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[LoSboccacc]

It is not like there are many alternatives and shogun was decent without mods, even if rockpaperscissor among units was heavily stereotipized.

[Mech#4]

I don't think the A.I in Total War games have really ever been that good. Maybe more aggressive but not much more tactically minded. I do remember beating several whole stacks of Mongols (about 5-6) in "Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasions" with little more than 5 squads of barbarian cavalry. It was a siege against me as well, but I rode out and kept charging their generals, killing them since they were all lined up for a wall assault. Pity them, as they'd only built a few ladders and one battering ram.

[BurnedToast]

Campaign AI is still mentally challenged, of course, but that's just how Total War works. AAA game designers always seem to have trouble hiring people good at AI.

It's not that they can't hire someone who's good at AI, it's that such a person does not exist. If anyone could create good AI for a complex strategy game, they'd win a whole bunch of prizes and probably change the world.

Even a game as relatively simple as chess is only regularly won by computers because the endgame is "solved", which is to say after a certain point the AI just looks at a big database of all move combinations possible, and picks the ones that lead to it winning. Something like a total war game is many, many times more complex and it's impossible to brute force in that manner.

Any strategy game that's considered to have good AI is one of three things:

1. Cheating behind the scene and good at hiding it.

2. So overly complex (and/or annoying) that the human player can't (or won't bother to) manage everything, while the AI can because it does not get bored of playing with sliders

3. Has an AI that follows significantly different rules then the human by design.

[LoSboccacc]

1 would be best solution for me, problem is tw ai cheat routinely and gets caught pants down at every turn

[umiman]

I like how this discussion just repeats every few pages. It's been doing this since the inception of the thread.

[timferius]

To break the cycle:
How is the Hannibal at the gates campaign map? I enjoy Ceaser in Gaul, so I have hopes, but money is limited, so I don't want to spend any on a meh map.

[Vendayn]

Is the game still horrible?

I love it. But I went right to DEI plus submods.

Which sub-mods? Help a brother out.

You'll have to order the mods yourself. But, two things...load all factions unlocked on very bottom (below the main DEI mod. Otherwise it overwrites way too much). And load realistic movement on very top to overwrite any conflict issues. Anything else I leave inbetween.

I haven't done naval yet, I've been doing more land based factions. Which, I'm actually going to switch and try a naval based faction. I want to see how this mod works
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?661736-Submod-Historical-Naval-Overhaul-DEI-0-95x-Ver2-0-FINAL

Adds some flare. Kind of too many negatives, and the slave one is a bit overpowered...but that is only reason I use this mod. In honesty, it makes a lot of sense to sell slaves...especially for the time period.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?655050-SUBMOD-Strategic-Edict-Governance-%28Updated-for-9-Sell-Slaves-added%29

There are two battle submods for DEI. This one you may not like, as it focuses more on the campaign than small skirmishes all over (from experience and taken from mod page). From the creator, he focused more on routing than killing...I actually like it a lot more. It adds more challenge, battles are longer...and actually find them a lot more strategic. It is my favorite battle submod...it is actually really well done
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?651741-Ancient-Battle-Realism-submod-bubba777-revamp-compatible-with-DEI-0-95h-18-08-2014-update-release

the other one: www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?660867-DEI-0-95-Slower-Battle-Mod
it keeps it more like regular DEI, but slower battles (not as slow as above). Personally, didn't like it that much...but that is because I found battles STILL too fast. I think it is a R2TW problem in general, but I prefer the one I use...a battle can easily take 1+ hour. The second one its over in 15-20 minutes...not very fun or strategic for me. But you may find it to be more your preference.

Don't use both at once.

I like it. Used it so much I don't even remember really what it does. Goes completely natural in the game I guess!
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?661782-Official-Submod-Limited-Recruitment-BETA

As I said, load this last. No more paying for factions you have to pay to unlock! UNLOCK THEM FOR FREE!...stupid money grubbing companies
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?647998-Official-Submod-All-Factions-Playable-for-DeI
^and if you know how, unlock the lame ass DLC pay 50 dollars and 50 dollars there! 50 dollars everywhere! DLC scam...oh sorry got carried away...if you know, you can actually unlock even DLC factions for free. That is the most hilarious part of the DLCs. They force you to pay to unlock...when you can unlock them for free (through modding)...feels like EA...

