This thread is very instructive about the main flaws of AJE:
http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?25930-Pompey-s-forces-can-t-win&p=253410#post253410
These weaknesses are so important I begin to consider necessary to create an open mod on the main AJE scenarios to offer a better gaming experience.
1) I will begin by testing a new battle system. Under the hood, the test results done several days ago on the official forum are demonstrating the battle results to be heavily flawed. If the subject isn’t more disputed for now, I guess it’s the result of both the complexity and hidden aspect of the battle engine and the fact many of not all scenarios are competition between very similar forces organized mainly around heavy infantry.
The first step will be to improve the tests, by creating testing scenarios based on this excellent model, to determine the right values.
2) The AI is exceptionally poor. If the 1.0 version has allowed to believe AI was good, it was an optical illusion due to the flawed battle system, that created so huge bonus for Caesarian and Optimates faction AI was boosted. The 1.01 version has lowered these bonus, and the AI is displaying the same fundamental flaws then ain former AGE games. The AI ay show here and there operational brilliance, but most often, it’s unable to understand the map. The most obvious example is Pontus, that in 1.0 landed in Sicilia. The only AI change with the 1.01 version has been done to lower Pontus AI interest for Sicilia; that’s why it’s now invading regularly Tunisia. More and more posts and reports are made from PBEM games.
Each time new exe version is released, each time AI events need to be modified, partially or totally. If not, AI events will weaken AI rather than improving it. AI events in AJE are amateurish to say the last, based on the wrong presumption AI is thinking like an human mind, but at least, they had some correlation with the 1.0 version. the changes introduced in the 1.01 must be tied with changes in AI events.
That is easier to do. I may create the FY or SVF AI for AJE.
3) Last , the main scenarios are heavily unbalanced. To just take the example of Pompey, they are reasons why the Civil War didn’t ended with the death of Pompey, and why Caesar was assassinated in 44. If Pompey had a weaker military tool, the opposition to caesar ascension was much stronger than determined by the scenario.
That’s a lot of work 🙂
Ideas welcome ; -)
