I think that the time has come to focus on sovereigns/champions.
I think it quite universally recognized that the monsters are the most difficult phase of the game. Once you pass it and are able to defeat big beasts, AI can put little fight. Yes it can create some diffuclt trained units, especially on higher difficulties, when it has access to late game techs by the time I still discover early civilization techs. It can even field them in large numbers, but this still is no match for a properly developed champion.
I feel like wanting to cry seeing level 13th magnar with assassin path on above expert that wander around without armor, horse and wearing virtually no equipment. with attack 18 and defense 6.
My level 10 GOVERNOR is havign attack 23 and defense 13.
We need better AI in that department, and lacking that a development paths.
put yourself in a shoes of average highlevel AI - you got tons of cash, and I mean TONS, like few thousands gildars, they usually have.
is having a horse or warg anybody's doubt?
is having best armor anybody's doubt? at least until you reach medium encumbrance?
is having all possible amulets/rings anybody's doubt? if nothing else weight them by gildars, if something costs more, it is usually worth wearing more than something else.
is having best possible attack value anybody's doubt? I understand when you want to think over having 15 attack + 5 fire against 13 attack + 10 lighting + bash. but there is no discussion with having attack 10 versus attack 20 whatever the modifiers.
is selling anythign below 20 gildars anybody's doubt? like those dozens of leather greaves
I am not telling about trading between champions, min/maxing for the best - that's human department. They get extra gildars to buy everything. For each and every of their champions?
Frogboy, can you give us quick, dirty, solution to that? Please?
http://db.tt/VvmjYqkn
I'd go ahead with giving and equipping all champions/sovereigns FOR FREE the best armor/weapon/mount/equipment available for them automatically the moment they get new tech on above challenging difficulty. Nobody is going to notice the gildars costs anyway.
You only need to tag the champion/sovereing with direction use Tuijidy troops classificaion and your set to define what is most important for each class.
I disagree with this. Auto upgrading without cost IMO 1. Limits options 2. Makes things too easy.
I might have added - for free for AI, we're talking about above challenging difficulty levels.
In my Insane game, I met a 500 hp champion with 60+ attack. (game was over at that point so he was "easy") Maybe they should just up the bonuses a bit on lower difficulties? But yes there seems to be few smart decisions and lots of brute force regarding balancing them. Warrior champions with the right weapon choice and lethal could be deadly to fight against.
Also they seem to buy that 2 initiative ring or amulet a lot. Every time I get a surrendered sovereign he has tons of those. Bug? And while I'm at it, the Yithril Sovereign seems to get that 36 attack red axe, but doesn't use it? Always nice to accept a surrender from him and get that for free
I agree with you, auto upgrading without cost sucks, but at the same time, anything would be better than it is now. Even if this was a temporary fix it would be better than now. But yeah, they should be designed to play like a player, or at least as close as a real human would. That is, the sov or champ should be optimized for his faction traits and sov/champ traits and the spells and abilities available to it. Basically the AI needs to try and mix/max their sov and champs as players do.
Rhaegor, sure but that's more or less what Fb is trying to do since four years. But it seems he didn't really focused on this (the ai got improved in terms of what to do strategically and in tactical combat). Now is the time to focus on character development.
I proposed the above to follow slightly the trained units example. The game took the shortcut on what to train by using sets of predefined units, and semi-smartly decide what to produce. We need similar basic sets of eqipment for champions/sovereigns dependant on class of the champion/soveriegn, that will be varianted upon with gear got from the quests.
But really each and every champion need a horse or warg, boots and helm and some chest armor (robes or leather) and when available higher tiered ones. AI do have the cash to buy them, so why not?
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