Let’s hope the developers will give access to the AI full modification for modders
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I just played four games with the new patch, and the AI has completely taken a step backwards. The hardest level was somewhat playable after April patch, but now, even with the difficulty settings that are above Hardest, it doesn’t mitigate the problem at all !
There are no raid parties, no aggression; the first attack always comes at the 14-minute mark with the same army composition every time. After the first attack, a slightly larger force always arrives at the 20-minute mark. They’ve essentially turned this game into SimCity.
Following the massive layoffs at Relic and looking at future plans in the patch notes, it’s evident that they are focusing on providing content only for the online components of the game. We, the offline players, have gotten the short end of the stick. We were also scammed by the false promise of Machine Learning-Unbeatable AI. From now on, I’ll play any future Microsoft games solely on Game Pass and will always try to find the membership dirt cheap by any means necessary.
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New Update 8.1.185
https://www.ageofempires.com/news/age-of-empires-iv-update-8-1-185/
AI Updates
- Fixed an issue that caused the AI to miscalculate the damage of buildings with garrisoned units. AI should no longer treat outposts as harmless if there are units inside.
- Mongol AI will place blacksmith and some military production buildings near Ovoo when relocating to take advantage of improved technologies.
- AI’s logic for assigning villagers to gather from resources has been improved.
- AI army will now try to move in formation when traveling to attack or defend a target. Siege engines and slower units will now move together with faster units giving AI a better chance to utilize the whole army.
- Issue with AI archers being idle after fleeing has been fixed.
- AI will now build the first mining camp close to its Town Center early in the game.
- AI now uses more villagers to construct landmarks and wonders.
- AI will fall back from battles it is losing more reliably.
- AI player’s monks will now correctly travel with, heal, and buff their allies.
- AI is now more restricted for executing market trades. It won’t execute trade for resources that it needs when it’s gathering same resource decently. It will only go for market trades that make sense.
- Accelerated and generally improved AI’s first Town Center placement logic in Nomad mode.
- Fixed AI sometimes repeatedly choosing the same bad spot to build their first Town Center in Nomad mode, destroying it and trying again or sometimes completely failing to choose a good construction spot.
AI Scout Changes
- AI players will now actively scout for nearby enemy units after they have been harassed in their territory.
- AI scouts now collect sheep in Revealed games.
- AI’s scouts drop sheep off at the base more often.
- Scout pathfinding when grabbing sheep has been improved around shores.
- AI will use their scouts to observe enemy bases more often.
- AI’s scouts no longer deliver sheep to allies on revealed maps.
- AI players’ scouts will no longer attempt to steal sheep from near allied bases.
Campaign
- Fixed a problem that could cause the enemy AI to stop attacking during the Lumen Shan mission.
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4 lakes me and my bro and 1 A.i vs 3 A.i’s
All A.i’s did this… funny thing is that Age of empires 1 and age 1 Dlc for 2 has the same issue… Please fix this devs…
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This was evident and reported in the PUP that introduced that map a year ago. No fix, no communication.
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Yup, that’s my experience in skirmish mode. The AI just overwhelms you with a huge army that you have no idea how they could have built so fast.
Well, it only happens on the highest difficulties.
Actually the AI is very dumb and doesn’t even know what to do with the wall 
Try this mod, but it still doesn’t fix most of the AI bugs 
https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/jakcie-a-i-actual-ai-improvements/232879
(https:// Age of Empires Franchise Feedback Survey 2023)
You can fill out the Survey and the developers will fix the AI behavior !!!
In the next major patch that comes out along with the new The Sultans Ascend DLC, the AI will be noticeably improved.
AI Updates (General)
- AI now uses a control influence map to better determine which areas of the map are controlled versus contested.
- AI will no longer send its Monks to pick up relics behind enemy walls.
- Reduced situations when AI Villagers go idle when there are still resources to gather.
- Improved AI Villager’s decision making on what resources to gather reducing amount of unnecessary resource reassignments.
- Fixed AI sometimes refusing to gather from deposits near its base if those deposits are in relative proximity to the starting position of a non-AI player.
- AI no longer sends too many Villagers to gather from the same animal.
- Improved AI farm placement logic so that that are placed more optimally around drop off locations.
- Fixed an issue where the AI would build too many Lumber Camps on some maps.
