AI

[Nelphine]

Jihad: can this make the computer attack stacks they wouldn't otherwise, besides the fortress? (For the first time ever, i saw a stack attack one of my nodes that had 4 bezerkers defending it. However, 7 elite hordes, as well as some orc halberdiers, were in the stack that attacked, so it's quite possible they actually had enough army strength to attack my 4 halberdiers.)

However, the real attack I was confused by was: 1 wyverns, 5 nagas, 2 draconian halberdiers, which attacked.. 8 bezerkers and an arch-angel. There's no way they had remotely enough army strength to consider it a valid target, but it isn't my fortress, so I was really surprised.

[Seravy]

Jihad: can this make the computer attack stacks they wouldn't otherwise, besides the fortress?

Yes. During Jihad the AI is allowed to "bump into" your stacks on their way to targets, so they cannot be blocked by placing units around them.

[Nelphine]

Oh, so I just happened to have units in their path; so even though they had an alternative path that would require the same time, they don't bother looking at it?

I see why it was done, although it's unfortunate it can't be more sophisticated.

Thanks for the explanation!

[Seravy]

Oh, so I just happened to have units in their path; so even though they had an alternative path that would require the same time, they don't bother looking at it?

I see why it was done, although it's unfortunate it can't be more sophisticated.

Thanks for the explanation!

In theory they pick the shortest path...but from multiple shortest paths, it's the first one found (which is why units tend to pick V shape paths instead of the straight line. That's the order directions are being looked at.).

[Seravy]

Found a wizard who knew Great Lizard but defended their city with magicians.

Not sure if that's a good garrison priority setup. The magicians were draconian so without web it would have been hard to beat but I still have doubts about it.

Lizards are weak to resistance targeting spells, and aren't even ranged and slow, but they are at least durable and regenerate which is not bad for self-defense. I know I start to think about magicians all the time and end up with "but other units would be even worse, at least these are magic ranged and not slow melee or something like that" but yeah, at least lizards might be better? Magicians are vulnerable to Fire Storm, most rare or better combat spells, or even a stack buffed by bless and resist elements. (Albeit if I was a Death wizard, I'd laugh at the lizards while magicians are at least somewhat scary, so idk...)

[Nelphine]

Yeah, I almost want variable values, that change every 50 ish turns. Just so things will change up. Or a variable based on city location so that there is variance between cities, but any given city isnt changing so they aren't losing out due to swapping back and forth. So some cities will prefer magicians while others will prefer lizards (or whatever else might be chosen).

[Seravy]

Aside from not being able to do that, the problem with it is, a wizard only has one capital and that is pretty much the only place where this is relevant and important. Other places won't get many lizards anyway.

Well, looks like the lizard is actually higher priority than the magicians usually, but Draconian is one of the exceptions.

These are above the lizard among normal units : Warlock, Nightmare, Golem, Draconian Magicians, Troll magicians at regular, High Men and Halfling Magicians at elite, Paladins at elite. That's all.

Golem likely should be much lower now without Magic Immunity, albeit it's still very hard to kill and a good defender so idk.
Maybe Draconiam Magician shouldn't be rated higher than high men just for their flight? Trolls are definitely worth it though.

Doom Bat is surprisingly low priority - I guess it's because it's good for offense and doomstacks. It would be a fairly good defender though.

[Nelphine]

Yeah you wanted the doombays attacking - regardless of how good they are defending, theyre far better than most attacking.

[namad]

Is there a current and up to date chart on the AI bonuses to production/mana/gold/etc on say normal/advanvced/expert/etc?
I am in a game on advanced atm and it feels like the ai is getting a 200% bonus to everything, but maybe I'm just playing badly....

[Seravy]

There is one in the attached docs. If you are playing the research experimental version then their power income has been reduced to the same % as their gold on all levels.