Communism and Fascism (suggestions)

[Ision]

Gentlemen,

I am not a numbers cruncher, nor do I have the depth of knowledge that you have on why the AI chooses certain research paths. Nevertheless, I play this game extensively and have noticed certain trends on the part of the AI. I offer these 2 suggestions and welcome your feedback.

Make Fascism no longer a stand-alone tech - available with Scientific Method.

Reasoning: The AI tends very strongly towards this tech (far more than Communism). As a stand-alone tech, Fascism has simply added yet another tech for the AI to research before it goes towards Industrialization or Scientific Method. Moving Fascism to Scientific Method may increase the chances of AIs following the lower branch of the tech tree, and thus give the human a greater challenge in the ToE race. Scientific Method abstractly represents the advent of science and Darwinism; much of Fascism was based on the ideology that was called ‘Social Darwinism’. Nationalism sounds like the logical choice, but in game terms it’s really more representative of the advances made in the Civil War era.

Make Communism no longer a stand-alone tech – available with Industrialization.

Reasoning: Again, as a stand-alone tech, Communism inhibits the AI from other research paths. In this case the idea is to increase the speed at which the AI will have access to factories. Industrialization was the advent of the trade union movement and in many cases it’s radicalization by extremist. Communisms ascendancy began with the Industrial Age. Police Stations would also become available with Industrialization, further enhancing this research route.

I still believe that the AI will consistently research Nationalism first. However, the number of detours after Nationalism should be diminished in order to close the gap with the human player. In reality all I have advocated is the elimination of a single ‘optional’ tech – Communism. Fascism did not even exist as a tech in PTW, and simply added to an already tech heavy age.

Sincerely,

Ision

[alexman]

Thanks for the interesting suggestion. We will certainly take it into account when considering how to help the AI with its research choices. In fact, something similar has already been proposed there.

[Ision]

alexman,

Just finished reading the related thread you posted. It's good to see that a change is being considered. I do not believe that wrapping them into a single tech (totalitarianism) is the solution. This just puts us back where we started from in PTW. The problem will remain.

Ision