OK, so, I felt like playing a game as Yeren (the green nation in Manchuria) after having a couple of "colonial conquest FTW!!!" endings to my attempts at playing new world nations. Why? Well, they're kinda cool, having the option to reform to Muslim tech while everyone else around them has Chinese (and you've got -10% tech costs too), and when westernising, you can switch to Christian if you like. So some fun options, and I had a really fun game with them immediately after AoW came out, so I was hoping for another. I expect a relatively hard start - no potential for allies, as everyone who could potentially help you borders you (thus rivals you ASAP), or Ming, and thus simply doesn't care, but after several attempts to get started, I'm really getting frustrated. If I get a very early DoW from all four of my neighbours, fine, that's bad luck and I'm going to have to restart. But three times, I've had the following:
Jianzhou declared war on me a couple of years in. They have a slightly larger army and more manpower and attacking anywhere in Manchira is tough due to defensive terrain bonuses everywhere, so instead of engaging them directly, I scorch earth on the provinces they're attacking, and sit back and wait. A couple of years later, they have no manpower, their army is shrinking and they've had to start mass buying mercs (likely crashing their economy). They have occupied a couple of provinces, but I've got an intact army and a full manpower pool, plus a bit of cash, so I'm in an excellent position to counterattack and win the war.
Haixi of course, has been watching it two rivals fight it out. Eventually, they decide they want a piece of the pie and declare war on....well, lets have a look.
Option 1, Jianzhou has more valuable, same religion provinces, no manpower, and a shrunken, predominantly mercenary army.
Option 2, Yeren, has poorer, wrong religion provinces, a full manpower pool, and an intact army. Oh, and their army is lead by a better general.
So, who do they attack? Well the fact that I'm complaining here makes it pretty obvious, they chose Option 2. And I can't for the life of me figure out why. We're both rivals, so there shouldn't be any diplomatic bias one way or other. We're all hordes so there's CBs all round. Jianzhou is far weaker at the present, though has a greater potential strength when not worn down by war, thus making this the perfect time to attack them. Their provinces are worth more and are easier to integrate. It's a simpler, less costly conquest that will result in greater rewards. It's pretty much a no brainer. And yet in almost identical situations, three times in a row, Haixi declared war on me, not Jianzhou. Why? Seriously, why?
I don't think it's the case, but it almost seems that the AI is biased against me for being a human player.
Jianzhou declared war on me a couple of years in. They have a slightly larger army and more manpower and attacking anywhere in Manchira is tough due to defensive terrain bonuses everywhere, so instead of engaging them directly, I scorch earth on the provinces they're attacking, and sit back and wait. A couple of years later, they have no manpower, their army is shrinking and they've had to start mass buying mercs (likely crashing their economy). They have occupied a couple of provinces, but I've got an intact army and a full manpower pool, plus a bit of cash, so I'm in an excellent position to counterattack and win the war.
Haixi of course, has been watching it two rivals fight it out. Eventually, they decide they want a piece of the pie and declare war on....well, lets have a look.
Option 1, Jianzhou has more valuable, same religion provinces, no manpower, and a shrunken, predominantly mercenary army.
Option 2, Yeren, has poorer, wrong religion provinces, a full manpower pool, and an intact army. Oh, and their army is lead by a better general.
So, who do they attack? Well the fact that I'm complaining here makes it pretty obvious, they chose Option 2. And I can't for the life of me figure out why. We're both rivals, so there shouldn't be any diplomatic bias one way or other. We're all hordes so there's CBs all round. Jianzhou is far weaker at the present, though has a greater potential strength when not worn down by war, thus making this the perfect time to attack them. Their provinces are worth more and are easier to integrate. It's a simpler, less costly conquest that will result in greater rewards. It's pretty much a no brainer. And yet in almost identical situations, three times in a row, Haixi declared war on me, not Jianzhou. Why? Seriously, why?
I don't think it's the case, but it almost seems that the AI is biased against me for being a human player.
