AI Armies/City-states for strategus?

[Everkistus]

Here's an idea that popped into my head when I was caught in nostalgia about native SP. There some Khergit once said that it's the eternal cycle of the steppe that when old rulers get fat and old, new warlords come from the east and conquer the land for themselves. In my opinion, this fits very well into the clan diplomacy clusterfuck that is strategus now. This also makes me present a question:

What if strategus had foreign invaders and wandering armies that could randomly attack fiefs and bigger parties? And with armies I don't mean the 49 man parties, but 1000 troops or etc. They would have matching gear (maybe we can make a list of gear that fits a theme, AI buys from that list?) and would wander around and attack a fief now and then.

Let's make an example: Hospitallers currently control the steppe area. A new warlord comes from the east, bringing his army of 1000 men to conquer a village. He moves around in the area near Ada Kulun for a couple days, perhaps attacks a couple bigger parties, then lays a siege on the village. If Hospitallers win, they'll gain all the items he had with him. If he wins, the village will be transferred back to AI. Same could be applied everywhere in the map, with a couple random AI armies for each terrain type.

You can ask me, why on earth I'd want such a thing?

Well, simply because I think strategus is boring. People just gather resources and play the diplomatic game. There's no big field battles, only clans taking towns from AI which is quite gimped. There hasn't even been a proper war in a long time because the damned economics makes fighting too expensive. The towns that are on the maps edge are safe from everything, because the world just ends there, no enemy armies can shake things up for the clans residing there. Keep in mind that the AI party would spawn randomly in somewhere in the terrain type, so those clans who are in the centre are not safe from them either.

People are not even having battles for fun anymore like in first strat. Some people still probably remember my theme battles, and this may smell a lot like the same thing. It's true, I liked my theme battles and this would carry on the tradition in an automated form. Making this option viable would make strategus more fun for everyone. Hell, if sensible automation is not possible I could spawn the armies and equip/hire rosters for the battles myself if I just could (without being biased towards anyone, everyone would get their equal share of suffering from the "invaders").

So, a simple question, would you want this feature in or not?

[Muki]

Maybe 100-350, 1k armies are cost a lot to fight :/

[Everkistus]

It can be settled later if people actually support this. The size of the armies isn't very important now, the idea behind this thing is.

EDIT: Please if you like the idea post it or post your objections. It will hopefully create a discussions and people can see this thread instead of just passing it by and clicking on +1 and "yes"-vote.

[Torben]

I´d also like the idea of having established strong kingdoms that send out armies.  imagine the cities having twice the amount of soldier they have atm,  and they can send them out to attack invaders or reconquer lost fiefs.

[Nessaj]

Initially I don't like it, too many variables and things that would needed to be done in order for it to work.

The timing of these attacks would be vital, which means that this feature would completely randomize a lot of factors. Given how hard it actually is to establish a proper army in Strategus now, having all that preparation ruined because of some random AI attacks would be dreadful, verging on massive clan rage quits, especially since the AI wouldn't have any sort of intelligent approach to their battles, meaning that it would end up in situations that are basically suicide/stupid.

However, if the armies would be more similar to raiding bands (bandits) in Single Player, sure it might work, but we're talking a few hundred troops maximum then, and even so the AI would most likely still act suicidal.

If anything though I would suggest adding a 'Free' city, a truly neutral town with 15k troops or even more, allowing people to go there and purchase/recruit various resources, based on c-rpg activity such as crafting at the moment, or perhaps you could perform tasks such as running a caravan for the city and then earning a cut of that. In fact, having at least 2-3 of such 'free cities' around the map would be good, and in all fairness there have been plenty of major neutral cities in history which held out against invading armies throughout their whole campaigns.

[Everkistus]

I´d also like the idea of having established strong kingdoms that send out armies.  imagine the cities having twice the amount of soldier they have atm,  and they can send them out to attack invaders or reconquer lost fiefs.

You nailed it mate!

Currently, the AI is just a bunch of castles that sit there passively just waiting to be conquered. They always seem like giant pussies to me who just sit in castles and wait until a human player comes over and conquers the fief. Even AI city-states would be a giant leap forward.

[Torben]

If anything though I would suggest adding a 'Free' city, a truly neutral town with 15k troops or even more, allowing people to go there and purchase/recruit various resources, based on c-rpg activity such as crafting at the moment, or perhaps you could perform tasks such as running a caravan for the city and then earning a cut of that. In fact, having at least 2-3 of such 'free cities' around the map would be good, and in all fairness there have been plenty of major neutral cities in history which held out against invading armies throughout their whole campaigns.

nice

[Nessaj]

If the fiefs are neutral, for example when a round of Strategus begins -- or even now while there still is a few towns/castles free -- it would be extremely awesome if they'd be active on the map, e.g. sending out armies, against each other maybe, e.g. instead of all fiefs being non affiliated there'd be some pre-established AI Kingdoms. They could be sending out minor raiding bands, caravans, and so on.

[[ptx]]

The more pieces on the field, the more fun it is.

[Haboe]

There hasn't even been a proper war in a long time because the damned economics makes fighting too expensive.

Thats not the reason there hasnt been a proper war...

I remember previous strategus had battles with much cheaper gear. The reason its so expensive now is because everyone is wearing transitional heraldic or higher armor in battles... I remember a time where leather armor and military scythes were the standard for attacking villages, not tincans and arbalests.

+ 1 for the idea, would love more active armies on the map.

[Everkistus]

That might be true, but I think the real reason might be that people don't want to fight because they would get absolutely steamrolled when going against someone because of the alliance network.

[Haboe]

True, so has nothing to do with the money

Ai armies can force some movement, the alliences are the only ones that can cause a full scale war

[Torben]

http://forum.c-rpg.net/index.php/topic,22093.0.html

other ideas

[Taser]

Initially I don't like it, too many variables and things that would needed to be done in order for it to work.

The timing of these attacks would be vital, which means that this feature would completely randomize a lot of factors. Given how hard it actually is to establish a proper army in Strategus now, having all that preparation ruined because of some random AI attacks would be dreadful, verging on massive clan rage quits, especially since the AI wouldn't have any sort of intelligent approach to their battles, meaning that it would end up in situations that are basically suicide/stupid.

However, if the armies would be more similar to raiding bands (bandits) in Single Player, sure it might work, but we're talking a few hundred troops maximum then, and even so the AI would most likely still act suicidal.

If anything though I would suggest adding a 'Free' city, a truly neutral town with 15k troops or even more, allowing people to go there and purchase/recruit various resources, based on c-rpg activity such as crafting at the moment, or perhaps you could perform tasks such as running a caravan for the city and then earning a cut of that. In fact, having at least 2-3 of such 'free cities' around the map would be good, and in all fairness there have been plenty of major neutral cities in history which held out against invading armies throughout their whole campaigns.

I like it. We could call it Zendar.

[Bulzur]

The more pieces on the field, the more fun it is.