1.2.X Observation- AI too strong in large countries

[Strager]

Has anyone else noticed that the AI tweaks make fighting larger countries nearly impossible. In my game as Flanders (I released them as a vassal from Burgendy at the start of the game) i'm fighting a medium size Mecklenburg, and even though I control all of France, Burgendy, and Spain, I am having trouble fighting them- My Tech seems about equal with theres, and I have like 10X the troops as them but they cut me down like grass, and when I do win they simply go around me and keep taking my territories faster than I can catch up with them.

I've also noticed that after 100 years of playing or so a lot less small nations survive than did in 1.0 and 1.1 . Just curious if anyone else is seeing the same behavior.

 

[unmerged(8054)]

Has anyone else noticed that the AI tweaks make fighting larger countries nearly impossible. In my game as Flanders (I released them as a vassal from Burgendy at the start of the game) i'm fighting a medium size Mecklenburg, and even though I control all of France, Burgendy, and Spain, I am having trouble fighting them- My Tech seems about equal with theres, and I have like 10X the troops as them but they cut me down like grass, and when I do win they simply go around me and keep taking my territories faster than I can catch up with them.

I've also noticed that after 100 years of playing or so a lot less small nations survive than did in 1.0 and 1.1 . Just curious if anyone else is seeing the same behavior.

Does Mecklemburg have some good generals?

If you have as many troops as you say, then swarm them: If you move in 10x their number of troops, their army will be overrun without any battle.

 

[unmerged(62045)]

I think it is a question of leaders. Smaller countries rack up more tradition than larger countries. Also the AI always seems to have good leaders. I remember a guy named Otto Ketterer of Austria, shock 5, man, 3. He easily killed 10-20k pr battle. Ouch.

 

[unmerged(14922)]

I think it is a question of leaders. Smaller countries rack up more tradition than larger countries. Also the AI always seems to have good leaders. I remember a guy named Otto Ketterer of Austria, shock 5, man, 3. He easily killed 10-20k pr battle. Ouch.

Do you want similar leaders too?
Just start fighting in the HRE.. vassalize the minor states and ally with them.. every year someone will join a war. Fight with them and you'll have a land tradition of 100 after a few years.. then you will have even better generals.. one of mines is fire 5, shock 6 and man 3 or 4 I think.

Back to the original question.. I don't think it's too hard to fight against the AI, but I've noticed too far less small countries around.. I always keep liberating them from Austria or Burgundy, but they always dow one of the two in a few years and get annexed.

 

[Chaingun]

What difficulty are you playing on? Unless on "Very Easy" already, try an easier setting.

 

[SirGrotius]

Has anyone else noticed that the AI tweaks make fighting larger countries nearly impossible. In my game as Flanders (I released them as a vassal from Burgendy at the start of the game) i'm fighting a medium size Mecklenburg, and even though I control all of France, Burgendy, and Spain, I am having trouble fighting them- My Tech seems about equal with theres, and I have like 10X the troops as them but they cut me down like grass, and when I do win they simply go around me and keep taking my territories faster than I can catch up with them.

I've also noticed that after 100 years of playing or so a lot less small nations survive than did in 1.0 and 1.1 . Just curious if anyone else is seeing the same behavior.

1) As others said, Mecklenberg probably has a high military tradition and can bang out really good leaders (check tooltips over their leaders' names when fighting them to see what you're up against).

2) Sounds to me that Mecklenberg is a LUCKY nation which gives them loads of bonuses, including, higher morale.

3) Do they have that improved morale NI?

4) I think you mentioned that you're invading them, and I've found defense is usually easier than offense.

 

[unmerged(72352)]

I've also noticed that after 100 years of playing or so a lot less small nations survive than did in 1.0 and 1.1 . Just curious if anyone else is seeing the same behavior.

Everibody is seeing this. Ming is unstapable, in 50 years of game play u could even see them at the east edge of Europe. In 1.2 the big countryes just get bigger and bigger while the little guys are annexed very fast

 

[Cyrus_The_Great]

Everibody is seeing this. Ming is unstapable, in 50 years of game play u could even see them at the east edge of Europe. In 1.2 the big countryes just get bigger and bigger while the little guys are annexed very fast

Yea the Chinese AI acts nothing like the real emperors did with a relatively conservative rule. In eu2 there were different AI types, For instance here is the china AI type

#
# Europa Universalis.
#
#
# Chinese AI
#
#
# Henrik Fåhraeus 01-10-2001
#
#

continent = { asia }
region = { india indonesia }
area = { Amur Baikal Kazakhstan Formosa Persia Oman Malabar Ceylon Sudan Ethiopia Aden Tanganyika}

# The amount of provinces we try to colonize at the same time
expansion = 1

# % of the time we prefer to establish a tradingpost if both are good.
tradingpost = 95

# Bonus for areas to establish colonies adjacent to previous ones.
neighbour = 10

# Bonus/Penalty for establish colonies adjacent to other countries.
enemies = -1

# 100 = max trader rate, lesser means slower focus on sending a trader.
traders = 100

# 100 = Total monopolist, will refuse trade as much as possible.
monopoly = 25

# 100 = Total warmonger, 0 = absolute pacifist
war = 0
ferocity = no

#if possible we WILL go counter reform
counterreform = no

#Which countries to conquer if possible. (to guide nation historically)
combat = { CHG }

#How important is it to gather troops close to base
base = 0.1
#How important is it to be as close to target position when gathering troops.
front = 5.0

#Evaluation factors for conquer plans
conquer =
{
# multiply enemy province value
enemy = 5.0
# multiplying supply factor
supply = 0.1
# factor for distance to not owner provinces
distance = 0.5
# factor for owned provines
owner = 1.5
# Multiplier for provinces not in supply.
notsupply = 1.0
# Multiplying the base constant for conquer.
base = 1.0
}

# Modifiers for garrison plans
garrison =
{
fortress = 1.0
strategic = 3.0
size = 1.0
supply = 2.0
war = 5.0
}

Look how much this balances out china's power. (countries besides china had this too), but eu3 doesn't wish to go historically. /sigh

 

[Kanaric]

In this patch France UTTERLY dominates Europe and Ming does that to asia.

