Change LXI.

-Lessened the cost to unload and load armies onto transports at beach areas. The cost change in previous versions of this mod (Change LIX) was so high that occasionally it carried over into a new turn. Now it should cost an armies fully movement to embark and disembark at a beach, but not its full forced march movement (to help limit the carry over cost into the next turn).

Syncronization update.

Change LX.

-Adjusted auto-resolve variables so that minor settlements play less of a role on the results than major settlements do (in other words, minor settlements are easier to take by auto-resolve, which was kind of silly before as they were 66% as effective as major settlements).

-Adjusted auto-resolve variables so that battles against AI are slightly penalized (they always were already, but this adjustment is a little better balanced.

-Adjusted auto-resolve variables so that shock cavalry units now have a slight bonus over ordinary cavalry.

Corrected a typo in data made in Change LIX.

Change LIX.

-Adjusted the recruitment bonus and penalty costs for naval units in controlled and contested sea regions by 2x the old rate. This was done to make it less trivial, and to actually benefit (and penalize) a side that has (or lacks) sea region control.

-Addressed another one of my personal pet peeves: movement costs for an army that transitions from beach to sea. In the original game, an army in hostile territory could quickly slip away by marching to the nearest beach and magically constructing/obtaining transport ships, then easily sail away beyond pursuit. This change essentially make it so that an army will use all of its movement to to embark onto transports at a beach area, similar to how it takes all the movement to disembark onto a beach. An army may still force march from the beach area and sail away some distance, but they will not completely disappear into the horizon like they did before (this is a good trade off since you can choose to fortify the beach on one turn, then on the next force march and sail away a small distance - albeit sacrificing some vulnerability for being in forced march stance). Note that it is always better to embark an army at a friendly port, which costs nothing because ships are readily available there (and this change better promotes the use of ports for transporting).

Syncronization update.

Change LVIII.

-Slightly adjsuted (increased) the base replenishment rate in the Grand Campaign. Please remember that replenishment is increased when:

A) Your army is garrisoned in a province that can recruit that unit type being replenished
B) Your army is garrisoned in an owned region
C) Your food surplus is at a very high level
D) Certain buildings are constructed, certain abilities are obtained by generals, and certain technology acquired

-Naval replenishment rate has been corrected in the Grand Campaign, now double what the base rate before (it was far too low, it is now back to its original rate which apparently wasn't too bad). Note that naval unit replishment is very slow unless you control the sea region AND garrison the fleet in that region then replenishment will essentially double.

I may tweak the amounts further, but the previously reduced amount was probably too harsh.

Change LVII.

Large but straightfoward improvements:

AI RELATED:
-AI priorites have been greatly improved. "Balanced" "aggressive" and "defensive" factions should now behave more appropriately. Balanced factions should now effectively balance attacking and defending.
-Rome AI personality is more opportunistic when it decides who to declare war on, and trecherous (will declare war on friends if it decides it will benifit). Note that a unique new AI personality has been created for the Romans in this mod.
-Carthage AI personality is now more self centered, they will make decisions based less on diplomatic relations and more on personal gain. This helps tone down the situation where Carthage instinctively declares war on Rome or other factions at a point where they are not at a position of advantage.
-Arab AI personality is now less reliable, and more steadfast.
-Sparta AI personality is now defensive based, as was historical. They were the defenders of Hellas, not conquerors (at least at this point in history). This should help tone down the AI's behavior where Sparta conquers the entire region in the past.


DIPLOMACY RELATED:
-Arab and Celt starting relationships with Carthage has been tweaked, now a little less friendly to Carthage, but not too much, just enough that everyone isn't in bed with each other at the start (you have to work for it).
-Carthaginian Barcid faction now has a little less of a diplomatic relations penalty, it was far too high before which caused excessive hatred making everyone declare war on them (and providing very little incentive to choose the Barcid faction as your playable faction).

ECONOMY RELATED:

-Starting "phantom income" has been adjusted. In the past, both MAJOR and MINOR factions had an income of 3000, which is quite ridiculous, and IMO is the single greatest problem causing minor factions to chew up all major factions. Mathmatically, a major faction didn't have a chance when at war with two or three minor ones. Starting BASE income is now - 2000 for MAJOR, 1000 for MINOR, but more exists depending on the faction (see below).
-All major and some exclusive minor factions have additional subsistence income to better separate them from one another. So, in addition to above, the capitals of Rome, Carthage, all successor kingdoms and Parthia have additional income to better bring them up to their old 3000 income level. The greek states DO NOT have this extra income, meaning that they intentionally get at 1000 less than the powerful main factions. This is done because the greek factions were minor factions at this point, not the equivalent of Rome, Carthage and successor kindoms. In addtion, some select minor factions (such as hellenic type) have more income than other minor factions, depending on how historically prosperous they were.

OTHER:
-Raised Athens research bonus from +10% to +15% (to give them a non-trivial increase).
-Celts and Germanic now get +2 happiness for each faction they are at war with, instead of just +1 (to make it less trivial).
-Iceni faction now gets +25% morale increase in battles fought in their territory, rather than a trivial +10%.
-African factions have been penalized to keep them from being so outrageously powerful. These factions were in the Sahara desert and were not overly wealthy nor did they field massive armies that rampage the map. Their unit recruitment costs are now 2x, their tax rate is -75%, and they have 2 less recruitement slots. All of this helps weaken them to a more historical state.
-Sparta was both penalized and helped. I am aware of certain people's infatuation with the Spartans because of the whole "300" movie nonsense, but in reality Sparta was a MINOR nation at this point in history, and were in full decline. Helot repression is now a penalty (instead of a bonus), simply put, no one wanted to be under Spartan rule at this point because they were so oppressive, which caused public order PROBLEMS, not benifits (read about the Helot uprisings). Economically Sparta has been a little more penalized over the standard game, but as a nod to these penalties -- Spartan recruites are now +3 experience instead of just +1 (so militarily they are better, but economically and socially they are worse).

Caesar in Gaul CHANGE:
-Replinishment is now slightly lowered to better match a historical replacement rate.

Change LVI.

-Further improved AI monetary spending behavior so that they should be more active with their money (this should help free up their spending on building upgrades as it seems they weren't saving any money for that purpose before). They should also be more likely to spend some money on diplomacy, which helps with negotiating peace agreements.

-Increased Roman faction aggressiveness and lowered their reliability, which helps make them a little more warlike and more likely to stab their friends in the back. This adjustment was made because recent changes in this mod with AI improvements, availability of Socii units, and making minor factions less powerful financially has really broken open the barrier which stood in the way of a truly effective Roman AI. These recent changes have caused the Roman AI to be effective and capable, so this change releases the shackles that were placed on them to keep them from being so aggressive that they destroy themself.

NOTE: I will post a new screenshot showing how Roman AI has thrived and expanded in my most recent campaign. This is very encouraging - you should finally be able to play as a non-Roman faction and have an epic struggle to contain Roman expansion.

Syncronization update