AI.

[stormbringer3]

How's the AI in this game? I'm thinking of buying and I only play vs. the AI. Also, I'm mostly interested in the campaigns and I read that there have been recent improvements to them. Would they be as good as the scenarios?
Thanks for any opinions.

[shawkhan2]

The AI is competent but unimaginative and predictable, just like almost all others.
If you are unfamiliar with this genre you will almost certainly lose your first few games. You can adjust the size of the AI armies in custom battles to make the game as challenging as you like. There are also built-in historical battles and campaigns that are often hard to win from the perspective of the historical loser.
Overall an incredible value for the money if you have an interest in ancient warfare.

[jomni]

There's also an AI mod to make it even better.

[vicco]

There's also an AI mod to make it even better.

Which mod is that? Thank you in advance!

[Ludendorf]

There's also an AI mod to make it even better.

Which mod is that? Thank you in advance!

roguedjack's rise of the AI mod, I believe. I think it's got a stickied thread to itself.

[apostrophefz]

Let me hijack the thread: How's the multiplayer scene? Is it only in PBEM form?

[Gnaeus]

I'll un-hijack it for a moment.

Outside of chess, an AI is not going to be the equivalent of a human player of course. But the AI in this game is excellent, one of the best I've ever seen. If you can resist the temptation to exploit the AI unrealistically, e.g., crossing a river at a ford and massacring the AI as it tries to follow, it will provide a great single player game. You can always adjust the force balance to increase the difficulty. And the developer and one of the modders are working on improving it further.

[julianbarker]

I find that although I usually can beat the AI, it is often a down to the wire thing. So I find it challenging and fun.

[jomni]

Let me hijack the thread: How's the multiplayer scene? Is it only in PBEM form?

PBEM and hotseat

[MikeC_81]

Also, I'm mostly interested in the campaigns and I read that there have been recent improvements to them.

It is important to note that campaigns are more a series of individual battle scenarios linked together, rather than some sort of Total War type campaign map. In between battles you get a briefing with some choices that allow you to adjust your army to the coming battle. Mentioning that since you emphasized campaigns.

[Delbruck]

I t seems like the AI is better at micro-managing than macro-managing. It certainly understands the mechanics of zones of control better than me, and can often put it's units in advantageous positions, but it often wastes units responding to diversions or less important parts of the battlefield. I would love to see (baggage) camps added to each army, but I am not sure if this would help or hurt the AI.

I suppose in the end we can think of the AI as one of the uninspired generals who often show in history as the target of the great commander. Frederick needs his Soubise, Napoleon needs his Mack, and Alexander needs his Darius.

[apostrophefz]

I t seems like the AI is better at micro-managing than macro-managing. It certainly understands the mechanics of zones of control better than me, and can often put it's units in advantageous positions, but it often wastes units responding to diversions or less important parts of the battlefield. I would love to see (baggage) camps added to each army, but I am not sure if this would help or hurt the AI. I suppose in the end we can think of the AI as one of the uninspired generals who often show in history as the target of the great commander.

Do you mean, like the commander's tent in Sengoku Jidai?

[jomni]

I t seems like the AI is better at micro-managing than macro-managing. It certainly understands the mechanics of zones of control better than me, and can often put it's units in advantageous positions, but it often wastes units responding to diversions or less important parts of the battlefield. I would love to see (baggage) camps added to each army, but I am not sure if this would help or hurt the AI. I suppose in the end we can think of the AI as one of the uninspired generals who often show in history as the target of the great commander.

Do you mean, like the commander's tent in Sengoku Jidai?

But doesn't fight back.

[Delbruck]

Baggage camps could potentially be given camp guards and/or could be fortified. It was an important part of ancient warfare, and armies took some care not to lose their camps.

[apostrophefz]

Baggage camps could potentially be given camp guards and/or could be fortified. It was an important part of ancient warfare, and armies took some care not to lose their camps.

Choosing to fortify your camp, or not, would be another tactical/strategic option for players.
Do you fortify it, and don't worry about it for the remainder of the game? Or you don't fortify it, and invest the money in another unit? Or even, leave it open and easy, then when the enemy cavalry swoops in the bait, have spearmen jump from the woods nearby and ambush them.

edit: on the other hand, it may come as a third wheel to the gameplay. let the players clash their frontlines, maybe come around with cavalry and be done with it. no need to add another element to the mix.