Russian states never do anything because the hordes are always insane as well.

France routinely conquering a random neighbor without any fight back, german states or aragon in my games, is by far the most annoying. They go all napoleon in 1480 often for me.

Those are the two main things that bothers me. That and the fact that EVERY game china goes nuts. China should decide to conquer asia and form an even great empire on occasion to keep variety, but that shouldn't be the RULE!

 

[unmerged(14922)]

In this patch France UTTERLY dominates Europe and Ming does that to asia.

Russian states never do anything because the hordes are always insane as well.

France routinely conquering a random neighbor without any fight back, german states or aragon in my games, is by far the most annoying. They go all napoleon in 1480 often for me.

Those are the two main things that bothers me. That and the fact that EVERY game china goes nuts. China should decide to conquer asia and form an even great empire on occasion to keep variety, but that shouldn't be the RULE!

In my game France is slaughtering Incas but not doing much in Europe.. There's a rampaging Burgundy instead.

 

[knaak250]

in my games france allway's get's kicked by Spain, or the lesser equilivent, castille/aragon.

as on the ming matter, maybe make manchu and malaka to be permanent lucky nations?
in my current game i have a lucky manchu and malaka and they kept Ming from expending just perfectly.

 

[comagoosie]

well it is not excatly how you describe it, a little the other way. for expamle I am russia with a good 58 provinces under my command and my neighbor the timiruid empire with 62. that sounds like what is being described but there is a lot more teaming up against larger nations. Sibir declared war on me and immediatly so did the timiruid empire, crimea, poland, teutonic order, kanzck, and sweden. I had 4 BB points and a flawless record besides collasping lithuania (which collasping nations are very fun but you get a lot of BB points.) So really i don't really know what is the huge problem. Large nations conquer smaller ones that is the way of life, maybe not as frequently as what was described though. All I know is that every game is different and that was how it was designed.

 

[deanwebb]

All I know is that every game is different and that was how it was designed.

Quoted for truth.

Dude, I LOVE the new AI. I had Spain enter a royal marriage with me and then CLAIMED MY THRONE!!!! AWESOME!!!!

The resulting war was bitter, ferocious, and I was glad it resulted in the status quo after I grabbed a few colonies.

Ming is huge, but I don't care. Austria clobbered the Ottomans and left the HRE alone. Love that, too.

When I play the next game, I expect things will be different.

When I get the next patch, things will also be different then.

 

[Gamesguy]

I wish they released 2 different modes for the game. One for a historical play and another for risk type play, with different AIs for each.

In my game its still 1465 and Ming stretches from Korea to the Caspian sea.

 

[Tem_Probe]

If you don't understand why Ming gets huge - try it. I started a game at 1453, and everyone of my neighbors except Manchu and Korea had went to war with me within a few years... and kept coming back to war when truce expired. Now keep in mind I had 0 badboy to start with. So my guess is that Ming is forced to expand by repeatedly thrashing the minors that dow it. To get some peace, I had to create a wall of vassal, and I still got dowed regularly because I hadn't the maps to do that to my Chagatai neighbors, etc. Was working on QFTNW and setting sliders to receive colonist, so I could recruit a conquistador, when I got tired and quit.

 

[Palle]

Has anyone else noticed that the AI tweaks make fighting larger countries nearly impossible. In my game as Flanders (I released them as a vassal from Burgendy at the start of the game) i'm fighting a medium size Mecklenburg, and even though I control all of France, Burgendy, and Spain, I am having trouble fighting them- My Tech seems about equal with theres, and I have like 10X the troops as them but they cut me down like grass, and when I do win they simply go around me and keep taking my territories faster than I can catch up with them.

It must be that their leaders are very good. Just keep fighting and your Miltary Tradition will increase. Wait until it's over 80 and hire a new general then. Just to make sure: have you upgraded your units after reaching new levels of land tech? Does Mecklenburg have cavalry armies and you have infantry armies?

I've also noticed that after 100 years of playing or so a lot less small nations survive than did in 1.0 and 1.1 . Just curious if anyone else is seeing the same behavior.

IMO there are MORE small countries left in 1.2 than in 1.1.

 

[Strager]

Well part of the reason why Ming or Manchu becomes so big so fast is because there is a large pagan nation nearby that they take over quickly.

 

[unmerged(2456)]

...but eu3 doesn't wish to go historically. /sigh

Because it's easy to play around knowing how the AI will respond by always attacking X, never attacking Y, always colonizing X, never Y, etc.

 

[Chaingun]

As for Ming DOWing smaller neighbours: They need some government model which makes DOWing very hard to do (as long as it's possible a human player can also easily be ahistorically aggressive).

As for Ming getting DOWed by smaller neighbours (which then get defeated): Fault of AI's judgement on how large their chance of success is.

 

[DPS]

I'm playing the Ming currently, and I didn't get Dow'ed by all my neighbors near the start of the game. Shoot, most of them were asking to ally with me.