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Civ2's a classic, even after playing it off and on for the last 10 years.
However, there are a few glitches, bugs, and oversights that cause the AI to do things that make me want to cause physical damage to my computer (read: throw it out the FRACKING window) at times. And of course, I say this in a jesting tone, as I like the game, and spend as much time laughing at these inconsistences as I do swearing at them. (depends on how much I've had to drink that night
) A listing:
1. Territory definitions are too lax; in SMAC/X, the addition of "borders" made it impossible to build too close to other faction's cities. In Civ2, the only thing that counts as your territory is your actual city radii (ugh). So you'd better build on that grassland square diagonal to your capital, or park a military unit there indefinitely, or the AI will build a city there and commence forcing you off your special resource squares (how does it do THAT, anyway?)
2. Peace treaties aren't; Many times, particularly at the Emperor and Deity levels, I've observed the AI brazenly crossing my territory. When I contact it to tell it to get the F out, it offers me a peace treaty. (uh?) If I refuse, I can't ask him to leave because we have no agreement. If I accept, I can't ask him to leave due to the standard 2-3 turn "grace" period that comes with a newly signed treaty. However, the AI has done this after I've had a treaty with them for 100 years. I very clearly and in no uncertain terms saw Disposition, Peace on the F3 screen before sending my emissary, so this is not my imagination - sometimes the AI just doesn't want to get out of your territory, nor does it want to fight just yet. This happens most often when there is a gap in your territory that the AI would like to build on (see #1).
3. Reputation, reputation, reputation; I think Sid Meier is a genius, but if it was him that thought this would be a good idea, I'm sorry Sid, you messed up. I absolutely hate how if I attack an AI civ that is completely pissing me off by constantly making demands and constantly violating my territory (and abusing #2 in my list to boot), the computer acts like I've committed a sin against GOD and calls me names like infidel, untrustworthy, betrayer, etc etc. However, the computer can freely break peace with me as many times as it wants with no penalty whatsoever - how is that remotely fair? I sure hope Civ4 did away with that annoyance.
4. Wonky calculations; have you ever seen a legion fortified on a mountain square lose to a knight that attacked it the next turn? I don't know how exactly a 4 attack factor unit can beat a unit with a defense factor of (4+2)*3 but it sure happens when the A.I. is the attacker! And people say the AI is stupid - sometimes I'm convinced its semi-sentient the way it cheats and cheats and cheats some more!
5. Sea units from civizliations you have no contact with can bombard your coastal units and cities without invoking diplomatic penalty or even declaring themselves - I suppose its semi-realistic, but this tends to happen when I'm at war with a civ that can't break my defenses. I happen to be pre-metallurgy and thus wide open to sea invasion. Naturally, a civilization I've got no contact with and am halfway across the world from decides to send a giant "scout" navy over to my cities and "scout" the land by repeatedly bombarding my coastal cities until they're empty, allowing my technologically inferior neighbor to take them over no problem. Obviously a coincidence of epic proportions.
6. Not related to AI, but still a "WTF" moment: Settlers in the base game are too powerful. They're the only ancient unit with 20 hit points, if you didn't notice. This means they tend to win fights against even knights and legion if they happen to be in a forest square, hills square, or river square when they're attacked. I don't know how a bunch of civvies are going to defend themselves against a legion of trained soldiers, so I edited the rules.txt file and fixed settlers to have 10 hit points like the rest of the units of its era. Now they properly die when engaged in combat - a digger with a shovel will never beat a soldier with a sword, period.
7. Also not related to A.I., but I've permanently disabled spies and diplomats, because these units are simply too powerful. A rich democracy could simply bribe all a rival's cities (sans the capital, ofc) without ever building a single offense military unit. The AI ruthlessly steals technology if you're ahead, completely ignoring any friendly spies/diplomats you have stationed in your cities to protect them from that crap. (of course, if you try to steal tech and they have a diplomat or spy in the target city, you'll fail every time).
Anyone else got any other "OMGWTF" moments against the A.I. you'd like to share?
