeia. It was only after I started to purchase their provinces on the Anatolian peninsula that they for some reason grew sour and back-stabbed me. Would this kind of long-term alliance despite shared borders be possible on the hard CAI?

Which CAI difficulty level do you typically play at, and why?

[benyben]

The first and most obvious difference is that on medium difficulty, AI will not recruit mercenaries, but on hard they will. I personally don't think that this is a necessary buff for the AI as they already receive money through scripts which is why in my current campaign, Pergamon, which only controls Rodos, has three full stacks around it, not including a full garrison, which their economy obviously can't sustain without free money that the scripts provide. As for other immediate differences, you get slightly lower income and public order is slightly harder to manage.

As for diplomacy, I can't say much because I haven't seriously compared hard and medium difficulty AI, but I can give a few observations from my current 300+ turn KB campaign on hard. The Sauromatae are the only allies that have never betrayed me, this has been true across multiple KB campaigns, even when I purchase settlements from them. Outside of that, I noticed that certain factions seem to have an "obsession" with certain provinces, for example, Hayastan will always try to take Paniardis, they will walk their army around the Caucasus, ignoring all other settlements along the way, just to get to Paniardis. Pahlava will go around the Caspian Sea to try and take Kabalaka, and Pontos will always try to take Sinope. My guess is that if you want to maintain alliances, you would probably want to steer clear of the settlements that they want.

[Shoebopp]

Your fears about Hard-mode CAI are correct. In 2.35a, for example, when playing as Hayastan, the scripted alliance with the Seleucids simply no longer works. Even if you pay tribute, AI Seleucids will invade your kingdom as early as turn 30. Then again, playing on Normal-mode might be too easy, since the AI cannot purchase mercenaries, rebels can't attack your cities, and AI factions expand much slower. It's your call - play Hard-mode for a more difficult experience, and Normal-mode for a more relaxed one

[Jurand of Cracow]

Normal-mode might be too easy, since the AI cannot purchase mercenaries, rebels can't attack your cities, and AI factions expand much slower.

I actually have a question to the mod's devs (@z3n, @QS, @?): are these AI capabilities (mercenary recruitment, cities attacked by rebels) hard-coded, or these are scripted in the EBII ?

[Calypze]

Your fears about Hard-mode CAI are correct. In 2.35a, for example, when playing as Hayastan, the scripted alliance with the Seleucids simply no longer works. Even if you pay tribute, AI Seleucids will invade your kingdom as early as turn 30. Then again, playing on Normal-mode might be too easy, since the AI cannot purchase mercenaries, rebels can't attack your cities, and AI factions expand much slower. It's your call - play Hard-mode for a more difficult experience, and Normal-mode for a more relaxed one

It sounds then like the best option would be a combination. The AI should not be so aggressive as to render diplomacy meaningless, but should still be able to recruit mercenaries.

As for rebels attacking your cities, is that really a desirable trait? Certain factions start off with only one settlement, and pretty weak at that, neighboring plenty of big rebel stacks. If those stacks were to attack that settlement...

[z3n]

I actually have a question to the mod's devs (@z3n, @QS, @?): are these AI capabilities (mercenary recruitment, cities attacked by rebels) hard-coded, or these are scripted in the EBII ?

Hard coded.

[Jurand of Cracow]

Hard coded.

thanks!