- Fixed AI sometimes building multiple copies of a building that it needs only one of.
- AI will now build markets in optimal areas, if possible, for maximum trade efficiency.
- Fixed AI Town Centers sometimes losing their ability to produce units after being destroyed and repaired.
- AI now considers the amount of resources their allies have before sending villagers to help with repairing allied structures. They should try to help only if necessary.
- Fixed AI sometimes refusing to build new dropoff locations during the late-game causing long-distance resource harvesting.
AI Offensive Behavior Updates
- Updated AI military targeting priorities:
- AI units will try to finish off low health targets more reliably.
- AI units will try to target units they do bonus damage against when possible.
- Fixed several issues with the AI attacking buildings instead of fighting nearby enemies.
- Fixed several issues with the AI targeting units with anti-building siege instead of targeting key buildings like keeps or landmarks.
Developer’s Note: Melee units will still rely on attack move to engage with nearby enemies but try to switch focus if they can attack a better target, while ranged units will more readily switch targets.
Developer’s Note: Sometimes the AI will still choose to destroy economic/production buildings instead of going for Landmarks if its goal is to weaken the enemy. We know that there is still room for improvement in terms of deciding when to just go for the win.
- The AI will no longer use trebuchets to hunt boars.
- AI will now better protect its ranged siege weapons while attacking.
- AI will now engage dangerous enemy buildings enroute to their planned target.
- Fixed an issue where the AI sometimes fails to respond when being attacked on the way to its planned destination.
- AI Scouts will now prioritize dropping off larger amounts of herded sheep before venturing into enemy territory.
- The AI now scouts the map more efficiently.
AI Defensive Behavior Updates
- AI will now plan and build an air-tight Wall when it’s feeling defensive, and fill gaps created by gathered resources.
- AI will no longer build encircling walls around cross-map economic expansions.
- Improved AI base building logic in the early game making it build structures in a more safe and compact way.
- AI will no longer pull military units away from base to defend an ally far away.
- Fixed AI Villagers abandoning their Landmark Town Center construction site when attacked by a human player during the early stages of a Nomad game.
- Fixed a bug during late skirmish games that would sometimes cause AI armies to get stuck prioritizing defense and become unresponsive to enemy attacks.
- Improved AI Fallback behavior such that it now tries to search for a better safe position instead of blindly going back to their Landmark Town Center even if it was already destroyed.
- AI Villagers are now smarter when selecting a target to repair, if they decide to repair a distant structure, they now try to take a safer route.
AI Civilization-Specific Updates
- Mongol AI will no longer delete their Landmark Town Center when their start position is too close to an enemy.
- Mongol AI now will only relocate buildings that make sense when its Ovoo is destroyed.
this either solves most AI issues, or makes AI even worse as the biggest issue for a long time was that it just killed it eco by suiciding villagers
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I really hope the patch will improve the AI’s behavior.
AI is super stupid, it trains unlimited workers and little military units.
Moreover, Advanced Game Mode is now not working and is impossible to play this game.
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Well pal the AI seems to be making more nuanced strategic decisions, adapting its approach based on the evolving state of the game. This includes better responses to rushes, improved resource management, and more sophisticated army compositions.
One noticeable change is the AI’s enhanced economic management. It appears to be more efficient in gathering resources, constructing buildings, and managing its overall economy. This has led to more challenging and dynamic matches, especially in the later stages of the game.
The AI now seems more adept at diversifying its unit composition, making it trickier to predict and counter. This adds an extra layer of complexity to battles, forcing players to think on their feet and adapt to evolving situations.
The patch seems to have addressed some of the balancing issues across difficulty levels. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newer player, the AI now provides a more consistent and engaging challenge, making every game a learning experience.
Another positive change is the AI’s improved ability to respond to player strategies. It feels less predictable, requiring players to vary their approaches and keeping each match feeling fresh and unpredictable.
But there is still something to strive for !
AI still has a lot of unpleasant and critical bugs. For example, the AI does not understand what to do with the wall and it is quite a big problem.
Also many old AI bugs have not been fixed yet. Such as the error when the AI leaves its villagers just stand idle in the late game and many others.
New bugs that I noticed during my days of testing and playing 
Rus
AI does not use the Gallop Horse Archer ability
AI does not rebuild Lodya into other species
The AI doesn’t use abilities in The Golden Gate
French
French AI doesn’t withdraw resource from guild hall. The AI’s resources are constantly piling up.
