AI spending 22k on trade company investments and 0 on buildings

[comagoosie]

Little fun fact that I discovered is that the AI (especially Spain) over prioritizes trade company investments.

The below screenshot is from a typical mid 1600's 1.30.6 game where the AI spends way more on trade company investments than buildings (while also paying a lot in interest)

Every TC region has all investments:

Since spain doesn't spend money on buildings they have very few non-tc buildings

This doesn't seem to be an isolated incident (checked with multiple saves including 1.29).

If you are curious where these graphs are from (as this data is not easily accessible in game), they are from Rakaly, so you can analyze your saves and see if this theory that the AI over prioritizes TC investments holds.

 

[Barbu]

So this is why the spanish holdings are barren when I conquer them. Thanks!

 

[Piotrzeci]

I don't have Dharma so no TC investments, but one thing I've seen when playing as a French colony (kinda felt like trying it) was that France itself wasn't well developed with buildings, but they would still build manufactures in my provinces.

 

[FrogCrusher]

As I said in another thread, the sad thing is that AI doesn't even spend 300ducats for building/upgrading fort in its capital, which should be a priority.

 

[iClipse]

Ohhh, that makes so much sense. France often doesn't build a single building, and I suppose this is why. They should learn colonial AI to upgrade their forts at the very least, but in general, it should look at what gives the most bang for their buck.

 

[Battlex]

Little fun fact that I discovered is that the AI (especially Spain) over prioritizes trade company investments.

The below screenshot is from a typical mid 1600's 1.30.6 game where the AI spends way more on trade company investments than buildings (while also paying a lot in interest)

View attachment 699230

Every TC region has all investments:

View attachment 699232

Since spain doesn't spend money on buildings they have very few non-tc buildings

View attachment 699231

This doesn't seem to be an isolated incident (checked with multiple saves including 1.29).

If you are curious where these graphs are from (as this data is not easily accessible in game), they are from Rakaly, so you can analyze your saves and see if this theory that the AI over prioritizes TC investments holds.

Ddr jake's way of stopping overflow of ducats early on by making AI build buildings that disappear when you conquer them?

 

[cuendillar]

As I said in another thread, the sad thing is that AI doesn't even spend 300ducats for building/upgrading fort in its capital, which should be a priority.

Why is it a good idea to have a fort in the capital? Surely it's better to either have them in a circle defending the entire heartland, or adjacent to the capital to prevent approach. Otherwise, you'll end up with tons of devastation in what's usually among the richest provinces in your nation. Also, capitals are best placed in farmlands or grasslands, which is exactly where you don't want forts.

 

[RichardOlcese]

This is the most technical and statistical post I have ever read about EU4. This thread offers a lot, a lot really. The fact that the AI doesn't build and develop its main provinces, its core lands, shows how much the AI's cleverness needs fixing. Is it possible with this engine? Who knows. Who knows, really. Will they do it? Even try? I don't know. I think not.

 

[EarlKonrad]

This is the most technical and statistical post I have ever read about EU4. This thread offers a lot, a lot really. The fact that the AI doesn't build and develop its main provinces, its core lands, shows how much the AI's cleverness needs fixing. Is it possible with this engine? Who knows. Who knows, really. Will they do it? Even try? I don't know. I think not.

I think it was in 1.23 that they did some changes to AI build logic whereby they would always save a slot for manufactories and prioritize building them. The very next patch it was taken out because the Devs wanted to decrease the amount of ducats that there was in the game.

There is a DD talking about revamping AI build and transport logic from around that time if you are willing to dig it up.

 

[FrogCrusher]

Why is it a good idea to have a fort in the capital? Surely it's better to either have them in a circle defending the entire heartland, or adjacent to the capital to prevent approach. Otherwise, you'll end up with tons of devastation in what's usually among the richest provinces in your nation. Also, capitals are best placed in farmlands or grasslands, which is exactly where you don't want forts.

To avoid losing capital in 2 months with 10 canons in 1680 with imperialism CB. I guess you dont play so far in the game then...

 

[Battlex]

Why is it a good idea to have a fort in the capital? Surely it's better to either have them in a circle defending the entire heartland, or adjacent to the capital to prevent approach. Otherwise, you'll end up with tons of devastation in what's usually among the richest provinces in your nation. Also, capitals are best placed in farmlands or grasslands, which is exactly where you don't want forts.

