Something Absent from the Beta Tester previews:

[dearmad]

That is simply: comments on the AI's ability to play at various levels of the game. How does the AI really go about a game- is it any good?

Solver may prove me wrong as his whole article isn't posted yet, but...

It IS sorta missing.

[MarkG]

please dont shout, i have a headache

there are 9 levels, i'm happy to be managing a game on the 4th now, 3 months after playing for the first time

[Solver]

Markos is a bad player .

Next thing, my preview has three parts - parts 2 and 3 have to have something that is still missing, right ?

[MarkG]

I've dealt with part of the AI, on diplomacy

Civ4 improves things with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) being more active, suggesting treaties, declaring war when it sees you're weak, asking for tech trading, asking for help against enemies, etc. etc.

the AI does some nice things in combat as well
in the game I'm playing now, I was attacking Alexander and he would (on level 4)
1) have catapults into his city attacking my stacks outside it
2) bring in more units to the city to enforce it's defence
3) after loosing the city, attacking with some remaining units the taken city rather than my advancing troops

also, in regards to being in defence, the AI knows when a city of his is being heavily attacked and may ask for a peace treaty to save the city.

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by MarkG
...in the game I'm playing now...

Originally posted by MarkG
also, in regards to being in defence, the AI knows when a city of his is being heavily attacked and may ask for a peace treaty to save the city.

Nice, one can attempt to force the AI in a peace treaty then by showing up in abundance around his cities.

[conmcb25]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Nice, one can attempt to force the AI in a peace treaty then by showing up in abundance around his cities.

Ditto

This going to be an interesting game. Its sounds like the AI may very well be "intelligent" for a change

[vee4473]

Originally posted by MarkG


also, in regards to being in defence, the AI knows when a city of his is being heavily attacked and may ask for a peace treaty to save the city.

As others have said, this is interesting.

This adds a new (and needed) avenue of escape for underpowered civs.

Are you saying that if I have no chance for total victory against an ai civ, that I can divert all forces to concentrate on one city in the hopes that the AI will "tap out" so to speak?

[MarkG]

Originally posted by vee4473
Are you saying that if I have no chance for total victory against an ai civ, that I can divert all forces to concentrate on one city in the hopes that the AI will "tap out" so to speak?

not sure if it would work. if your forces are even it might...

[vee4473]

i understand what you are saying. interesting.

[MattPilot]

I recall being able to do that in Civ3 too. That is, move units around cities and 'threaten' them by just sitting there.

Worked quite well to pressure the enemy.


Now i don't know if the AI was simply calculating total # of enemy units in his territory, or actually taking into consideration how close they were to a city.

[Harrier UK]

Originally posted by MarkG
I've dealt with part of the AI, on diplomacy

Civ4 improves things with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) being more active, suggesting treaties, declaring war when it sees you're weak, asking for tech trading, asking for help against enemies, etc. etc.

the AI does some nice things in combat as well
in the game I'm playing now, I was attacking Alexander and he would (on level 4)
1) have catapults into his city attacking my stacks outside it
2) bring in more units to the city to enforce it's defence
3) after loosing the city, attacking with some remaining units the taken city rather than my advancing troops

also, in regards to being in defence, the AI knows when a city of his is being heavily attacked and may ask for a peace treaty to save the city.

Does the AI now know how to do a naval landing?

By this I mean does it land more than one or two units - even though the capacity of the ship was greater.

Also does it now use those units instead of just leaving them fortified until you remember to get rid of them.

[MarkG]

yes the ai is doing naval invasions
i havent been in a game where he could do a modern ships invasion (to see the capacity thing) but he certainly invades