AI does not use Arbalétrier’s Deploy Pavise ability.
French AI does not use Cannon , Royal Cannon’s Artillery Shot ability.
China
AI that plays for China never builds Great Wall Gatehouse and thus does not go to Ming Dynasty. AI does not get bonuses from Ming Dynasty (health reserve of military units +10%) and does not get access to unique Grenadier units.
I think this is a very significant problem. I think we need to open access to Grenadier by default without entering the Ming Dynasty and give the bonus health reserve of military units +10% only for AI. Or how to make the AI to build a wall and then Great Wall Gatehouse or at least part of the wall (as it is done by humans for defense).
The AI does not use Imperial Official’s Supervise ability.
The AI also sends one or all Imperial Official to the Barbican of the Sun or TC garrison instead of him collecting taxes.
AI does not use Imperial Spies ability in Imperial Palace
AI doesn’t put Relics in Pagoda’s garrison
Ottomans
AI does not take advantage of Sultanhani Trade Network . The AI does not place additional traders in the garrison of a building. Thus the AI has only 2 traders instead of 6 at all times.
Text bug !!!
The Sipahi unit (Fortitude)has a typo in russian and it says that (Get 50%) but correctly Gain +50% attack speed and receive +50% damage from melee weapons for 10 seconds. 50 secs cooldown. (screen 2
!!!
The AI doesn’t use the Fortitude ability Sipahi
Byzantium
Byzantium’s AI does not build the fifth water cistern and thus loses part of the bonus.
I also noticed that the AI builds 4 only when the AI has built Cistern of the First Hill .And when AI does not build Cistern of the First Hill, AI always has 3 cisterns by default.
Byzantine AI is not using the Triumph ability in Imperial Hippodrome. Also the AI does not use the Varangian Guard (Berserking) ability and the Cataphracts Charge ability the AI does not use either. Limitanei also does not put a wall of shields .
AI also doesn’t use Arkitoi Defense when enemies destroy villagers near Cistern.
Varangian Guard don’t use Transport Ship.
Ayyubids
AI does not use Trade Wing and Advisors ability and thus does not use Atabegs
AI sometimes doesn’t build the last wing (builds 3 but doesn’t build the fourth wing)
Desert Raider does not switch weapon mode (Bow - Blade)
AI also does not hire Bedouin Swordsman, but Bedouin Skirmisher AI hires on Bazaar.
AI doesn’t use Siege Carpentry ability although it makes an upgrade in Siege Workshop
AI does not switch firing mode (Kinetic - Incendiary) in Manjaniq
Abbasid Dynasty
Imams cant convert units even when Proselytization technology is investigated
AI sometimes does not build the last wing of House of Wisdom (three builds and the fourth does not build).
Even when the AI has been playing for over an hour it still may not explore the last wing .
Zhu Xi’s Legacy
AI does not use the Body of Iron Shaolin Monk ability.
The AI does not use Imperial Official’s Supervise ability.
AI improves the max number of Imperial Official but does not hire more than 5 of them
AI doesn’t put Relics in Pagoda’s garrison
AI doesn’t switch Temple of the Sun abilities
Please make the AI build Meditation Gardens always closer to gold
Jeanne d’Arc
Jeanne d’Arc AI doesn’t withdraw resource from guild hall. The AI’s resources are constantly piling up.
AI does not use Arbalétrier’s Deploy Pavise ability
Jeanne d’Arc (Woman-at-Arms) does not use Holy Wrath, nor does Jeanne d’Arc use Valorous Inspiration or Strength of Heaven.
Order of the Dragon and Holy Roman Empire
The AI does not use the Emergency Repairs ability
Delhi Sultanate
The AI doesn’t use Man-at-Arms’, Spearman, Crossbowman, Archer and Handcannoneer (Forced March) ability.
The AI does not put Scholar in the garrison of the Palace of the Sultan building and thus the creation of elephants is very slowed down.
English
The AI does not use Longbowman’s Place Palings ability when cavalry approaches.
The AI also does not use the Setup Camp ability on Longbowman and Man-at-Arms.
