The Civ V AI

[Ming]

One of the continuing themes running through many of the threads is the weakness of the AI.

The many claims of "it might be a good game if the AI was better"... or "I can't believe the AI did THAT" are numerious.

So let's talk. Let's point out every example we can find of a "BAD AI". Did it declare war on the wrong person, allow you to win a science victory by not building a space ship, having the AI build the UN when you had every CS in your pocket, giving you an easy victory... or something as STUPID as the auto path for units.

My favorite to date was in a high level game where I was getting killed in the science race... and as mentioned above, the AI built the UN, even though all but 2 of the remaining CS's were in my pocket. I was going for a culture win and was kind of pissed when I got the UN victory (I turn that victory condition off
now) but what the heck, a victory is a victory. But just how stupid can the AI get.

What's your story?

[MxM]

My "favorite" is how all AI starts as "friendly" and end-up mostly in "hostile" no matter how good I behave towards them. The denunciation avalanche happens each game...

[mkorin]

I just played a game, was best friends with the AI, declared a war on another AI for him, then since I kicked the other AIs butt, my 'friend' declared war on me and said I was a warmongerer.

Also, The don't go near my borders when I don't even know where his borders are. If it has a ship or explorer near your units, this kicks in and never goes away. It should have turn limit.

[Ming]

I just played a game, was best friends with the AI, declared a war on another AI for him, then since I kicked the other AIs butt, my 'friend' declared war on me and said I was a warmongerer.

That is one of my favorites... typical of many of the diplomacy stories being told!

[Boracks]

Also, The don't go near my borders when I don't even know where his borders are. If it has a ship or explorer near your units, this kicks in and never goes away. It should have turn limit.

I've had cases where I've had a half dozen units on the border for many turns with no effect, then they move a unit up beside some of my units in another area, and THEN I get the choice to either let them sneak attack me while I get blamed (declare war) or get branded as dishonorable 200 turns later by every civ when circumstances change and I do go to war with them.

1. Effect should be based on their land area, not on the location of their units.

2. Effect should diminish over time

[rah]

My favorite is when then march a settler across the globe and settle against your cultural boarder and then complain about your troops and not to steal anymore hexs from THEM.

[Zoetstofzoetje]

Top 1 for me is the time my BFF downgraded me to warmonger, because, I had eliminated... myself.... from the game. Yes, you read it right.

[Norselord]

The AI doesn't seem to handle war very well.

It will skulk around my cities and let my bomb the bejesus out of his units, which only require light mop-up duty on my part.

It seems like all i need to do is plant 2 melee units next to one of its cities, and a ranged unit one hex away to win his city. The AI city does not seem to prioritize the destruction of one unit. It is easy to get those three units a whole slew of promotions, up to and including the 'two attacks per turn' and 'heals even if performing an action.' When units get over promoted its too easy to kill the AI.

In my current game, Germany has declared war on me about four times. Germany has also sued for peace four times. In exchange for peace, Germany has offered: gold, gold per turn, luxury resource. In that game i have not had one armed encounter with a German unit. For some reason Bismarck-E just loves DOWing me and then Gifting me cash and prizes a few turns later.

[Jiks]

I was playing as the English, was at war with Rome, who were spread between two large islands.

As I was readying to invade, the sea around the Romans was swarming with my ships bombarding their cities, etc. so the AI certainly knew they were there. Over a period of 10 turns or so the AI proceeded to embark all it's units a few at a time from both islands, losing the lot.

[Adagio]

One of my biggest complaints about the AI is what has already been mentioned:
In one of my last games I was a peaceful person for the first half of the game. I only declared war once against a civ that everybody hates (one of my so called friends asked me to do their job in the beginning of the game) otherwise from that I wasn't in any war. About halfway through all my friends decided to hate me. It all started with the Ottomans, who denounced me for two reasons: "One of your friends denounced you" and "You're a warmonger"... first of all, you are the FIRST of my friends to denounce me, also you're the one who asked me to join your war against Babylon thousands of years ago
With his denouncing of me, I could feel the domino effect... within 5 turns everybody denounced me

Considering at the time they denounced me I had the biggest army in the world and the most techs, denouncing me would only cause me to use my high tech army against their small armies. Shortly after all the other civs bit the dust

[Quick]

Top 1 for me is the time my BFF downgraded me to warmonger, because, I had eliminated... myself.... from the game. Yes, you read it right.

Sounds like programmer humor.

[Proteus_MST]

My "favorite" is how all AI starts as "friendly" and end-up mostly in "hostile" no matter how good I behave towards them. The denunciation avalanche happens each game...

And this usually also applies to the relationships among the AI Civs themselves.
Most of the times if you have several AI Civs starting on another continent it will end with one otf these civs conquering the whole continent, erradicating all other civs there. Long lasting alliances between nations between AI civs on the same continent seem rather rare.

I assume it has something to do with the already mentioned closeness malus on relationship, making it difficult or even almost impossible, for 2 neighboring nations, to maintain a good and peaceful relationship over a long time.

[Jaybe]

Regarding the 'all the AIs denounce me/turn hostile' complaint:
Please note that doesn't seem to happen much at lower (e.g., Prince) difficulty levels.

[Ming]

If that's the case, it's simply poor game design. To remove an element like diplomacy from the game simply because you are playing a higher level is just a lazy design. I don't mind if they want to start the AI off with more, change their costs and production plus science rate, but to make modifications to a game element like diplomacy is pretty crappy.

[Jaybe]

If that's the case, it's simply poor game design. To remove an element like diplomacy from the game simply because you are playing a higher level is just a lazy design. I don't mind if they want to start the AI off with more, change their costs and production plus science rate, but to make modifications to a game element like diplomacy is pretty crappy.

Once we isolate where the change is (it isn't obvious in the Civ5HandicapInfo xml), we can mod it out. But it's also possible that at higher difficulties the AI figures they just don't NEED you and your potential trade items because their happiness bonuses etc. make them independent ... until you grind them into the bloody ground.

I can foresee someone modding the handicapinfo file so that an easy difficulty has immortal-like AI bonuses in it, just to see if AIs still do the hostility dance, in case it IS linked to diff. level.

Re your 'lazy' and 'crappy' comments, you and I both know that we are the gamma testers; this game still has to grow up.