[1.3B] Several Important AI Weaknesses

from Elemental Forums

First of all I would like to congratulate Frogboy on another wonderful AI update. The AI is noticeably better. However after playing it I have still noticed several weak points and large mistakes that it makes.

 

AI still moves weak units right next to my armies.

This issue has been around forever and is super annoying.The AI is constantly moving units like lone champions or pioneers right next to my stacks or cities. Which is really stupid and immersion killing. Many times it's to take a goodie or outpost but taking a outpost does you no good if you lose the unit the next turn. The AI really needs to stop moving units into places that are 100% death traps. They even do this sometimes with small groups of units. Unless they plan on attacking one of my units the AI should never move their units within my attack range, ever. If the AI has sees a enemy army nearby units should fallback to the nearest city not walk right by the army.

On a side note the AI is still sending lone champions around. Is this ever a smart idea? I don't ever have champions alone, in LH they almost always need some backup. I have seen enemy sovs get killed because they run around alone.

 

AI not improving production in some cities.

Sometimes when I take AI cities they don't have any production buildings or even unrest buildings built, even mid to late game. This is a pretty big deal because it causes some of their cities to stall midgame and become useless. Production buildings are very important mid and late game as you can't build the more advanced buildings without them. The AI should always prioritize increasing the production in cities directly or by decreasing unrest. These are the first things I build because they allow me to build everything else much faster. Masons are especially important.

 

Still casting spells on Caravans.

This is pretty self explanatory.

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Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top



AI not improving production in some cities.

Sometimes when I take AI cities they don't have any production buildings or even unrest buildings built, even mid to late game. This is a pretty big deal because it causes some of their cities to stall midgame and become useless. Production buildings are very important mid and late game as you can't build the more advanced buildings without them. The AI should always prioritize increasing the production in cities directly or by decreasing unrest. These are the first things I build because they allow me to build everything else much faster. Masons are especially important.


End of quote

What difficulty? On ridiculous and higher the AI has enough bonuses that it may not deem production buildings worth the time - and it might be right.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting davrovana, reply 1
What difficulty? On ridiculous and higher the AI has enough bonuses that it may not deem production buildings worth the time - and it might be right.
End of davrovana's quote

Hard, doesn't matter though. Having more production would always help, even if it is just producing gold or mana. It's a order of operation thing. It's much smarter to build the production buildings first as they make the other stuff cheaper. Midgame workshops and belltowers would give pretty huge bangs for their bucks as well, they could be built in like a turn and boost production by like 20% Also I might be wrong but I don't think the AI is smart enough to think that through. It just builds based on priorities and scarcities.

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Opps doublepost.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top


AI still moves weak units right next to my armies.

This issue has been around forever and is super annoying.The AI is constantly moving units like lone champions or pioneers right next to my stacks or cities. Which is really stupid and immersion killing. Many times it's to take a goodie or outpost but taking a outpost does you no good if you lose the unit the next turn. The AI really needs to stop moving units into places that are 100% death traps. They even do this sometimes with small groups of units. Unless they plan on attacking one of my units the AI should never move their units within my attack range, ever. If the AI has sees a enemy army nearby units should fallback to the nearest city not walk right by the army.

End of quote

(My emphasis)

Couldn't this cause it's own issue, where you could essentially block off sections of the map from AI using a line of cheap units (e.g. scouts?) Just a thought.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

I agree on especially your first point. That's the most annoying ai issue That's left for me. The AI has really had a boost in 1.3 and I see some good things, but this  really doesn't fit in.

2nd problem isn't so big for me at least. The AI manages to produce some nice stuff but it could probably be more efficient.

3) caravans just need to go. They're a relic of FE and don't belng in LH. They have no function other then being annoying.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting LordTheRon, reply 5

I agree on especially your first point. That's the most annoying ai issue That's left for me. The AI has really had a boost in 1.3 and I see some good things, but this  really doesn't fit in.

2nd problem isn't so big for me at least. The AI manages to produce some nice stuff but it could probably be more efficient.

3) caravans just need to go. They're a relic of FE and don't belng in LH. They have no function other then being annoying.
End of LordTheRon's quote
agreed, caravans just need to go

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Agreed Caravans are useless and annoying, many bugs and weird behaviors occur because of them and they don't add anything positive.

Might i add they pop up as "enemy in your territory" annoying as hell.

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

Agreed on all counts but particularly the caravans!

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

Agreed with the OP. Especially the first point, about the AI sending lone units or small parties out in the field. Would love to see this fixed.

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

I'm glad other people are seeing the same problems as I am.