I don't know what others did.

I'm working on one currently. I didn't release it as it leads to blobbing quickly, I want to tweak factions to make things more dynamic. I also need to work on file structure, as of now it would very likely be incompatible with the majority of mods.

To make the AI more agressive isn't difficult. However, to make it more clever as well is plain impossible. I mean, it's even too stupid to make use of ducal centralization laws, so it often gives away its counties to vassals, only to try and revoke them two years later, and lose.

I generally disagree. The AI can't be made smart due to how it works and there's a range of hardcoded things that restricts what can be done, however there are pretty blatant oversights that makes it significantly better that can be modded. For example tribals don't build prestige buildings because they try to build the whole line of buildings that require money before considering to build anything else... but tribals don't have money (unless they have troops to raid) and these buildings are pretty bad.

Not that i know.

Besides, before looking for mods, play on Very Hard, as it gives the AI a few serious bonuses.
very_hard_ai = {
land_morale = 0.5
global_tax_modifier = 0.2
levy_reinforce_rate = 1.0
}

Originally posted by Varainger:

Not that i know.

Besides, before looking for mods, play on Very Hard, as it gives the AI a few serious bonuses.
very_hard_ai = {
land_morale = 0.5
global_tax_modifier = 0.2
levy_reinforce_rate = 1.0
}

That's the game dev's universal way out of this issue, for more than 30 years already:
"I'm too stupid to make the AI not stupid, so I'll give it massive cheats instead."

If you want to make the AI more aggressive it's easy.

In the CK2 folder, open common folder, with a text editor (notepad ++ is best) open defines.lua, search for DOW_AGGRESSION_FACTOR and increase it to your liking.

Originally posted by Incitatus:

If you want to make the AI more aggressive it's easy.

In the CK2 folder, open common folder, with a text editor (notepad ++ is best) open defines.lua, search for DOW_AGGRESSION_FACTOR and increase it to your liking.

Don't do this, unless you want the AI to go completely bonkers. It might be useful in a shattered world scenario, but on the normal map, I wouldn't recommend it.

Originally posted by Alex:

That's the game dev's universal way out of this issue, for more than 30 years already: "I'm too stupid to make the AI not stupid, so I'll give it massive cheats instead."

The problem is players have terrible intuition about probability and value tools differently depending on whether they're the ones using them or not, which means they complain whether the AI is cheating or not. As such developers have to make the AI cheat so players think it's not cheating, and then make it cheat to narrow the gap caused by players doing things that they'd never tolerate the AI doing.

If you really want the game to have a bunch of actors all of which are as clever and resourceful as you, go organise a multiplayer game.

Originally posted by Ketsuban:

The problem is players have terrible intuition about probability and value tools differently depending on whether they're the ones using them or not, which means they complain whether the AI is cheating or not.

It's not about complaining that the AI cheats, it's the issue that the AI isn't much of a threat if it's not given powerful cheats.

For example, in my current campaign, I had to switch over to my big (AI) rival, and prevent their total collapse due to sheer stupidity. Really, if you try to revoke a county from a major vassal who has a lot of friends, while your troops are locked in a stalemate at the other edge of your kingdom, then you're just asking to get wrecked on two fronts.

Originally posted by Ketsuban:

As such developers have to make the AI cheat so players think it's not cheating, and then make it cheat to narrow the gap caused by players doing things that they'd never tolerate the AI doing.

That doesn't even make any sense?

Originally posted by Ketsuban:

If you really want the game to have a bunch of actors all of which are as clever and resourceful as you, go organise a multiplayer game.

Of course, no AI is currently able to challenge you like a human would, that much is true.

...currently

Originally posted by Alex:

Originally posted by Varainger:

Not that i know.

Besides, before looking for mods, play on Very Hard, as it gives the AI a few serious bonuses.
very_hard_ai = {
land_morale = 0.5
global_tax_modifier = 0.2
levy_reinforce_rate = 1.0
}

That's the game dev's universal way out of this issue, for more than 30 years already:
"I'm too stupid to make the AI not stupid, so I'll give it massive cheats instead."

That might be, but it's regular diffculty levels and just a suggestion by me to get a bit more challenge from the AI, as there are no mods that i know in this regard and challenge appears to be what the OP asked for first of all....and not for a debate about it.
The tax and levy_reinforcement rate increases alone already do wonders in my experience in comparison to normal difficulty.

What you refer to is something else, truly better AI and for that as you said, the issue is not fixed by the AI cheating values here and there. Good decision making and understanding circumstances to challenge a player would be, but i dont think there is a mod for that and i know no other way right now..

