Many of the most exploitable things currently in the game come from the AI's inability to protect its own interest rather than taking one for the team. The most egregious example is that allies will always fight to the bitter end, even in wars they have no strategic interest in, and even if their situation is becoming more and more unbearable.
The AI should not dispatch troops, or only token forces, if their country doesn't have a direct interest in destroying the target. Players usually don't do that, either - they will accept the call to arms, but they won't help unless it's in their interest to do so (for example, because their ally is losing and they lend a hand to keep them from collapsing). The "I made France my bitch and they kicked the pope's ass for me" gameplay should definitely go.
A second case where the AI doesn't look to its own interests is with peace deals. They will often accept returning cores to countries they have no interest in, or release nations they won't be able to vassalize and would make a questionable ally. The below case is a bit extreme where I needed to go down to 20 provinces to be able to become a republic, but in general the AI should not be willing to spend valuable diplo points just to strengthen a third country, unless maybe if it weakens an important rival and they have no other options to take land. There is also now the overcompensated AI unwillingness to take any non-claimed territory, which is quite frankly ridiculous. Why wouldn't they want a juicy piece of land when there is no risk of a coalition forming at all?
Then there is their behaviour during war. The AI is routinely willing to go far too deep into debt, rather than just signing a peace deal if they are completely beat (which would often be cheaper). They continue building tiny stacks of 1-4 units that are easily wiped by the more powerful opponent, burning ducats all the while. Instead, they should stay put and save up their money, and sign a peace deal if the enemy is willing. Rebuilding is only an option if they have enough lands not threatened by the war to be able to raise a significant stack, and even then only if they will be able to get a significantly larger army than their enemy.
Last, there's the coalition system, which is based on expansion rather than actual power. Unless they could expect to benefit from it somehow, countries shouldn't join a coalition against small countries. They should only do that against potential threats to their well-being, such as big countries that just started another war or conquest.
I realize it's hard to implement something as fuzzy as "their interests", but I feel if the attempt were made to make the AI more sane, the game would become a lot more interesting, especially for small nations which very much hinge on abusing allies for their own gain.
The AI should not dispatch troops, or only token forces, if their country doesn't have a direct interest in destroying the target. Players usually don't do that, either - they will accept the call to arms, but they won't help unless it's in their interest to do so (for example, because their ally is losing and they lend a hand to keep them from collapsing). The "I made France my bitch and they kicked the pope's ass for me" gameplay should definitely go.
A second case where the AI doesn't look to its own interests is with peace deals. They will often accept returning cores to countries they have no interest in, or release nations they won't be able to vassalize and would make a questionable ally. The below case is a bit extreme where I needed to go down to 20 provinces to be able to become a republic, but in general the AI should not be willing to spend valuable diplo points just to strengthen a third country, unless maybe if it weakens an important rival and they have no other options to take land. There is also now the overcompensated AI unwillingness to take any non-claimed territory, which is quite frankly ridiculous. Why wouldn't they want a juicy piece of land when there is no risk of a coalition forming at all?
Then there is their behaviour during war. The AI is routinely willing to go far too deep into debt, rather than just signing a peace deal if they are completely beat (which would often be cheaper). They continue building tiny stacks of 1-4 units that are easily wiped by the more powerful opponent, burning ducats all the while. Instead, they should stay put and save up their money, and sign a peace deal if the enemy is willing. Rebuilding is only an option if they have enough lands not threatened by the war to be able to raise a significant stack, and even then only if they will be able to get a significantly larger army than their enemy.
Last, there's the coalition system, which is based on expansion rather than actual power. Unless they could expect to benefit from it somehow, countries shouldn't join a coalition against small countries. They should only do that against potential threats to their well-being, such as big countries that just started another war or conquest.
I realize it's hard to implement something as fuzzy as "their interests", but I feel if the attempt were made to make the AI more sane, the game would become a lot more interesting, especially for small nations which very much hinge on abusing allies for their own gain.
Last edited:
- 2
Upvote
0