flukes?

Ironikinit · August 24, 2002, 14:25

I quit playing for a while, but I wanted to check out the new patch. I was wondering if anyone else was having games with very docile rivals? I played a game as the Babylonians (monarch, standard, large continents) and didn't have a single war. There was one major war when the Americans got their asses beat. I won with the diplomatic and chalked it up to a fluke.

Next game I took the Aztecs and fought the whole game pretty much, and it got kind of boring so I quit... plus I have to admit I was frustrated with my inability to produce leaders. I had the epic and everything but I was totally getting pimped.

So I went back to the Babylonians, only this time on emperor, and a large map. I remembered the AI was more demanding on that level, so I expected more wars. Wrong. I'm nearly at the end of the middle ages and nothing. Frankly, I bet that I can keep it that way if I keep my unit count high. Unfortunately, I have colony cities scattered along a big penisula, but still, the AI seems well in check.

What I'm really wondering is if they made the AI less warlike or if I just coincidence. I don't recall ever having a completely warless game under earlier versions.

Thrawn05 · August 24, 2002, 14:30

it must be your playing style. I find myself being assaulted by other civs most of the time. I'm a builder, but boy I'm the right hand of vengeance when I'm attacked. I raze it all!

NeoStar · August 24, 2002, 21:40

From the reports I've been hearing regarding the new patch the AI is using more offensive units more often so it probably is just coincidence.

XarXo · August 26, 2002, 10:31

Sometimes yes, sometimes not. All that I can say is that in almost all the games a war happens in late game between AI civs and usually one or two of the disappear, sometimes this happens before I discover them and is like archeology see some cities AI with strange names.

Arrian · August 26, 2002, 11:02

The AI has been attacking me as usual, and fighting amongst themselves too. I don't think the AI was made more passive in the patch. A lot of factors could be at work... what AI rivals are in the game? Lots of peaceniks like France & India, perhaps?

Then again, several of us managed to play an Emperor game almost devoid of war (there was only 1 aggressive civ in the mix, though)... AU102 "Give Peace a Chance." That was without being able to build a single military unit. I made it within 4 turns of a UN win before Egypt finally sneak attacked me.

-Arrian

vmxa1 · August 26, 2002, 11:23

Yup I have agree it is no less war like. I have been at war for some time on Huge 16 and have so many atacking me I lost count. 9 or 10 GL so far as Romans. I have them to burn and in fact used one to made an Ironclad, just so I would have room for the next one. Babs, Iroq, and Persia send about 30 units every other turn and at least some every turn now. Don't know how they do it. Got to love the AI, as soon as I dropped some troops on Persia land they want peace, if only I give them a tech and cash (funny).

Jaybe · August 26, 2002, 14:46

Ironikinit, often it just takes a spark to start warmongering among the AI. As Arrian or Theseus have stated elsewhere, once they get exposed to the concept, they start building bigger armies. Bigger armies tend to be used.

I was having this nice peaceful Roman game when Hammy demanded a tech, I refused and he declared war. I asked Xerxes for assistance, Hammy asked Cleo for assistance, I got Alex against Cleo. Next thing you know, I am big, Xerxes is biggest, Hammy's just 4 towns, and Cleo is quite dead (by Xerxes' hand).

It seems the recentl discovered "new world" (there are two continents) might never have had a war yet.

Arrian · August 26, 2002, 15:12

I think there is an aggressiveness trigger, too. If you are playing a continents map and are a warmongering bastard, the AI's on the other continent will probably start fighting too.

That was certainly the case with my recent Egyptian game... and the moment I set foot on that other continent, 2 different civs sent stacks of troops my way. I was sneak-attacked by two different civs on back-to-back turns (no, they did not know anything about what I did to the Russians, Iroquois and English). The replay revealed fighting amongst the overseas civs during most of my fighting period at home.

-Arrian

Ironikinit · August 26, 2002, 22:24

mumble mumble i lost that penisula to china... which of these stupid faces denotes embarassment mumble

In the first game I had culturally linked starts option on, and Persia, Zulu, and China were on my continent. I don't want to talk about the second.

The main aggression trigger is having a relatively weak army, of course. That goes for local strength as well, I'm quite sure of it. Even if you have a good military overall the AI might attack if you're weak regionally .

Another obvious trigger is ganging, which justifies the extortionate demands the AI makes for military alliances. Of course, you can't count on them to actually do anything. I bribed Catherine to declare war on Montezuma because he had a single city left on a tiny island that she happened to share. The pact nearly was up before she took it. I don't know if the AI was smart there or lazy. I'd lost patience and finally built the ships to transport troops. I was within a move or two of landing when I got the rampaging Russkis message. I forgot how frustrating this game is.