Because 'holds capital' is a massive modifier on making peace

 

[HeyIAmInfinity]

One of the reason that 1.23 was a better patch, the ai filled every slot, no waste on tc buildings.

Yes there were too many docks, but overall the ai was rich and more challenging.

The outcry about too much gold in the game has seriously damage the ai, that’s not as good as managing its economy (and didn’t solve anything as you can still make a lot of money, just the ai cant now).

Its so annoying to conquer land mid game and see it empty.

 

[EarlKonrad]

One of the reason that 1.23 was a better patch, the ai filled every slot, no waste on tc buildings.

Yes there were too many docks, but overall the ai was rich and more challenging.

The outcry about too much gold in the game has seriously damage the ai, that’s not as good as managing its economy (and didn’t solve anything as you can still make a lot of money, just the ai cant now).

Its so annoying to conquer land mid game and see it empty.

Was there even an outcry about too much money in the game? I don't remember that coming from the community but rather from the Devs. What I do remember we're the players saying that the changes at the time would impact the AI much more than the players (which it did).

 

[FrogCrusher]

Was there even an outcry about too much money in the game? I don't remember that coming from the community but rather from the Devs. What I do remember we're the players saying that the changes at the time would impact the AI much more than the players (which it did).

I guess you forgot then. There were tons of threads saying there is too much money in the game. DDR Jake or Wiz even created a thread asking for suggestions to decrease amount of money.
As an example: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/too-much-money-in-game-now.1056840/

 

[cuendillar]

To avoid losing capital in 2 months with 10 canons in 1680 with imperialism CB. I guess you dont play so far in the game then...

I most definitely do. By that time, however, I have almost invariably secured chokepoints for mountain forts that keep the enemies getting anywhere near my capital and enough income to pay for it. For example: 2 mountain forts can keep all of Iberia safe, Italy requires 4 in the alps (3 if accepting one on farmlands), even countries like Hungary don't require that many to set up an impenetrable perimeter. Of course, the former cases presumes naval supremacy or at least the ability to smash attempted landings but that should be a given anyway.

Sure, if there's no way to protect the capital from a distance I could see fortifing the capital as useful but that's really a last resort or something to opt for when intentionally playing with an absolutely minimal amount of forts.

 

[Kimbole]

I most definitely do. By that time, however, I have almost invariably secured chokepoints for mountain forts that keep the enemies getting anywhere near my capital and enough income to pay for it. For example: 2 mountain forts can keep all of Iberia safe, Italy requires 4 in the alps (3 if accepting one on farmlands), even countries like Hungary don't require that many to set up an impenetrable perimeter. Of course, the former cases presumes naval supremacy or at least the ability to smash attempted landings but that should be a given anyway.

Sure, if there's no way to protect the capital from a distance I could see fortifing the capital as useful but that's really a last resort or something to opt for when intentionally playing with an absolutely minimal amount of forts.

Yeah if you’re a player. The AI on the other hand will absolutely let you waltz in from land or sea to take an undefended capital.

 

[FrogCrusher]

I most definitely do. By that time, however, I have almost invariably secured chokepoints for mountain forts that keep the enemies getting anywhere near my capital and enough income to pay for it. For example: 2 mountain forts can keep all of Iberia safe, Italy requires 4 in the alps (3 if accepting one on farmlands), even countries like Hungary don't require that many to set up an impenetrable perimeter. Of course, the former cases presumes naval supremacy or at least the ability to smash attempted landings but that should be a given anyway.

Sure, if there's no way to protect the capital from a distance I could see fortifing the capital as useful but that's really a last resort or something to opt for when intentionally playing with an absolutely minimal amount of forts.

See @Kimbole answer. You're a human, we are talking about AI.

 

[EarlKonrad]

I guess you forgot then. There were tons of threads saying there is too much money in the game. DDR Jake or Wiz even created a thread asking for suggestions to decrease amount of money.
As an example: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/too-much-money-in-game-now.1056840/

Guess I did. Thx for the link.

 

[Milchshakee]

Is this behaviour somehow tweakable using mods?

 

[makaramus]

I don't have Dharma so no TC investments, but one thing I've seen when playing as a French colony (kinda felt like trying it) was that France itself wasn't well developed with buildings, but they would still build manufactures in my provinces.

that can be fine, colonial nations tend to have very good products compared to european buildings, if they get %50 of its value it will be just as good like building at their own nation + their subject grows stronger