Explain this please?

[gdpsnake]

The AI must cheat or something.
I started a campaign in 1776 and now on turn 3, the American AI has no less than 33 militia units on the board that I can see. He has not taken ANY towns or won ANY battles so how did he possibly get this many MILITIA units (DOES NOT COUNT REGULARS!)
I started the game as the American and found 6 militia at start and 80 influence points which at a cost of 6 means about 13 militia can be bought.
I know this because I bought some Indians and EVERY town they come to has 1 or 2 militias in them. He also has 3 armies of 6 militias (I can see them). I counted them all, 33!
So what gives here?! Cheating AI or what?!
He also has an army of 11,000, 6,000 and 4,000 with about 80 cannons total just near New York. I know I never had that many men by turn three playing as the American.
Anybody else notice?

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: gdpsnake

The AI must cheat or something.
I started a campaign in 1776 and now on turn 3, the American AI has no less than 33 militia units on the board that I can see. He has not taken ANY towns or won ANY battles so how did he possibly get this many MILITIA units (DOES NOT COUNT REGULARS!)
I started the game as the American and found 6 militia at start and 80 influence points which at a cost of 6 means about 13 militia can be bought.
I know this because I bought some Indians and EVERY town they come to has 1 or 2 militias in them. He also has 3 armies of 6 militias (I can see them). I counted them all, 33!
So what gives here?! Cheating AI or what?!
He also has an army of 11,000, 6,000 and 4,000 with about 80 cannons total just near New York. I know I never had that many men by turn three playing as the American.
Anybody else notice?

Apparently the AI gets a little 'extra' influence at the start of the game. It seems like every town has a militia unit in it. That is why you almost HAVE to fight battles in tactical mode as the British, at least early on. Those 40,000 man miitia armies will just whittle you down. It does get better though. Eventually a lot of the militia goes home or gets chewed up in combat and surrenders. It can be a tense ride though.

[gdpsnake]

Okay,
Now I'm really upset. After he attacked me with an army of 13,000 militia, 10,000 regulars, 1000 riflemen and 54 cannon at one spot and 5,000 militia at another spot, I am now able to confirm AT LEAST SEVENTY EIGHT militia units for the American and that does not count the ones I can't see in cities I'm not near but even if only half of them have one, then that's nearly ONE HUNDRED militia units at a cost of SIX HUNDRED influence.
Isn't that just a little bit ridiculous?

[Venator]

There were 10 000 militia outside Boston on the morning of 20th April 1775. Your 13000 militia doesn't seem so over the top.
 
In 1776, Washington had close on 20 000 men under his command, not much less than your above example.
 
 Playing as the British used to be a complete walk in the park because the rebels could not summon enough militia. Things might be a shade too far the other way now but it's surely better.

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: gdpsnake

Isn't that just a little bit ridiculous?

Not if you are the American side [:)]

Also remember that intel isn't 100% accurate. I've seen armies that showed 30,000 infantry but when I fought them it turned out there was less than 1/2 that number actually in the army I fought.

[gdpsnake]

James,
No these are numbers I've actually seen - not intel. I fought most of these and wrote the exact numbers down. That's the 78 militia. The other 22 or so are ones I see on the map as actual units - some with numbers, some not but all at least one unit.

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: gdpsnake

James,
No these are numbers I've actually seen - not intel. I fought most of these and wrote the exact numbers down. That's the 78 militia. The other 22 or so are ones I see on the map as actual units - some with numbers, some not but all at least one unit.

I found the American militia to be hard to believe also when I first started playing the game. I had some very close calls fighting to keep Boston as the Brits. The numbers really limit your expansion as the brits until you get a lot more reinforcements. It makes for a good game even if it seems a bit unrealistic amount of troops. They seem to go away rather quickly. I imagine the list of units going home on the event screen is quite long the first time it occurs! [:)]

[gdpsnake]

I hope so. Playing as the American, I always had a recruiting limit in each area so I could never amass such hordes.
I also noted the British AI had about 20 Indians and an 8K militia troop in Canada. I can't even come close as a player.
Also, the AI leaders seem to rally very well and move all over the board with plenty of rally attempts. they also shoot better and melee better (Isn't the American suppossed to have a melee penalty for a while?)
I hope they work on the AI and get these 'cheats' a little more under control.

[Venator]

they also shoot better and melee better

That partly depends on the difficulty setting I think. Though to be honest I've always found that the Doodles are beatable when I'm playing as the British alsmost whatever their numbers. An early release did have a bug with overactive AI leaders that was fixed.

[HussarGames]

Could you tell me which campaign and what difficulty setting? 'General' setting has quite a few cheats for the AI.