Re: misc questions
 

Interesting observations and experiences Arryn - thanks. From the perspective of what the developers actually coded into the game, I wonder how much of the AI's agression or pacifism is based upon the available current opportunities or on your nation's past transgression?

Re: misc questions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">For some reason this does not work for me. I can not select the same group they were in (nothing happens). I can select the leader of the group but it creates a new squad. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It does not work for me, either. If I select some members of a squad, the squad they are in does not become grey, meaning it is an invalid target for unit placement (much as non-mages don't become grey when you select magic units, or commanders with leadership zero don't become grey when you select any unit). Whenever I get into this situation (wanting to unselect a number of units) I usually have to hit Esc and exit the Army Setup screen entirely, then re-enter it. That's the only way I know of. If you find a way please post it!

As far as the AI and diplomatic status goes, Johan Osterman posted this a few months ago to another messageboard I read:

"The AI will most often keep the peace until he runs out of easy bordering independents. At that point it might attack one of its neighbours. The AI will also consider you at war if you attack one of its provinces; if you and the AI do not have any skirmishes for a few turns it will cease considering you at war. If you kill the AI's pretender, he will consider you at war for the whole game."

Note that the "lack of skirmishes" criterion is up to both you and the AI. Thus, if it finds easy provinces for conquest, it will keep attacking such, but if you manage to build up sufficient defenses that the AI considers an attack unwise, and it has no other options to attack you, and you maintain these defenses, eventually the AI will revert to a peaceful state.

In other words, once you go to war, your unilaterally stopping the war will not necessarily stop the AI from continuing it, but after several turns of peace on both your parts, the AI may call the whole thing off.

EDIT: typo

[ March 02, 2004, 01:28: Message edited by: ceremony ]

Re: misc questions
 

ceremony - regarding Johan's info regarding diplomacy - THANKS! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif For me to enjoy a game such as this, I need to have a general understanding of what triggers/ends enemy agression. I don't need to have all the details (but if Illwinter wants to provide more I'll listen!)

Re: misc questions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Press Enter to deselct all units.

Re: misc questions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">An interesting quirk of diplomacy is that it seems the AI is not able to recognize "anonymous" summons as an attack. The most prominent one that comes to mind is Ghost Riders, but I think there are others: If you cast an independent summon on a province, the AI won't recognize that you attacked him, even if you subsequently claim the province as your own. I've been able to push an AI nation back to his home province on my front without him ever even attempting hostilities against me, because he didn't even realize I was doing it!

Re: misc questions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Thanks Johan! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I am still new to the game - can you please give me an example of an "anonymous" summons versus a "normal" summons?

Re: misc questions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Call of the Winds, Imprint Souls, Ghost Riders, etc.

Re: misc questions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Call of the Winds, Imprint Souls, Ghost Riders, etc. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">OK, so what's the difference between "anonymous" and not?

Re: misc questions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It means that stuff happens to the enemy and they don't have any way to know who did it. As opposed to summoning an Angelic Horde right on top of an enemy. The spells I listed (for example) summon creatures, but they are treated as indies (well, CotW was a bad example, because that one is NOT anonymous) and your name does not show in the Messages report. Call of the Winds, Angelic Horde, and others, if summoned directly on top of an enemy, cause a battle that will be reported as you vs. them.

[ March 02, 2004, 20:14: Message edited by: Arryn ]

Re: misc questions
 

I'm pretty certain "Imprint Souls" also identifies itself as being an attack by you. After all, the hapless Imprintees stay around to be used as cannon fodder.

Ghost riders is the only battle-provoking spell I know of that is 'anonymous'. I'm not sure about things like 'the looming hell', and spells such as 'seeking arrow' don't provoke battles, just damage reports.