Malians
The AI does not use Griot Bara and his abilities
AI does not use Musofadi Gunner and Musofadi Warrior’s Activate Stealth ability
Mongols
The AI does not use Khan’s Scouting Falcon ability
The AI doesn’t move Steppe Redoubt mostly and thus loses the bonuses from gold collection.
The Mongol AI is still not working in any online match I set up on the hard, hardest, or intermediate levels. When their base is found the carts are still unpacked, the villagers stand there idle, as well as the Khan.For some reason Mongols AI is still buggy and sometimes refuses to build buildings in the beginning.
ALL CIV
All AI Civilizations do not use the Man The Sails ability
AI often unfolds and unfolds siege weapons before firing or do not shoot at all but fold and unfold.
AI builds 2 markets for some reason. Or if AI has a Landmark like Chamber of Commerce (Landmark market) then AI still builds one more standard market.
General AI problems
Some of the AI merchants are standing still for some reason
I also noticed that only new AI Civilizations build Lumber Camp normally, I mean that when the AI is running out of wood, the AI destroys the Lumber Camp and does not build more. And the AI of old civilizations still builds a huge number of Lumber Camp and does not remove them .
The AI is still the same as before but less likely to leave its villagers without action . In the late game.
AI chop wood less often in the beginning and thus takes longer to build houses and AI lacks villagers .
AI sometimes build their first mining camp at stone.
AI has stopped building walls.
Sometimes the AI builds first of all barracks and only then tries to build a house, but there is no wood and thus the AI just stalled .
I will try to supplement the topic with AI bugs if I find them also I will definitely report all the AI bugs I found and not only.
Also if you want to help me you can also leave your AI bugs in this thread
@NovaFox9121 @Cobaltdragon913 Can you please take a look.
@JakcieChan1178 By the way there is a Amazing mod that further improves the AI and makes it much more interesting .
Have a good game !
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A new patch was released today .
There are a few AI improvements and fixes:
AI Updates
- Fixed issue that prevented AI armies from merging with reinforcements. The AI now forms bigger armies and is less likely to abandon half its units in a fight.
- Zhu Xi’s Legacy AI players will now take advantage of the abilities provided by the Temple of the Sun Landmark.
- AI player’s Scouts will not drop sheep off at docks on naval maps anymore.
- AI no longer uses half its army as trebuchet hype team that idly watches while the trebuchet tries its hardest to hit a moving target. AI now only uses a handful of units to guard its siege and the rest of the army continues to fight.
Unfortunately here is fixed a minimum of bugs that were found by me . But hopefully in the next patch they will be fixed.
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Please note
Very cool topic regarding AI.
The A.I. in AOEIV is indeed one of the worst in the strategygame universe
The game starts. You create some defences. You take a bit of a beating during (+/-) 8 minutes. The AI stops attacking. You build a bit of an army. You go and finish of your A.I.-opponents (one or seven, no problem). To quote Homer Simpson: “Boooooring!!!”.
In a nutshell? I give the AOE IV A.I. a 2/10. Out of sympathy for the effort
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A new patch has been released but unfortunately it has rather few significant fixes .
AI Updates (Byzantines)
- AI is better at picking safe places to build mercenary houses.
AI Updates (Jeanne d’Arc)
- AI Jeanne d’Arc no longer abandons her army when she levels up in combat.
- AI Jeanne d’Arc is now able to use Valorous Inspiration and Strength of Heaven.
AI Updates (Japanese)
- Fixed issue with AI trying to deposit Yorishiro in buildings that can’t accept Yorishiro.
- AI now prioritizes placing Yorishrio in forges, lumber camps, and farmhouses.
AI Updates (Nomad Mode)
- Fixed AI sometimes being unable to build their Town Center in Nomad mode.
AI Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue that could cause idle AI units if it failed to retreat with a set-up siege unit.
- Fixed a crash that could occur in the AI system when loading a save game.
- Fixed big groups of AI villagers refusing to gather resources during the late game.
- Fixed issue that sometimes causes the AI to get stuck on a building while patrolling its base.
- Fixed an issue that caused the AI to stay on a sacred site longer than intended.
- Fixed AI sometimes being unable to build anything or progress in any way when being in the proximity of an enemy.
- Fixed small groups of AI military units sometimes being defeated by chasing enemies into their base.
I noticed that mongols are now able to build pastures next to town centers. This was not mentioned in the patch notes
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