The AI's early attacks

[Ringtailed]

Since the 0.32 upgrade, I almost always get attacked around turn 45 normal speed by a pack of warriors+scouts. I'm not sure what to make of this. In general, I think it's a bad thing. In my current game I'm tasunke/hippus and I have 3 warriors with combat I in my capital and a scout with combat 4. Faeryl is attacking me with 2 warriors and 2 scouts. The scouts are not promoted, one of the warriors has combat 2 and cover I, the other is damaged and just has combat I and cover I (I don't have any archers and I doubt that anyone else does either... the AI really needs to learn how to pick appropriate promotions). It's kind of boring to get drawn into a warrior brawl every game.

Anyone else noticing this particular occurrence? If so, do you think it's good or bad for the AI to warrior rush so much?

 

[Mailbox]

If the AI was better about pillaging, these early attacks would be much more damaging.

 

[Ecofarm]

That's true. Having a 20 or 40xp unit defending instead of no cottages is absurd.

I've said it before. Instead of horns of war, there should be an ice cream truck jingle when the AI declares. When he declares, it's like I'm gonna get a push-up pop or a strawberry shortcake.

 

[Kael]

Im all for the rush, I dont like thats its not that effective. So my plan isnt to stop the rush but to make AI's that want to do it play more like a human when they do (rush for axemen or hunters and rush with them).

Im doing a lot of work making the AI play its first 100 turns effectivly. Ive watched it play a good 15-20 games today (AIAutoPlay is awesome!) and Im trying to help it make more FfH decisions. Once thats all done im hoping to have the same aggresiveness, but a much higher threat level.

 

[Ecofarm]

Up <chancetopillage> +1000000% and the rushes will hurt.

 

[Zechnophobe]

I actually think it's a fair bit better this way, shakes my sense of security a bit. Though,they send scouts, but never use them for... scout type tasks. If they only sent warriors it'd be much more effective.

 

[Ecofarm]

The AI loiters on approach and streams in units anyway, it might as well spend a couple turns pillaging on approach all the time. It should have a chance to pillage greater than a chance to attack at 99%. Slowing down the AI approach is just not going to cost him much and might even slow him down enough for streaming units to build into a decent city attack group.

Ultimately, it insures than an AI attack hurts. If the player still gets 40 xp when all is said and done, at least he loses improvements.

 

[uberfish]

The AI is capable of rushing with better units if it has the right tech, it just tends to be in a hurry to go with warriors currently. Occasionally, even in the current build, everything clicks with the AI and it sends in some scary stacks of tier 2 units on the higher difficulty levels. So it is doing some things right. If the majority of the current warrior attacks were postponed to tier 2 they'd be much more effective (however, some of the more psychotic AIs should occasionally send warriors anyway just to keep players on their toes.)

 

[MiKa523]

I've noticed rushing AIs especially with aggressive AI and no building requirements for units, because in that case the AI had a lot of horseman before I built my first stable :/

Have you already build a part of the Altar of L.?
This might have tipped the AIs decision to take you among all the others as first victim because Faeryl is evil.
Nevertheless I've noticed also that especially Faeryl is very aggressive even towards other evil civs.

 

[Fafnir13]

I had an effective "rush" by the Ljosalfar today. Not an early one, thank goodness, but in between 100-200 or so. Was just happily teching along, minding my own business, when Thessa cam knocking with a 10 unit mixed group of hunter and fawns. Lost a city and was put in a semi-desperate fight for my life for the next huge number of turns. Finally topple their empire at around 300. A most satisfying war that one.

 

[Pyr0mancer]

Just thought I'd point out that the Cover I promotion most likely came from the event that grants it to all melee units, rather than being a bad choice on the part of the AI. I've rarely seen the AI take any promotions other than Combat I-V, Shock I-II, and CG I-III.

 

[Wyrmhero]

EDIT: Never mind...

 

[Err0l]

I've once experienced a Malakim Confessor Rush... 6 str (w/ bless) units in about 200 HURT... It would've annhilated me but thankfully Loki was able to neuter his stack xD

That guy used his worldspell EFFICIENTLY... teching to Order and Priesthood quickly, and casting then for 7 free Confessors (copper out of reach, no city could train swords quickly enough)

But I'm attacked on about every FFH-game I'm playing...

 

[Ringtailed]

Just thought I'd point out that the Cover I promotion most likely came from the event that grants it to all melee units, rather than being a bad choice on the part of the AI. I've rarely seen the AI take any promotions other than Combat I-V, Shock I-II, and CG I-III.

Oh, I forgot about that event. That's probably why they had Cover, then. I'm puzzled by the fact that you've seen them with Shock I and II though; I've never seen an AI with either of these. I've seen City Raider on sword/axemen though.

 

[MetalMilitia-]

I had a pretty effective rush by the khazad awhile ago. City was in a bottleneck with a hill right next to it. they used warriors and scouts (it was Kandros Fir so they all had combat1). I was totally unprepared, only had 2 warriors in that city and they used their movement in hills to completly jump me. naaasty stuff.

 

[Pyr0mancer]

Oh, I forgot about that event. That's probably why they had Cover, then. I'm puzzled by the fact that you've seen them with Shock I and II though; I've never seen an AI with either of these. I've seen City Raider on sword/axemen though.

I think I've only seen Shock on heroes or other high-level/xp units. Maybe 1-2 non-hero units with Shock II per game, usually already have Combat V.

 

[Zechnophobe]

So, I've actually had a change of heart on this. Playing on Immortal Difficulty with no Building Requirements turns this rush often into 4 or 5 hunters/axemen. TUrn 40 or 50, you haven't exactly had a lot of time to influence the game much. How many warriors can you even build by this point, if that's all you do?

Yet I'm more and more finding that is exactly what I *must* do to fend off close by enemies. I'd really like to see this be a more rare event. Instead of it *always* happening.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

no Building Requirements

This was a stopgap measure added in to be a temporary fix for a problem that isn't in the game anymore.

STOP USING THIS OPTION AS DEFAULT, PEOPLE. IT ISN'T NECESSARY ANYMORE.

 

[Verily]

One thing I've noticed: the Khazad, more than anyone else, always rush a neighbor, whether human or AI. I suspect this has to do with being programmed to care about their gold in the bank; they build Warriors instead of Settlers and then decide to use them for something. They're generally very effective against the AI in what are often one-city against three-city battles, but it seems out of character for the Khazad to be the ones rushing everyone. Should that be the Doviello or the Clan?

 

[reverend oats]

I've had the same experiences with Khazad. Because they don't build settlers, they end up with a pile of warriors with nothing to do. If you're near by, you better watch out. The free Combat 1 for Kandros and the double hill movement give you little time to react.