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Advanced AI Mod

Advanced AI mod version 1.2

This mod combines my previous work on improving the AI recruitment, its province management and the overall campaign balance on the AI side and now with many more features as well. The goal is still the same: offer the best possible campaign experience by improving the AI without altering the gameplay elements.


----- MAIN FEATURES -----

AI Province Management
The build orders for all factions are much improved over vanilla. The AI will focus on military, economy and defense buildings. It will also build unique buildings in special locations.

AI Recruitment
The main feature of the mod, the recruitment of units in AI armies is now much better. I have replaced the whole recruitment system for the AI by a new one which is much more optimized. Thanks to the improved build orders, the armies will be more balanced and fun to play against. This also includes spawned armies like rebels and hordes.

AI Budget Management
In order to build better and recruit better, the whole budget and income management of the AI has been optimized. All AI factions will now carefully balance their economy.

AI Personalities Modifications and Fixes
- Several Dwarf personalities fixed (on VH and L some Dwarf factions didn't have any personalities so they were just the default one), Kislev and TEB are now active and have their own personalities instead of generic Empire ones.
- Beastmen behaviour is much improved.
- Vampire factions can now confederate. The player could do it but not the AI, this has been fixed. The Vampire Counts faction can now confederate the Von Carstein but the other way around is also possible.

AI Diplomacy
- AI confederation bonus has been decreased. The AI will still confederate as it is a very important feature but at a pace closer to what the player would do (the way confederation works for the player is unchanged).
- It is now slightly easier to sign trade agreements. The difference is that it is now possible, by paying some money, to make trade agreements without being forced to sign a non aggression pact first. It can be useful in some situations.
- Beastmen now have proper diplomatic aversion with the other factions.
- Empire factions now share a +10 affinity with eath other just like Bretonnian factions (except the ones who receive the "Distrusts the Empire" trait). It is needed to reduce the amount of wars going on in the Empire.

Improved Strategic AI
- The threat detection has been optimized to prevent the AI from being too cowardly. Now the AI will take more risks when attacking and will also assault fortified settlements after building a few siege engines. Be prepared to defend yourself in siege battles. Also the armies will not flee if they have a chance to win the battle but will still retreat if the odds are not in their favor.
- The attack/defense process of the AI has been rebalanced to offer realistic decision making. The AI is now more ruthless and aggressive but will fall back to defend when necessary. It will also counterattack quickly if it takes the advantage.
- The AI will recolonize ruined settlements if it is safe and useful to do so.

Character Skill Selection
In vanilla the AI characters would spend their skill points completely randomly, leading to very poor builds. It is no longer the case, the AI will now choose the most useful skills when leveling up, including the unique skills for the Legendary Lords. It will also try to max out a skill before taking another. I allowed some variation as well so 2 level 20 Karl Franz wouldn't be exactly the same, but both would have useful skills. You will be gladly surprised now when you confederate another Legendary Lord!

Better Battle AI
While it is not possible to modify the AI behaviour in battle, I discovered how to improve its usage of spells and abilities. I wrote a completely new custom logic for the AI to use. Be prepared for some nasty surprises including some combos! A lot of spells and abilities are now used under the right condition and the AI targeting is also much better. The list of improvements and fixes is way too long to be put here but If you can't wait to see what's been improved, just launch a custom battle and see for yourself.

Chaos Invasion
- The invasion now starts 10-15 turns later than vanilla (around turn 100).
- There will be 1 less army spawned during the first stage of the invasion and 1 army more when Archaon arrives.
- The army compositions are much more improved over vanilla. The armies will be balanced, challenging and varied, DLC units included as well.
- Challengers armies for Norsca were also improved and some are thematic.

Dwarfs vs Greenskins
To balance the war between the Dwarfs and the Greenskins which were almost always in favor of the Dwarfs in vanilla, now the Greenskins lose fightiness every 2 turns instead of each turn. Player is not affected. Also Wurrzag factional trait is now active when played by AI (it is disabled by script in vanilla). This combined with the better AI in general will make the Dwarfs truly feel what it is to live in such a dark time.

Anti-player and Avoid-player
On Easy and Normal difficulties the AI was programmed to avoid the player and its armies when possible, leading to a very passive and coward AI as this was reported many times. This "feature" is removed from the game. The anti player is the opposite and is active on Very Hard and Legendary. I kept this one in the mod but I have modified it so that it wouldn't be as ridiculous and immersion breaking as it is in vanilla. Now the AI will focus on the player only when no other more desirable targets are available.

AI Cheats
I haven't touched the cheats at all except the above modification to animosity and the reduction of AI bonus to confederate.


----- COMPATIBILITY -----

The mod is compatible with the latest version of the game and all DLC. This mod was made to be played on the vanilla version of the game. It has been tested extensively over months by myself and a team of beta testers. All features work as advertised in singleplayer and multiplayer as well without causing crashes or desync.

As it completely changes the AI in the game, it is better to start a new game.

!!!WARNING!!!
Using it with mods that heavily change the mechanics of the game is not recommended as they can break the new AI, do it as your own risk. You have been warned :p

NOT compatible with all other mods that change the AI in any way like Steel Faith, Radious, Diplomacy Overhaul etc...

Please see the compatibility section below for more information.


I hope you'll have fun playing with this mod! Endorse it if you like it.

A big thank you to all who supported my work on my previous mods and especially to Uriak and Minos for their help and advice.

Please do not redistribute this mod in any way without my permission.