Picking on the little guy?

[Kepheren]

I wonder if anyone else has noticed something that I'm experiencing in my current game. In this one I'm Holland, working my way up to being the Netherlands, and allied with France, Scotland, Bavaria and the Papal State. Our alliance has been in three major wars in the last 25 years, twice against Burgundy and her allies and once against Austria and their allies.

The confusing thing is that once the war starts nearly all enemy forces come streaming towards the low countries while my allies attack their homelands. Not sure why that is but it's been the same each time. Those armies avoid stacks that are coming to siege their own provinces and kill my small army. Once that is done they then start sieges on my four provinces to the exclusion of anything else.

Is there something in the programming that makes them primarily fight the player position now? Or is everyone just so afraid of France that they will go to the ends of the earth to avoid their forces. Logic would seem to dictate that they would defend their own lands instead of running all over the place to engage the weakest enemy exclusively.

True, I've been on the winning side of all three wars after France and the others crush their countries. Hell, I've even gotten some land out of it. Thing is it just doesn't feel like that is the way it's supposed to work and it's playing hell on my manpower.

Any thoughts?

 

[giovdb]

Must be same reason why every world war they ALWAYS go for the low countries first. Lol. Must be the flat terrain, no defense modifiers, and yes, running away from France. I don't have an answer as to how things are programmed, but historically and geographically, it makes sense

 

[Kepheren]

Makes sense for Austrians march all the way through Germany to fight a small enemy in Holland while their provinces are carpet bombed? I don't know about that but it makes as much sense as anything I've come up with....lol

 

[Dominion]

AI nations always go for the easiest target.

"Easy" usually means "the weakest accessible capital fort".

 

[PhoenixG]

Also most likely you're the weakest in your alliance chain. As in fielding the least troops.

 

[Sfan]

That's also what a player would do, right? Stackwipe the weakest member and carpetsige them to remove an army from the war, and if possible to separate peace them.

 

[Kepheren]

That's also what a player would do, right? Stackwipe the weakest member and carpetsige them to remove an army from the war, and if possible to separate peace them.

No, not necessarily. If I had been Austria in that last war I think that the better way to go would be to avoid the French army but stay close to Austrian provinces. The French had been in two wars in rapid succession and had high WE and low manpower (by French standards anyway) If they let the French take a province and then followed behind to liberate it when the enemy moved on they could have drug the war on till French WE and manpower were critical and they sought peace.

Oh well, just my two cents worth anyway. The AI moves in mysterious ways.

 

[tnlyons]

Strategically speaking in almost every game it's better to take out the minions (you) before the big boss (France). I'm sure the AI are programmed similarly. As others have already stated.

 

[Manic Eskimo]

Also if Austria is feeling outmatched by France they might be trying to avoid a direct fight because they think they would lose. It's the reason you see stacks running away to remote corners of your empire to siege provinces.

 

[Sfan]

No, not necessarily. If I had been Austria in that last war I think that the better way to go would be to avoid the French army but stay close to Austrian provinces. The French had been in two wars in rapid succession and had high WE and low manpower (by French standards anyway) If they let the French take a province and then followed behind to liberate it when the enemy moved on they could have drug the war on till French WE and manpower were critical and they sought peace.

Oh well, just my two cents worth anyway. The AI moves in mysterious ways.

Question of playstyle I guess. Imo, you have way more impact on Enthusiasm, WS and general strategy by removing the entire army of a belligerant definitely. There's nothing worse in a war than a minor running around and carpetsieging you for no reason because you decided not to wipe him early on.