Most useful traits for ai

[Harovan]

Originally posted by panag
deity with 24 civs on a 364X364 map can be a real challengs , just dont forget to put the " distance between civ " and the " number of cities " higher , .....

You can't even play Chieftain on this map, because the biggest possible map size is 362x362.

As for the traits, well, let's see...

Expansionist: Take advantage from the early knowledge of the map and pop as many huts as you can. You need, of course, a lot of scouts for this. That's what a human would do. I have never seen the AI to build a single scout, all they use is their initial one. And since the AI knows the map anyway, expansionist is a completely useless AI trait. A straight F.

Militaristic: Veteran troops due to cheap barracks, and more leaders due to quicker promotions to elites. It takes much less time to get from vet to elite with double promotion speed that from regular to elite with single. A human would bully warmonger a lot. The AI does this with some civs (e.g. Germany), but not with others (China being an example). I'd say D+.

Scientific: Cheap scientific buildings, one free tech per era. The human would build early libraries (and therefor go for Literature soon) and boost science. The AI seems not very eagerly to research Literature, scientific or not. The free tech per era needs no activity and saves the trait though. C

Religious: Cheap religious buildings, 1 turn anarchy. The human would build early temples and cathedrals and eagerly switch governments. The AI seems to do the same, although doesn't seem to put much thoughts in the choice of the right government. Good AI trait, though. B

Commercial: Less corruption, extra gold in bigger cities. Needs no activity to gain the benefits of the trait. Very good AI trait. A.

Industrious: Fast workers, extra shields in bigger cities. Needs no activity to gain the benefits of the trait. Very good AI trait. A.

Seems Industrious+Commercial (France, Carthage) is the best AI trait combo, and as a matter of fact, France is mostly strong and wealthy. Not sure about Carthage (I abandonned playing SP soon after PTW), but should be the same.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Theseus
Going all the way back, both Arrian and I had our heads handed to us in one of the precursors to AU, the second Mini-Tourney, which I (?) set up with some of the above principles in mind (and that was before various patch improvements)...

The second Minitourney... wasn't that the German one? Umm, I'm guilty for this one.

[Arrian]

Yeah, that one kicked my ass. I would do a lot better now, though.

FP, as others have noted in this thread, terrain is more important than traits. Cake or Death?

-Arrian