Does the AI cheat when hiring mercenaries?

[Enoch Root]

When playing as Apulia and trying to conquer Sicily, the Sheikh of Palermo pulls gigantic armies out of nowhere:

I don't think he should be able to pull 6000 soldiers out of Palermo alone when the entirety of Apulia can barely muster 1200 at this stage. Granted, Sicily is much richer, but it still is a big gap. At this stage of the game only great kings can afford armies this size, but certainly not one of several sheiks in Sicily. I had this happen to me a couple of times in the demo, and then after retrying a couple of times he fielded more reasonable armies around 1500 men, which fit the total levies I can see in his county information screen. I thought those could be hired mercs, but he has around 120 gold, which, AFAIK, isn't nearly enough to hire around 4000 mercenaries, nor does he seem to lose any gold after hiring them. He has no allies, either, so I have no idea what's going on.

The game is brilliant in every way, but I have found this frustrating if it is not a bug. It is either some game mechanic that I haven't been able to decipher, or the AI cheating in a really blatant way by either fielding gigantic armies that have nothing to do with the county statistics or getting mercs for free.

 

[Rambo]

Actually he can pull that many. Just check the province and it will tell you how many he can field there. Palermo is very rich and has a lot more developed provinces than Italy. I think the only cheat the AI does is that it does not lose its armies when it has no money, like the player. And I think every paradox game has been that way because the AI cannot manage money good enough to keep it's armies fielded otherwise.

 

[Enoch Root]

Actually he can pull that many. Just check the province and it will tell you how many he can field there. Palermo is very rich and has a lot more developed provinces than Italy. I think the only cheat the AI does is that it does not lose its armies when it has no money, like the player. And I think every paradox game has been that way because the AI cannot manage money good enough to keep it's armies fielded otherwise.

At this point Palermo can field 1200 men according to the county information window. In fact, I played the conquest of Sicily many times in the demo and most of the time he fielded armies around that size. The fact 2-province Palermo should be able to field slightly more men than 8-province Apulia should account for the economic difference between both realms, but I still think 6000 men is a ludicrous number.

Even if this was working as designed, it would make the conquest of Sicily within the historical timeframe impossible.

 

[Rambo]

No it wouldn't i have done it, with Salerno no less. Just wait till he is occupied in another war, and in the meanwhile save your money for war, and when the time is right, hire mercenaries.

Edit: not to mention you can also get allies, and hire the holy orders later in the game.

 

[Moezken]

Those 6000+ guys are the Hashishim, a holy order the Emir can hire for 90 piety. You have to take him out before he gets that much. It's doable, especially if you declare on day one.

 

[Enoch Root]

I know that, I would just like an explanation of where those extra thousands of men come from, why they seem to appear randomly and whether it is a bug or not. There isn't much point in waging war if everyone is just going to field randomly large armies that appear to have nothing to do with what their economy allows.

Those 6000+ guys are the Hashishim, a holy order the Emir can hire for 90 piety. You have to take him out before he gets that much. It's doable, especially if you declare on day one.

Thanks I didn't know the muslims could have holy orders active from the start.

 

[Poddster]

Actually he can pull that many. Just check the province and it will tell you how many he can field there. Palermo is very rich and has a lot more developed provinces than Italy. I think the only cheat the AI does is that it does not lose its armies when it has no money, like the player. And I think every paradox game has been that way because the AI cannot manage money good enough to keep it's armies fielded otherwise.

If you're talking about AI mercs abandoning then enemy, then I think you're wrong. I've had my own mercs abandon me and join the enemy then a few months later defect back when they couldn't pay either! I've also had some come over to my side that I didn't hire.