There are no mods for grand and smart decisions about war or not, revocation, troop movement and such. Not that i recall.

Regarding general agression as the OP asked, the idea with editing the DOW_AGGRESSION_FACTOR is certainly one way, or ambition values etc, but the AI will likely just go bonkers and in the end ruin itself and make it easier for the player, but i can't say i ever tested it in CK2. As far a si recall that was the case in CK1.

---
Either way, several small mods like for example "AI Can Change Focus" at least make the AI more interesting or mods that increase likeyhood for you to die in battle make the campaigns less predictable.

Originally posted by Varainger:

Regarding general agression as the OP asked, the idea with editing the DOW_AGGRESSION_FACTOR is certainly one way, or ambition values etc, but the AI will likely just go bonkers and in the end ruin itself and make it easier for the player, but i can't say i ever tested it in CK2. As far a si recall that was the case in CK1.

I've tested it, and the DOW_AGGRESSION_FACTOR will make the AI go bonkers, especially in conjunction with changes to rationality or zeal. Increasing only ambition does have some effect, in particular, I was seeing a better performance from the tribals. On the other hand, it led to chaos among the feudal realms, since everyone and their bastard son rose up in rebellions.

Anyway, changing those values won't improve the AI, the issue is its underlying logic. Or a lack thereof, and that's something which mods cannot fix.

Originally posted by Alex:

Originally posted by Varainger:

Regarding general agression as the OP asked, the idea with editing the DOW_AGGRESSION_FACTOR is certainly one way, or ambition values etc, but the AI will likely just go bonkers and in the end ruin itself and make it easier for the player, but i can't say i ever tested it in CK2. As far a si recall that was the case in CK1.

I've tested it, and the DOW_AGGRESSION_FACTOR will make the AI go bonkers, especially in conjunction with changes to rationality or zeal. Increasing only ambition does have some effect, in particular, I was seeing a better performance from the tribals. On the other hand, it led to chaos among the feudal realms, since everyone and their bastard son rose up in rebellions.

Good to know.
Haha
Reminds me of a "Mayhem" mod for EU3, i think.
So in that regard it might be an idea for a mod. I wonder if noone thought of that yet, as it would fit perfectly to the reception and idea a lot of people have of CK2.

Anyway, changing those values won't improve the AI, the issue is its underlying logic. Or a lack thereof, and that's something which mods cannot fix.

Aye

Well, the aggression setting might have some use in a shattered world scenario, or for a "everyone's a tribal" kind of mod. Otherwise, we just have to wait for CK4, I guess?

Originally posted by Varainger:

Reminds me of a "Mayhem" mod for EU3, i think.
So in that regard it might be an idea for a mod. I wonder if noone thought of that yet, as it would fit perfectly to the reception and idea a lot of people have of CK2.

I'm looking forward to that (provided that you release it, that is).

Originally posted by Alex:

Well, the aggression setting might have some use in a shattered world scenario, or for a "everyone's a tribal" kind of mod. Otherwise, we just have to wait for CK4, I guess?

Originally posted by Varainger:

Reminds me of a "Mayhem" mod for EU3, i think.
So in that regard it might be an idea for a mod. I wonder if noone thought of that yet, as it would fit perfectly to the reception and idea a lot of people have of CK2.

I'm looking forward to that (provided that you release it, that is).

Nah, I have other business and a lot on my TO-DO list and i'm not even speaking about my real life list here, before i would think about it. Though it might not need much. A few modified values for character behaviour, war and plotting here and there and maybe adding some madness from some battle and duel mods, sprinkle in some sex and oh not to forget devil worshippers stuff and voila,...
The Hollywood mod !

Could be done, but i realy don't have the time, energy and nerves for that right now.
Occasionaly it can be fun to see the AI go wild for a change. but it's also not realy what i'm after usualy, so..

Originally posted by Incitatus:

.... For example tribals don't build prestige buildings because they try to build the whole line of buildings that require money before considering to build anything else... but tribals don't have money (unless they have troops to raid) and these buildings are pretty bad.

Nice
Always gets me mad when i see them storing pestige and even piety without using it....and then they die. Did you manage to make them build prestige and piety buildings more ?

That alone already as a standalone feature mod would already be quite good i can imagine. I never messed around with the tribal buildings values myself.

PS:
wow, i just looked at ai_creation_factor for tribal buildngs and the ones that actualy provide troops the most have the lowest factors. Make it make sense...