Stupid, Stupid, France

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Is the French AI deliberatly stupid?

I'm playing GC as Spain, currently 1534 and in the first 40 years or so France have made a DOW on me, very silly.

First time up I was battering Portugal ended up taking Algarve and Oporto and just as I was about to finish a siege France attacked with Savoy and Helvetia in tow. I had left Franche Compte undefended and 80,000 French and Allies piled in leaving me free to occupy Picardie, Ile de France, Langeudoc and Bearn. Made a SQ peace with Helvetia and then France conceded 3 regions.

20 years later the mugs do the same and I end up taking Nice and Provence and Gascony. If they carry on like this they will end up landlocked!

 

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All the AIs do this, apparently.

Of all the provinces you currently hold, there will be one that is more useful to them than any other. (Franche-Comte in this case, because it's a core province.) They will then send their ENTIRE army to that province to try to relieve it, and then decide which is the next most important. You, having half a brain or possibly even more, will decide to break your army into two or three siege forces, take multiple provinces simultaneously, and beat the tar out of pretty much anyone you have to fight.

 

[hjarg]

During one war between France and Spain i saw the following scenario.
Spain, Milan, Papal States and Venice on one side
France, Helvetia, Hessen, Palatinat and Cologne on the other

Spain DOWs France. It's army goes all the way through France and starts sieging Helvetia. Soon, they annex it and army leaves.
Army of Hessen comes to siege it. Cologne and Palatinat join. Abandon it after a month.
Then French main army comes to the rescue. All others join again. French get the province.
Papal states begins the siege. Milan joins. Pope gets the province.
French siege, abandon
Palatinat sieges, Hessen joins. Palatinat gets.
Milan sieges, Venice join. Abandon.
Spanish again. They get the province.
Colonge starts siege. French join. Cologne gets it.
Peace-> Helvetia to Cologne.
Rebellion. Helvetia declares independance.

Repeat after a few years.

Now that's a stupid AI

 

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Seems the frogs err I mean French need some sound strategical advice

 

[BiB]

The AI does.

 

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Originally posted by hjarg
During one war between France and Spain i saw the following scenario.
Spain, Milan, Papal States and Venice on one side
France, Helvetia, Hessen, Palatinat and Cologne on the other

Spain DOWs France. It's army goes all the way through France and starts sieging Helvetia. Soon, they annex it and army leaves.
Army of Hessen comes to siege it. Cologne and Palatinat join. Abandon it after a month.
Then French main army comes to the rescue. All others join again. French get the province.
Papal states begins the siege. Milan joins. Pope gets the province.
French siege, abandon
Palatinat sieges, Hessen joins. Palatinat gets.
Milan sieges, Venice join. Abandon.
Spanish again. They get the province.
Colonge starts siege. French join. Cologne gets it.
Peace-> Helvetia to Cologne.
Rebellion. Helvetia declares independance.

Repeat after a few years.

Now that's a stupid AI

Those cuckoo clocks are hella valuable, y'know