AU Mod: Experience levels

[Modo44]

Yes, it's a simple fix. To make the barbs go more randomly again (and make the AI move idle units as well !), add "NoAIPatrol=0" to the "Conquests.ini" file. This works only while you have this line set. If the save is played by someone else, and he doesnt' have the line included, barbs will stand still again.

And, Sabrewolf, even those moving barbs are not much of a problem IMO. They still can't go through a Spear on rough terrain, and they still can't take/raze cities.

[nbarclay]

Originally posted by Moonbars

Any instance where the increased chance of the human using drafting is off-set by the fact that it aids the AI every single game it plays, and every single time the human attacks one of it's cities after discovery of Nationalism.

From my experience, that is a significant exaggeration. In my experience, at least the vast majority of AI drafting is in response to a specific threat against a particular city. Thus, in situations where the AI does not recognize in advance that a particular city is about to be hit, I rarely encounter conscript defenders. (Modern Armor blitzes are especially good for catching AIs off guard like that.) And I'm pretty sure there have been quite a few times when I didn't face conscript defenders even when it seemed like the AI could have seen a threat coming, although I've never tried to figure out the percentages.

I'm not sure exactly how the balance of advantage between human players and AIs would work out if we gave conscripts an extra hit point. But I don't think such a change would produce anywhere near enough net benefit to the AI to justify how much it would change the feel of the game from stock, at least in what is supposed to be a conservative mod.

[nbarclay]

Originally posted by Modo44
Sabrewolf, that depends on your understanding of the problem. To me, barbarians are very weak, so I'd rather have tem stronger. The fact that a lone Spearman or an outpost city can stop a virtually endless stream of those is just silly. So the added HP would be just fine, if you ask me.

Whether or not people want barbarians to be stronger is a matter of taste. People who like strong barbarians would like a change that makes them stronger, while people like me who find barbarians annoying enough already would dislike such a shift.

If the AU Mod leaves such matters of taste alone, we don't risk undercutting people's willingness to use the AU Mod unless perhaps they might choose to use some other mod instead. But if we do change the game where matters of taste are involved, we risk putting people in a position where they think, for example, "I'd like to use the AU Mod, but I hate those souped-up barbarians so much that I won't." I view creating such situations as bad for the Mod.

[Modo44]

Yes, AI mostly (if not exclusively...) drafts in cities that are directly under attack (or in danger - with enemy units nearby). The only Conscripts I've seen when doing blitz attacks (no time for responses - no time to draft either) were apparently left-overs from previous wars.

The added HP does force a human to use more Artillery, that's obvious. But, as stated by Nathan, the problem is with the speed of a human's attack. Even if the AI is given a chance to draft, I won't leave it more than a turn to draft defenders. And 2 added units don't make a big difference (4 Artillery, until Mech Infantry where it becomes 6, or 2 Modern Armor), so it won't help all that much, I'm afraid.

[sabrewolf]

these super-fast attacks are usually when you've got an overwhelming force of 3-movers (and workers) to capture and build railroads to bring in the next wave. in such cases the AI won't have conscripts.

but in closer wars where the KAI has all resources and every unit upgraded, artillery-supported attacks become necessary. and in these cases usually you move in slowly tile by tile which does give the AI plenty of time for drafting.

[nbarclay]

Originally posted by sabrewolf

but in closer wars where the KAI has all resources and every unit upgraded, artillery-supported attacks become necessary. and in these cases usually you move in slowly tile by tile which does give the AI plenty of time for drafting.

But under those conditions, if greater value from human drafting would free up production for half a dozen or so extra artillery units, getting rid of AI conscripts' extra hit points would not be a problem. The same artillery units could get rid of the extra hit point from AI conscripts in city after city at no risk to themselves. So I still don't see a significant net advantage to the AIs; certainly not a large enough net advantage to be worth significantly changing the feel of the game over.

I might also note that more potent conscripts would probably undercut the emergence of killer AIs because it would favor defense over offense in wars between AIs.

[Modo44]

Sabrewolf, I don't know about you, but I usually take AI cities like this:

Turn 1

• Enter Artillery with defenders, to have the city in range.
• Enter Tanks (if I can - with defenders) to have the city in range of attack.

Turn 2

• Bomb defenders down to 1 HP.
• Tanks attack and take the city.
• (Re)build Railroad to city.
• Move in defenders.

If I don't have enough firepower to bomb the defenders, then I don't attack at all, assembling forces and picking off AI counter-attackers. This means that my units are not in the city radius of the target (the city radius seems to be the trigger for drafting). Once I attack, there is only that one turn of drafting. If I don't have tanks, I have Cavalry, which is even faster, often attacking out of the previous city.

Yes, I do take opportunities at times, but very seldom. The simple reason is, a steady pace actually allows faster conquest that some lucky strikes, that are dangerous and often provide liabilities. This means that the added HP would be of minor use to the AI.