This is, right with the battle submod...the most important mod for DEI
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?661038-SUBMOD-Conquest-Public-Order-Nightmare-%28Lite-version-added%29
Don't ask, just get it. And don't get the Lite version! GO HARDCORE

I just got this. Dunno how it is, but hopefully Carthage puts up more of a fight with it. Loses every single time in every campaign I've made. Maybe the roll of the dice...
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?661549-SUBMOD-Ultionem-Carthago-%28DEI-0-95%29

I'm not sure if this is working properly. So I loaded it first for any compatibility issues. Its supposed to reduce movement on the map, so along with the Public Order rebellions for newly conquered...it is meant for factions to expand a lot more slowly, and not blitz through everything (including for you). Should work great with the battle submod I use as well.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?662676-Submod-Campaing-general-movement-reduced-by-half

[Vendayn]

Since there hasn't been a post in a few days, shouldn't hurt to reply again.

My Seleucid game is going well. Antiochos (think that is how his name is spelled) is my main general and has won three cities so far (the ones north of Tarsus) and subjugated a barbarian faction that declared war on Sardes who took one of their cities that I took back. They are my only Satrapy, because I canceled all the others in the first turn to avoid mass war.

My next goal is to bring Antiochos (or whatever his name is) and bring him down and take Jerusalem, which is my main goal from the start. That will be a huge victory. I just needed to secure the north a bit. I'm hoping I can force Egypt to make peace after taking some of their northern cities...but, I have a feeling it will be a long and bloody war. Not to mention I still have to be careful in the east (one general there to defend). North is fine, since two satrapies and my 2nd main general is there to defend the holdings there. After Egypt is subdued or conquered, I might use my eastern general to secure my eastern front, while mostly focusing on building and economy everywhere else.

[umiman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aukvxuZ1VcM

So apparently all owners of Rome 2 will get a free expansion pack and stuff soon. Nice of them.

[dennislp3]

That...looks like a big patch that is just being called an expansion...

nitpicking aside...as long as they keep fixing it I suppose I am happy...

[timferius]

Well, it has a new campaign thrown in, which has been the realm of the paid expansions so far, so it's both. Plus a political overhall is huge, and basically what people have been crying for since day 1. I've got to say, aside from a slightly rocky release, CA has really kept their name in post-release support.

[scriver]

They've released quite a lot if free/free for a limited time stuff, though. I pike that. Especially since I haven't bought any of the DLCs.

[Vendayn]

Well, I stopped DEI. I liked the realism, however was super easy and didn't fix AI. Unit variety sucked. Too easy to cause routes. Battles always quick. But mostly factions I love, aside from Seleucid were completely ignored.

But search toontotalwar Rome 2 mod on google, easy to find. Get the recommended mods, load his mod first. And get no marker mod for better ai (than vanilla) or its broken

I found a better one. A bit more arcadey than DEI, but the AI is vastly better. Did add a few submods, but not many. The recommended ones and a few extra.

Even if more arcadey, I'm playing Seleucids and its so much harder. Ai actually uses strategy and does stuff, like flank you or run out of trees to ambush. Never saw that in DEI. And attacked a city and lost first time because of a huge ambush. Ai left city to few at start, didn't know where they were. And battles are harder too.

(Edit) quick addition. But battle maps are better too. Cities look way more amazing than what I saw in dei. In dei, same city, was on flat ground. But in here was built on a hill, but still made sense. A strategic city/fort like area. And siege is intense, but be sure to get mod to remove capture points..
Break ai with it, but vastly improves ai without it.
(End edit)

Campaign map is a lot better too faction wise. Dei took factions out. And on top of gem plus other improvements toontotalwar made look great. Runs better than dei in huge battles too for some reason.

Also campaign ai is brutal. Seleucids were brokenly easy in DEI and ai never did war barely, just blitzed them. First time I just had to sit in conquered territory to build up and stabilize region.

Huge and amazing compilation in one pack. Plus the mods he recommended and a couple extra. Plus all the factions aren't boring as hell and actually have unit variety (and huge aor)

Really recommend it. Vastly better ai, bit more arcadey, but its amazing.

[umiman]

You never said what you got.

[Vendayn]

You never said what you got.

Edited in top of post. So excited about it forgot to include it. :p

Easy to find on google, may include link to submods and mod when I'm on my PC.