Is the ai meant to be like this? (cheating on normal)

Yes... it's probably due to diplomacy and the AI bribing the other AI to attack you. You have the same options, but you probably use your money for other things or don't feel it's worth the cost.

Plus it's hard to say what you mean by 13 groups of high level... what is high level to you... level 10, level 5, level 15 and where was your own units? Also, you must realize that the AI when it plays these maps they do not get a buffer away from any monsters, so they deal with a lot more monsters than you see on your side of things. This is where the higher levels come into play. Also, they tend to do quests and role for success. These quests provide lots of xp and can be the reason for the distinction.

I'm not defending the AI, I'm just explaining what are the possible symptoms of the problem you are facing. You can decide whether the AI is cheating or not, but it's not supposed to cheat.

I believe the AI builds more units and less buildings than most players.

i meant high tier units. i had 2 groups of units with 4 champions and mainly juggernauts. i was able to kill 6 groups but was overwhelmed. i also i got attacked from the other side of the map by another ai making it impossible to defend my cities. 

also the population graph shows a massive jump in population right near the beginning of the game for one of the ai's. mid game the income graph shows another massive jump. same thing with research. i just want to know how this is possible without the ai being given massive bonuses.  the other 2 ai factions had more normal amounts of growth. 

any suggestions how to counter this massive spam of units from one of the ai opponents? maybe i need to build more units earlier rather than buildings?

One of the AI you have is Kraxis. If that was the AI with the jump this makes sense because of the rush ability and wealthy combine to make pioneer rushing a viable option. Don't forget that the AI do trade tech with each other (something that we may fail to do) and so they move up the tech tree quicker in this regard. I don't know exactly what is going on with the AI that is why Tuidjy is presenting some findings with challenging to show some of these issues arising and they are addressing specifically some of the things he is finding.

It is also possible with trade agreements to get massive income bonuses. Also, I don't know what the tax level was on some of these AI factions. That could be an adjustment of tax from low to high to get the cash they need. But I'm speculating here. I think a lot of the inaccuracys can be explained with trades in the diplomacy window. Demand tribute type deals and trade deals. These can raise your revenue, also getting levels and heros with the merchant trait and maxing that trait out. Similarly the merchant bazaar is another building that gives a huge gildar bonus. Something like +30% to the empire's gildar production.

I wouldn't from the graphs alone judge whether the AI is cheating although it is suspect. From this I couldn't say, it would have to be more detailed in the gameplay, watching them.

All gameplay strategies I point to Tuidjy posts (as frogboy the AI programmer follows and learns from his strategies).

This is what I've suspected is happening.  The AI factions trade back and forth amongst each other rapidly pushing their research rates through the roof.

i see. that could explain it. thanks man. very informative. this is my second game and so far my experience has been the same both times.

btw does anyone have any tips on how to play properly as the empire of yithiril? like what research trees to go for first and which units to get first?

From the looks of the graphs it is Altar that is way in the lead.

If he was completing a lot of quests he would get a high faction prestige which would increase his population growth.

Do you have any save games you could post that people could look at?

Nakisisa

I hate the AI, I wish it didn't know the meaning of war and land-grab.

There I am playing and enjoying the game, and then all of a sudden all the AI declare war on you at once, the game is over.  I mean what is the point of that?  Just to ruin peoples day I suppose.

I think the problem at the moment is that AI plays very aggressively to win and will take down a weaker nation (usually the player) at the first possible opportunity, which doesn't really lead to the best experience for the player.  I'd like to see an AI that is more responsive to the player's actions, like in Civilization 5 where it is actually possible to play as a relatively peaceful nation and still have a fair chance of winning the game.  That doesn't seem possible in Fallen Enchantress.

I don't know. It's such a shame, I really love this game but the AI stinks, and most of the time spoils things for me, and I suppose others.

The AI should simply get on with it's own game until it is attacked and leave the player alone to get on with thiers.

Well I don't mind the homicidal maniacs acting like homicidal maniacs. But when say.. Lord markin or Relias decided they want to see you burn then bribe all the empire and kingdom factions to declare war on you at the same time I have issues with immersion. But more importantly its just plain not fun.

I have NO issue with them being like this on high difficulties.. but its an issue even on normal.

As to "cheating" on normal.. many of the issues in Tuijdies thread on challenging I don't think are limited to challenging.. such as the AI being able to place cities in places the human couldn't, and the AI always getting a bonus to their capital cities food/mat/essence.

The game really has potential but there are so many issues that come up that I just don't find it fun.

By the time you get around to attacking the AI, the AI will be that much more powerful.

It sounds like you want more of a you vs. environment senario, which I have been toying with the idea. The end goal is to remove all the wild-lands in the game. You build up and you defeat all these titans.

I'd be curious to see more details about the Sovereigns involved and the relative strengths of various factions at the moment dog-pile-war is declared.  I've played several games of 1.0 on Challenging and Hard and never once had the AI dog pile on me.  

I wonder if its particular combinations of rulers (Altar likes to bring others into war, for example) combined with a "wounded animal" affect.  

Not questioning that this is a problem, but I wonder if some of it is simply the game's failure at conveying each ruler's personality during the game.  If it was clear, based on in-game interactions, that for example Altar will bribe people to kill off the weakest dog you would know that fact and have to plan for it.  It would affect your strategy and you could see it coming rather than coming as a shock.  You would know that if you're weak, befriend Altar or else.  

This could be an issue with other factions as well.   

Not so much, we just don't want the AI to be basing its whole gameplay on specifically crushing the player as soon as it can. I've always thought that the sweeping goal for the AI in these games SHOULD be survival.. but game designers are stuck on this kick where the sweeping goal of the AI is to win the game. Playing an AI that acts like its playing a game just isn't fun for some people, me among them.

Try Sean's mod - that's one of his main objectives. I'm personally having a blast playing it - the world can roflstomp you (I'm not even into faction warfare yet and have had numerous battles and close calls with mobs). In a current playthrough: https://forums.elementalgame.com/435202.

I dream of a day where both Sean and Heavenfall's mods are compatible...

I would be willing to try anything that didn't include this horrible war hungry cheating AI.  But, yes, modding can heal a thousand wounds. 

I agree. I'm waiting for Frogboy to flip the switch, where I can choose the type of AI personalities I want them to use. Then I can set all the AI to isolationists and then I will have a lot more time to attack the AI at my leisure.

I suppose one stopgap would be to make war more costly in terms of unit upkeep and unrest.  That's what keeps the AI from being belligerent warmongers in the Civ games, because an injudicious use of military might can cause your civilization's progress to grind to a halt.

This is an excellent way of putting it.  I hope our voices are heard amidst the cries of those complaining that the game is "too easy".

I think the game does lend itself well to a "player vs environment" experience. So the AI can seem like another kid in the sandbox who keeps walking over and kicking down your sandcastles.

Coudn't agree more. This is a singleplayer game first and foremost, so I'd much rather have the AI stay in character allowing me to enjoy the game, rather than behaving like players in a multiplayer game trying to win the game as fast as possible.

I agree.  The AI should entertain the player and make the world feel alive, even give the player a good fight now and again, but not bully the player into submission.

I can't help feeling a little sad, FE is the game that I have been dreaming of, but the AI is not.

Has anyone tried setting the world difficulty above the AI difficulty and increasing the wildland density?  That might give a more PvE experience?  I generally like warring against other factions so I haven't tried this yet, but I might for variety.

Yea, the monsters eat the AI up.  Yea, if you put it on dense with a lot of wildlands, the AI often can't expand and get's eaten up.