My quick rant about the AI

Slax · August 25, 2002, 22:32

Sorry if this has been said a million times, but I have to get this off my chest...

Since only the human player can quit the game, the AI civs should expect to be acting defensively for the most part. The thing that really bugs me is that once a war has started, and I have taken a few of their cities, the AI will be found building settlers and wonders! What would a human player do if a larger civ is attacking and winning? I wish they would build defensive units, and then try to build up a few offensive units to use in one combined attack.

Sorry, I really like the game, this just is bugging me right now.

Phew. I feel better.

Slax

PS- Are there particular civs that tend to battle better?.

vmxa1 · August 26, 2002, 01:47

I don't know about it being a million, but it has been said and is fair rant. That does not mean they can/should fix, but it would be nice (I think).

notyoueither · August 26, 2002, 02:03

Maybe suicide is how they quit the game.

Odin · August 26, 2002, 14:56

Quote:

Originally posted by notyoueither
Maybe suicide is how they quit the game.

By being dumb!!!

Jethro83 · August 26, 2002, 17:28

I've had similar problems with the AI. In my most recent game, I ended up on a small continent between India in the west, and Persia in the east. I quickly wiped the Persians out (having obtained the only source of iron on the continent).

As for India, they were trying to send settlers through my territory to fill the vacuum left by my war (I razed and rebuilt mostly). Once I had redeployed my horde of swordsmen to prepare for war with India, I declared war. That didn't slow their flow of settlers any, and they had at the absolute most two spearmen and one warrior protecting their cities, with the odd archer pacing around the borders. What's more, I think the war might have accelerated their flow of settlers. Perhaps they were looking for a place as slaves to my empire.

So the continual production of settlers is not the only problem here. The AI totally lacks territorial integrity. If you ask them to leave, they should go back to their own territory the way they came in. If you demand that they leave, they should be automoved back into their territory. Not on the other side of your empire, where they were planning to go.

Firaxis has come a long way since they first released the game, and I really enjoy playing it, but there's still work to do. Meanwhile, I will try and make the most of this AI behaviour.

Slax · August 26, 2002, 19:15

Yes. They keep their expansion plans going, even though I love to take and keep those newly founded cities. It shows you how the REXing never stops.

N. Machiavelli · August 26, 2002, 20:35

What difficulty are you playing at Slax? I've found that in wars against the AI (especially after the middle ages), in Emperor or Diety, they usually continue to crank out military units until either you crush them and they attempt to rebuild somewhere else to avoid extinction, or peace is made.

Blake · August 26, 2002, 22:49

I had an AI building and sending out unescorted setters as I smashed their empire

. I thanked them for the slaves.

Odin · August 26, 2002, 23:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Blake
I had an AI building and sending out unescorted setters as I smashed their empire

. I thanked them for the slaves.

I play at Monarch and I rarely see that happen

Ethelred · August 27, 2002, 00:14

I rarely see any unescorted settlers.

Except my own. I do it frequently and rarely lose one. Only when there is a fast barbarian unit beyond my vision.

Slax · August 27, 2002, 00:32

Quote:

Originally posted by N. Machiavelli
What difficulty are you playing at Slax? I've found that in wars against the AI (especially after the middle ages), in Emperor or Diety, they usually continue to crank out military units until either you crush them and they attempt to rebuild somewhere else to avoid extinction, or peace is made.

I play at Monarch level. Perhaps its time I move up to Emperor. But still, I think that at Monarch level this tactic shouldn't happen as much.

Slax · August 27, 2002, 00:39

I don't really plan to play multiplayer, but that would certainly improve the opposition tactics!

Unfortunately, in this case, the enemy CAN quit the game. I'm looking forward to the early reports after some MP games get played to see how it goes.