CivIII AI - First Glance...MUCH BETTER

[David Floyd]

The title says it all...the AI seems much better...

I started a trial game on Prince, just to get the feel for it - and the fooking Aztecs started overrunning me and capturing my workers and stuff with their mass produced fast infantry...I couldn't believe it!!!

The old hunker down, passive defense, building strategies won't work, I think, at least they haven't yet for me...gotta be more aggressive, build mountain fortress chains, defend borders...it's weird, but GOOD weird.

[The diplomat]

I am glad to hear that! We need more opinions from true civers who have actually played the game.

[David Floyd]

Quick update:

Started a new game as the Germans (gotta love Militarism/Scientific).

CUTTHROAT competition for space on the continent...I think every Civ is concentrated on one uber-continent, and fortunately I am on the edge...only the Japanese are farther away from the center...even still it is getting hard to find space. BUT 2 Horse resources AND an IRON resource popped up within 2-3 squares from my cities!!!!!

I'm securing my borders, gonna play perfectionist in this game I think...no more than 12-15 cities, probably, for me in the end...no wars as of yet, though...

[Zanzin]

Sounds cool

I'll be happy if the AI knows how to kick arse with navy-land-air units in the modern, as if waging a true "huge" war.

[David Floyd]

I'll be happy if I GET to the modern age instead of getting crushed by the Japanese and French...the Japanese almost declared war on me a second ago...

I wonder....can you fortify a unit on a special resource square to deny it to another player until you are ready for it? As in, if you locate the majority of the iron squares, can you just dump a warrior on each one to monopolize the iron on your continent? Hmmmm.....

At least I have swordsmen now...that'll be something...and 3 regular spearmen in each city plus reserve archers, chariots, and swordsmen should be enough to deter/fight off the Japanese...they also have two small cities that I cut off and surrounded early in the game...I could probably nab those and force a peace if necessary...

OK, back to the game

[Simpleton]

How about the "feel" of the game. Does it have that Civ feel? Does it seem like the type of game that you have to play one more turn ala Civ and Civ2?

Please say yes.

[marcuspeddle]

Can't we just all get along?

This doesn't sound hopeful for players like myself who like peaceful building. Someone else said somewhere that the AI expands like crazy. I suppose that's not so bad as long as they don't go declaring war for no reason.

[David Floyd]

Yes it does...right at the moment, I'm still trying to figure it out...I mean I'm around 300 AD and can't even get Monarchy yet, so for me advancing is kinda slow - by now I'm usually mostly finished researching on much higher levels...it'll be even more fun when I get all the concepts down...like I said this is my experimental game...I just fought an experimental war with the Japanese, right next to me...they have learned to concentrate their units against one target at a time, as a human would do...I played the war about 5-10 turns, then reloaded...I wasn't ready to fight I just wanted to sneak an early peak at the warmaking AI of the computer...I'm very impressed so far.

[ixnay]

I went to war with the Germans, and the next thing I know, they have enlisted the help of the Aztecs and French! Now I'm being overrun by swordsmen and jaguar warriors and getting thouroughly stomped.

[David Floyd]

Anatolia...

No, the AI hardly ever declares war...they might demand some stuff, but they aren't war-crazy...even amongst themselves...you DO have to expand like a mad man if you want to get anywhere...early on I was in a land race with the Japanese...they had like 10 cities by the time I had 5...I stabilized my borders, stuff like that, isolated some of their far off cities with my own...but it's still very touch and go with regards to expansion and city space.

ixnay...

Yes those Jaguar warriors are tough as hell, because they get to retreat - you can't kill the bastards half the time.

[Comrade Tribune]

Yes, all that does sound very good; play on and tell us more.

[David Floyd]

NEW DISCOVERY!!!

Because Monarchy comes so much later in Civ3, and is obviously very important, the computer AIs will try to give you ANYTHING for Monarchy. Don't do it! Do...not...do....it...no...matter...what!

I can't emphasize this enough!

If you are first to Monarchy, don't trade it away for one, two, three or more advances...let everyone else languish in Despotism, while you are gaining significant leads in technology as a Monarchy (oh, and you KNOW that if you give it away even ONCE, everyone else will get it somehow).

Back to Civ3...

[Comrade Tribune]

Or sell Monarchy to three others in the same turn.

If all of them give you lots of stuff it will make your day, I mean, millenium.

[David Floyd]

Except that they mostly have the same stuff...I'd say research it on your own and leave them in Despotism, while you're on your way to Republic or Democracy.

[joey703]

Re: CivIII AI - First Glance...MUCH BETTER

Originally posted by David Floyd
The title says it all...the AI seems much better...

I started a trial game on Prince, just to get the feel for it - and the fooking Aztecs started overrunning me and capturing my workers and stuff with their mass produced fast infantry...I couldn't believe it!!!

The old hunker down, passive defense, building strategies won't work, I think, at least they haven't yet for me...gotta be more aggressive, build mountain fortress chains, defend borders...it's weird, but GOOD weird.

I dunno to what extent the AI has been improved, but I know that they expand like crazy. Plus the Americans are right next to me and they expand even more(you can tell from my game that the expansionist trait makes the AI expand like mad). Anyways they just declared war on me, and I dunno whats gonna happen. Btw, I'm playing on prince.