Emperor plus non-agg AI

[Theben]

After reading Ming and slnz go back and forth in an older thread I decided to try playing non-aggressive AIs. It took awhile to get used to it and originally I did find it harder to play. But after adjusting my style several times I find myself keeping up with the AI tech-wise and not having to worry about assault at an early point in the game.

Basically they expand faster, research tech much faster and build some of those wonders you covet before you can. Researching religions for is best left to the AI; they will attempt to convert you. However the times of facing 12 unit stacks on turn 87 (epic) gave way to facing 5-7 unit stacks on turn 150 which was pathetic. Later still in the game I've had little problem overwhelming their forces even if I was a little behind in tech.

I still can't say which is tougher yet, but you do find out much earlier in the game whether you'll win or not.

[Ming]

I went back and played a few non aggressive games during that discussion as research for my posts. I found that when I didn't have to worry about the mega stacks of death, or even the early rush, I could stick with the AI's in early research, and still outpace them later in the game.

And yes, you lose a few of the wonders, but I've really stopped wondering whoring, since it's so much more fun to take them And yeah, let them spread the religions, build the shrines, and again, they just make nice targets. The non aggressive AI option makes them even easier pickings.

I was able to play at higher levels then I can at aggressive AI.

[trev]

I just started playing a few games with aggressive AI, always had non aggressive AI before. I found aggressive AI's much easier. Instead of building 2 wonders max at start of game, i started building 3 - 5 wonders, then switched to building units. Found it much easier to get ahead on technology on emperor level, build the extra wonders and still find time to build up the military ready for the first onslaughts when they come. Overall built much less infrastructure in my cities as more units required, but as AI was much more focussed on military, did not have to worry about techs and buildings anywhere near as much, makes the game so much easier with an AI with a one track mind in my opinion.
With non aggressive AI very rarely built any wonders after those first couple, but now can build them throughout the game as close enough in the techrace to get the option to build, previously that was rarely the case.

[Ming]

I guess it depends on the situation... at aggressive, you are going to have the crazies running around with big stacks, while their buddy builders race to techs. Granted, on either setting, the AI's tech path still sucks, but with non aggresive, I never had a problem out teching all of them. At aggresive AI, sure some sucked, but a few usually raced down the tech path tree.

[trev]

Maybe it is because I have tech trading on whenever I play, but I found I always have AI's too distant to fight on non aggressive who tech well ahead, this happens less on aggressive AI, although sometimes they get too big through wiping out civs and hard to beat because of size, not tech. Generally I have been playing on large or huge pangaea maps, other map choices will probably be different.

[Blaupanzer]

trev, use "no tech brokering" to keep the distant AI civs in sight on techs. Means they can only trade what they invented. Very useful and not unreasonable.