Raising troops in provs w/o forts?

[SelfishGene]

Generally the AI is weaker than me, but a tactic it does employ that greatly hampers if not sometimes sets me back is its propensity to build large masses of junk troops in every province.

Now normally one doesn't need or want to raise militia or poorly equiped light infantry - in some instances perhaps a fort where a good heavy cavalry resided, an unusually well armed heavy inf, or maybe some unique units like the Onyx Amazons, but those instances are not dependable and very contingent on circumstances. Mainly because most provinces lack enough resources to build more thana handful per turn, and also because generally national troops are better.

But when the comp raises large armies of junk troops it generally sets me back a great deal. I defeat any army it sends at me easily - but there are two more behind it, and its capturing my provinces, not the other way around. Even if i recapture my lands i will have lost considerable income potential for some time because of turns lost to occupation and unrest reducing tax values. If im enduring enough of this death-by-paper-cut tactic, i can actually begin to decline in real measurable terms, with significant losses in income and position. Trading two or three provinces lost for every one i recapture can leave a good portion of my empire in ruins even after i manage to return to pre-hostility borders. This CAN, but does not always, pay for the huge losses the computer takes in building, payrolling, and losing its large masses of junk troops.

Can such distributed production be worked into a good strategy? Such as, for ex., taking 3 Productivity but a cheap fort. Is it useful or necessary at times vs human players?

[ April 15, 2004, 18:59: Message edited by: SelfishGene ]