AI Assassination

[JonBrave]

Playing SP vs Impossible AIs. I don't claim to be any great shakes at this game!

Is it my imagination, or is the AI really hopeless against assassinations? In my previous I equipped one guy and he killed all game, this time I didn't intend assassins but happen to have picked (LA) Abyssia, couldn't help but recruit, and they seem to be off unequipped happily killing each turn.

I didn't expect much from the AI, but he never even bodyguards when it's happening turn after turn. I'm wondering if it's just too easy and I should forbid myself from buying any assassins?

Separately, very, very occasionally I get attacked by an AI assassin, but he never uses them in any numbers to matter.

[elmokki]

Well, the AI is pretty hopeless in absolutely everything, so why not assassinations?

I mean, it's only strength is the cheated huge armies that are usually crap too. That's all it can do.

[LDiCesare]

The ai has no clue about assassins. Never givess bodyguards, never patrols where assassins are expected, doesn't put cheap anti-assassin items (skull talisman, bottle of livign water etc.) on useful mages...
I also never saw an ai actually use an assassin offensively. Or any stealth unit intelligently either.

[samoht]

Originally Posted by LDiCesare

The ai has no clue about assassins. Never givess bodyguards, never patrols where assassins are expected, doesn't put cheap anti-assassin items (skull talisman, bottle of livign water etc.) on useful mages...
I also never saw an ai actually use an assassin offensively. Or any stealth unit intelligently either.

I've played games where the AI spammed assassins. I played LA Ermor against a few AI's, one of them being Jomon I think. Just about every turn I was losing one of those free spawn commanders or two against their little ninjas. Not like it mattered THAT much, but it was kind of annoying.

[Benly]

I've seen AI Jomon use its ninja, too - I started right next door to them as Bogarus in a SP game and they took out a starets before I remembered "oh right, Jomon actually has assassins worth mentioning". That's probably about as much mileage as you'll ever see the AI get out of them.

[NTJedi]

Originally Posted by JonBrave

Playing SP vs Impossible AIs. I don't claim to be any great shakes at this game!

Is it my imagination, or is the AI really hopeless against assassinations? In my previous I equipped one guy and he killed all game, this time I didn't intend assassins but happen to have picked (LA) Abyssia, couldn't help but recruit, and they seem to be off unequipped happily killing each turn.

I didn't expect much from the AI, but he never even bodyguards when it's happening turn after turn. I'm wondering if it's just too easy and I should forbid myself from buying any assassins?

Separately, very, very occasionally I get attacked by an AI assassin, but he never uses them in any numbers to matter.

The AI within Dominions_3 is about average when compared to other games. The AI is one of the most challenging aspects of game development which is why any improvements for any game are rare. Historically speaking game improvements for Dominions_3 have primarily been fixing game bugs, new game content and multiplayer game balancing.

The AI not using assassins wisely is a minor issue as compared to problems such as when it is sending its own pretenders to die in the arena death matches. The death of a pretender causes many bad side effects for them such as losing the increased dominion push from the pretender, lost magic paths, temporary afflictions on pretender, and lost actions/movement of priest units spent recalling the pretender.