Difficulty levels and handicaps... AI use of military units

[Sava]

So far I'm playing my games on Warlord.

4-0 and I'm about to win my 5th... my first Conquest victory

I wanted to start on Noble because that is the difficulty that is a level playing field. But I found out you get good bonuses from goody huts on Warlord, so I have been playing on that difficulty.

But I have been completely dominating the AI.

I don't mind the domination, because I am a genius and I expect to dominate, but I want to at least be on a level playing field.

I heard that you can go into the handicaps file and remove the handicaps for the difficulty levels. I think I might do this instead of just playing on Noble because I want to be able to get free settlers from goody huts. I'm convinced the AI still cheats no matter the difficulty, so it would be nice to have some good bonuses from the occasional goody hut.

But I have a question.

Does the AI still use military units the same way on all the difficulty levels?

So on Warlord, with the handicaps removed, will it basically be exactly the same as Noble?

If this is the case, I'll just edit the handicaps file and keep playing on my adjusted "Warlord" difficulty level.

And if I still dominate, I will probably give the AI more of a bonus like the higher difficulty levels.

But I just want to make sure that is the only real difference between the difficulty levels. Because if the AI is tougher militarily on other difficulties, then my whole idea about editing the handicaps file is pretty worthless.

Thanks

[My PitBull Tank]

Prolly easier to just go into world builder and add extra goody huts.

Unless your an old school soul surfin Civer!!!

[Sava]

Originally posted by My PitBull Tank
Prolly easier to just go into world builder and add extra goody huts.

Unless your an old school soul surfin Civer!!!

doesn't going into world builder get your game labeled as "CHEAT MODE" ??

I want to win legit

[MasterDave]

Getting a free settler early in the game is a HUGE advantage. Saying that you want to play on Noble mode with free settlers is like saying that you want to win a bicyle race fair and square while driving your Porsche!

In every 4X game, any small edge you get in the beginning has an exponential effect on how the end game plays out. I believe from what I have read here that the main difference between Noble and Prince levels is that the AI's get a free worker in the beginning on Prince. That makes a huge difference, as they immediately can mine and farm and produce everything faster in that first critical city.

I always win on Noble (even my first game) but only win about 25% on Prince. That extra worker makes a huge difference! In fact, in the games I won on Prince I actually found a neighbor early and stole that worker for myself with my first warriors. The free worker in the first 25 turns or so really gave my early empire a huge boost. At the same time, after my single warrior stole an early AI's free worker and pillaged his works, that AI was usually crippled and near the bottom of the score rankings for the rest of the game.

Even on Prince you can find techs in goody huts. Getting mysticism on turn 2 happened to me once and it was a great boost to my empire over the long run.

To answer your other question, the AI is a lot more diligent about stacking his cities on Prince. You very rarely find less than three units in a city even very early in the game, and an old city will typicall contain six or seven defenders. The AI also likes to send in pillaging parties a lot on Prince, and if you have any empty space around you you get swarmed by huge barbarian hordes relative to what you see on Noble.