However, there are a few glitches, bugs, and oversights that cause the AI to do things that make me want to cause physical damage to my computer (read: throw it out the FRACKING window) at times. And of course, I say this in a jesting tone, as I like the game, and spend as much time laughing at these inconsistences as I do swearing at them. (depends on how much I've had to drink that night
) A listing:1. Territory definitions are too lax; in SMAC/X, the addition of "borders" made it impossible to build too close to other faction's cities. In Civ2, the only thing that counts as your territory is your actual city radii (ugh). So you'd better build on that grassland square diagonal to your capital, or park a military unit there indefinitely, or the AI will build a city there and commence forcing you off your special resource squares (how does it do THAT, anyway?)
2. Peace treaties aren't; Many times, particularly at the Emperor and Deity levels, I've observed the AI brazenly crossing my territory. When I contact it to tell it to get the F out, it offers me a peace treaty. (uh?) If I refuse, I can't ask him to leave because we have no agreement. If I accept, I can't ask him to leave due to the standard 2-3 turn "grace" period that comes with a newly signed treaty. However, the AI has done this after I've had a treaty with them for 100 years. I very clearly and in no uncertain terms saw Disposition, Peace on the F3 screen before sending my emissary, so this is not my imagination - sometimes the AI just doesn't want to get out of your territory, nor does it want to fight just yet. This happens most often when there is a gap in your territory that the AI would like to build on (see #1).
3. Reputation, reputation, reputation; I think Sid Meier is a genius, but if it was him that thought this would be a good idea, I'm sorry Sid, you messed up. I absolutely hate how if I attack an AI civ that is completely pissing me off by constantly making demands and constantly violating my territory (and abusing #2 in my list to boot), the computer acts like I've committed a sin against GOD and calls me names like infidel, untrustworthy, betrayer, etc etc. However, the computer can freely break peace with me as many times as it wants with no penalty whatsoever - how is that remotely fair? I sure hope Civ4 did away with that annoyance.
4. Wonky calculations; have you ever seen a legion fortified on a mountain square lose to a knight that attacked it the next turn? I don't know how exactly a 4 attack factor unit can beat a unit with a defense factor of (4+2)*3 but it sure happens when the A.I. is the attacker! And people say the AI is stupid - sometimes I'm convinced its semi-sentient the way it cheats and cheats and cheats some more!
5. Sea units from civizliations you have no contact with can bombard your coastal units and cities without invoking diplomatic penalty or even declaring themselves - I suppose its semi-realistic, but this tends to happen when I'm at war with a civ that can't break my defenses. I happen to be pre-metallurgy and thus wide open to sea invasion. Naturally, a civilization I've got no contact with and am halfway across the world from decides to send a giant "scout" navy over to my cities and "scout" the land by repeatedly bombarding my coastal cities until they're empty, allowing my technologically inferior neighbor to take them over no problem. Obviously a coincidence of epic proportions.
6. Not related to AI, but still a "WTF" moment: Settlers in the base game are too powerful. They're the only ancient unit with 20 hit points, if you didn't notice. This means they tend to win fights against even knights and legion if they happen to be in a forest square, hills square, or river square when they're attacked. I don't know how a bunch of civvies are going to defend themselves against a legion of trained soldiers, so I edited the rules.txt file and fixed settlers to have 10 hit points like the rest of the units of its era. Now they properly die when engaged in combat - a digger with a shovel will never beat a soldier with a sword, period.
7. Also not related to A.I., but I've permanently disabled spies and diplomats, because these units are simply too powerful. A rich democracy could simply bribe all a rival's cities (sans the capital, ofc) without ever building a single offense military unit. The AI ruthlessly steals technology if you're ahead, completely ignoring any friendly spies/diplomats you have stationed in your cities to protect them from that crap. (of course, if you try to steal tech and they have a diplomat or spy in the target city, you'll fail every time).
Anyone else got any other "OMGWTF" moments against the A.I. you'd like to share?
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