How to discourage the AI from declaring war on you.

[Cheezy the Wiz]

This thread deals primarily with Rome Total War, and more so Rome Total Realism. I imagine that M2TW runs on a similar diplomatic engine, though.

We know that the AI doesn't like you. There's not too much you can do about it. They will be best friends with you until you share a border, then they start sharpening their spears and thinking about making love to your women. However, not every faction with which you share a border is guaranteed to attack you.

Why is this? It can't be because the AI doesn't think it can win a war against you, God knows I've fought hopelessly one-sided wars against factions with four provinces when I had seventy. So what compulsion exists?

There is only one thing that I've found that will stop the AI from attacking youark a full army in a fort on the border with a faction, preferrably in front of a bridge or river ford. I've never been attacked by a faction with whom I shared a border when there was a border garrison present.

The object of this thread is to discuss various methods that have worked for you, to draw up theories about what should work, to discuss the results of testing these theories, and to then draw conclusions based on our exploits.

 

[civverguy]

There is only one thing that I've found that will stop the AI from attacking youark a full army in a fort on the border with a faction, preferrably in front of a bridge or river ford. I've never been attacked by a faction with whom I shared a border when there was a border garrison present.

I usually do this. Another is to give the AI gold for a certain amount of time.

 

[Dell19]

I imagine some nations are programmed to be much less likely to attack each other. For instance in a game as Bactria, Parthia never attacked me. I think that the AI can take into account the length of the border as well as for instance the Cyrencia region is very wide so it becomes easier to spot attacks.

 

[Ajidica]

In MTW2, its not the AI declaring war on me, i can usually rout there armies with the Hannibal tactic,(cavalry charge to the flancks and rear when engauging my infantry) but getting the AI to make peace. I was playing as Poland, HRE declared war on me, I slaughter there three full banner invaision armies, AND THEY STILL WONT MAKE PEACE!!!!! Then I have to go and raze every miserable little burg of theres, sothey wont send any more assassins to kill my generalls, while the Mongols are invading me. So yeah, the AI is in need of strategis war help.
Side Rant: Has anyone else had the OCD or lost AI units in battle? They either focus on killing peaseants, while i am breaking ther battle line, or they run around aimlessly.

 

[Damnyankee]

In MTW2, its not the AI declaring war on me, i can usually rout there armies with the Hannibal tactic,(cavalry charge to the flancks and rear when engauging my infantry) but getting the AI to make peace. I was playing as Poland, HRE declared war on me, I slaughter there three full banner invaision armies, AND THEY STILL WONT MAKE PEACE!!!!! Then I have to go and raze every miserable little burg of theres, sothey wont send any more assassins to kill my generalls, while the Mongols are invading me. So yeah, the AI is in need of strategis war help.
Side Rant: Has anyone else had the OCD or lost AI units in battle? They either focus on killing peaseants, while i am breaking ther battle line, or they run around aimlessly.

I hate when the AI refuses peace even with the odds stacked against them. The only way that works is to give thousands in gold for peace. I am talking 50,000 and potentially 70,000. Even then though, tribute might also be necessary. However, it is a . .. .. .. .. . to bribe the pope for reconciliation.

 

[Ajidica]

Ill try that. Although i am not that rich. (2000 tho 3000 gold). But how do you earn that much cash? The richest I have been was as Egypt, and i only got roughly 20000 gold at the most.

Im playing at normal, and the mongols dont seem that hard. Use Lithuanian Archers to keep the Light cav away from me, use my heavy cav to isolate and destroy there army, with infantry support. (Sorry for off-topic).

 

[silver 2039]

Ill try that. Although i am not that rich. (2000 tho 3000 gold). But how do you earn that much cash?

~add_money 20000

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Ill try that. Although i am not that rich. (2000 tho 3000 gold). But how do you earn that much cash? The richest I have been was as Egypt, and i only got roughly 20000 gold at the most.

Im playing at normal, and the mongols dont seem that hard. Use Lithuanian Archers to keep the Light cav away from me, use my heavy cav to isolate and destroy there army, with infantry support. (Sorry for off-topic).

Lots of trade. Build and upgrade seaports, establish trade routes; don't underestimate the value of developing farmland, it provides more income than you think, plus it increases your population, which means more people to tax! Also, don't keep large, expensive standing armies during times of (relative) peace.

 

[Damnyankee]

Ill try that. Although i am not that rich. (2000 tho 3000 gold). But how do you earn that much cash? The richest I have been was as Egypt, and i only got roughly 20000 gold at the most.

Im playing at normal, and the mongols dont seem that hard. Use Lithuanian Archers to keep the Light cav away from me, use my heavy cav to isolate and destroy there army, with infantry support. (Sorry for off-topic).

Well, I am playing on Hard, and have around 150,000 in my coffers. The trick is to develop your cities, and convert castles away from the "front" into cities, and develop them. Also, get rid of your armies in the rear. Only keep enough in the cities to keep the populace happy... how do you take a picture of my screen, so I can show you my might Holy Roman Empire? Funny thing is, I got kicked out of Germany in the beggining, evacuated to Scandinavia, and crusaded against Jerusalem, and eliminated the Egyptians. Thus, I created an exile HRE. I plotted an invasion of England and Scotland, and since they were entrenched in France, I ran over there forces. Then I abandoned the levant, and began building up England and Scotlan, then, as they say, the rest is history.

 

[civverguy]

Ill try that. Although i am not that rich. (2000 tho 3000 gold). But how do you earn that much cash? The richest I have been was as Egypt, and i only got roughly 20000 gold at the most.

Im playing at normal, and the mongols dont seem that hard. Use Lithuanian Archers to keep the Light cav away from me, use my heavy cav to isolate and destroy there army, with infantry support. (Sorry for off-topic).

If you build a lot of ports and markets, make a lot of trade rights with your neighbors, you will earn quite a bit of money.

 

[Maniacal]

add_money 40000 is better.

I offered someone in both RTW and M2 100,000 gold andh ave been refused.

Okay, the the bloody hell refuses that much gold?

Once I offered 10,000 to someone I started out with as an allie and they refused, cancelled the treaty and had a hissy fit!

The diplomacy seriously sucks.

 

[Elta]

In MTW2 100 gold per turn can maintain perfect relations if they are allready established at perfect.

Giving money as a gift prevents them from wanting to attack you. I do this to keep my battles on one front since it is even more effective than an alliance with said nation.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

I've been neighbors with another nation, allies, helped conquer a common enemy, lost armies (smaller ones), declared war on their enemies, sacrificed my troops to break the siege on one of their cities, and yet they still attacked me without any warning at all.

I grant you I was Macedonian, and they were Roman, but still. Can't they just accept my rule over all the southern end of the Italian Peninsula (and pretty much the eastern half of their empire, the historical one).