This game is starting to frustrate me!

[Willem]

Originally posted by Zoid
Question: Is Blakes AI incorporated in warlords or do you have to download it as a mod?

Much of it has been incorporated in the latest patch. However, it is an ongoing process and he has since released another version that adds new things to what was already in the patch.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Zoid

I thought it was some kind of separate mod thingie...

It is, but it's using the Core DLL to implement it's changes. It's basically an updated game file.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Diadem
Besides, the AI is still dumb enough to need some types of bonusses. If you just level all bonusses to human standards you kill the AI off.

I'm not so sure about that. The bonuses as they are were based on the default AI by Firaxis. Since Blake has been improving on that considerably, then those bonuses may no longer be necessary. Only by playing with the settings are we going to know for sure. I would love to have a game where playing on Noble was an even field for both human and AI, with the result being a fairly challenging game.

[Solver]

On Noble, most things are even field. One of the few notable AI bonuses there is the cheaper upgrade bonus. The AI absolutely lacks the ability to figure out where to upgrade units. It can only mass-upgrade effectively - though if it can't, it will have the smarts to upgrade in besieged cities first.

Personally, I don't even mind that bonus staying, even on Noble. Knowing that the AI gets no free units and pays the same as me for all research and construction is enough for me.

[JackRudd]

Railroad Tycoon II had a difficulty-levels system where you could pick your level on various scales (Basic, Advanced or Expert cargo models; Basic, Advanced or Expert stock exchange models; bonuses to human cargo revenues; bonuses to AI cargo revenues). Would it be possible to do a similar sort of thing with Civ?

[dannubis]

one way to even things out for me was to turn off the annoying AI tech trading. Until this is balanced out nobody trades techs anymore. This way I am not the first in tech but i am not hopelessly behind either.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Solver
On Noble, most things are even field. One of the few notable AI bonuses there is the cheaper upgrade bonus. The AI absolutely lacks the ability to figure out where to upgrade units. It can only mass-upgrade effectively - though if it can't, it will have the smarts to upgrade in besieged cities first.

Personally, I don't even mind that bonus staying, even on Noble. Knowing that the AI gets no free units and pays the same as me for all research and construction is enough for me.

It also gets a much lower inflation rate, 70% to 90% for the human player, which in light of these new changes is no longer necessary IMO. It's giving the AI to much of an advantage now that it can hold it's own financially. And the bonus against the barbs is rather debatable as well.

Incidently, no one has answered my question yet. What does AIUnitSupplyPercent do in HandicapsInfo? It's another of those entries that changes from level to level, but I haven't a clue what it does exactly.

[Solver]

That entry is, uh, how big the AI's unit supply costs are...

[Nacht]

Originally posted by Willem
Incidently, no one has answered my question yet. What does AIUnitSupplyPercent do in HandicapsInfo? It's another of those entries that changes from level to level, but I haven't a clue what it does exactly.

It's a reduction the AI receives on unit supply costs, ie the cost for units outside your borders.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Nacht

It's a reduction the AI receives on unit supply costs, ie the cost for units outside your borders.

Ah, then it's another bonus that should go then. If it can outpace me in tech as they do now, then obviously they have way more gold than they need. It's time they started pulling their own weight in the game.

So about the only bonus left that I see as being debatable on Noble is the unit upgrade cost.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Solver
That entry is, uh, how big the AI's unit supply costs are...

Yes, well that was so very helpful.

[Solver]

Well, what exactly do you want to know ? Supply costs are costs for units outside borders...

[Willem]

Originally posted by Solver
Well, what exactly do you want to know ? Supply costs are costs for units outside borders...

Well I know that now, but didn't when I asked the question. I had completely forgotten there were extra costs involved in having troops outside your borders. That line makes perfect sense to me now.

[Nacht]

Originally posted by Willem


Ah, then it's another bonus that should go then. If it can outpace me in tech as they do now, then obviously they have way more gold than they need. It's time they started pulling their own weight in the game.

So about the only bonus left that I see as being debatable on Noble is the unit upgrade cost.

You might want to know that civs that have met a human player get an additional reduction in the normal unit cost. Cowards

And you can't even remove that bonus with XML editting.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Nacht

You might want to know that civs that have met a human player get an additional reduction in the normal unit cost. Cowards

And you can't even remove that bonus with XML editting.

Really! Well hopefully Blake will get around to that one. That seems like a rather odd bonus for them to get. Eliminating the supply cost reduction should probably make a big difference at any rate. On Noble, it's something like 35% of the actual cost. That will leave alot of gold left over to leave you behind in the dust tech wise.