Impressive AI !!!!

[ComputerEnginee]

I'm really really really really impressed with the AI... !!

I had one city where only 2 warriors were stationed. But two countries who were against me (they had an alliance against my country) started to mass huge troops to take my poorly defended city. I tried to open negotiations with them to not take the city and offer peace. But they denied this request and said for me to have peace with them I have to give them that city plus some gold!

I recall in Civ 2 whenever I was in trouble I can usually smooth talk my way out of a city capture as long as my reputation was okay. But in Civ 3, your enemies really are aggressive and intelligent.

I must say, I'm really impressed.

I found the AI in Civ 2 severely lacking when put up against Civ 3.

[Zeb_Fisher]

I'm impressed with it as well. I had a pretty decent civilization going into the iron age. Another civ begins a war and then cuts of the road to my iron supply ... I could no longer build swordmen without reestablishing that road, which takes several turns plus some extra guard units. Uggh.

I've heard people complain that the other AI begins asking for outrageous demands... I think that only happens when you have a history of always saying yes to every trade. I could be wrong.


Zeb

[dexters]

AI makes outrageous demands because they actually know what something is worth.

If you have three sources of gems for trade and they have one source of silk, and you also happen to be the top empire in the world, don't expect a fair trade.

It's all about value. Heck, Diamonds will be worthless if you don't have water to survive.

Those of you who have studied economics will know of the diamond / water paradox. The computer AI just happens to know when it has something valuable. Don't blame it, blame your emotions...

[ComputerEnginee]

Zeb,

what I noticed is that whenever I make outrageous demands that insult them, they react negatively towards me in the future.
Cool, huh? An outrageous demand being I ask for 10 of their cities and I offer them 1 gold in return

And if the AI really meant to cut off that resource, I am really impressed ! Resources are now an important part of the strategy in Civ 3 and this makes the game even more realistic.

[Pyrodrew]

Good AI, some flaws

Overall I'm very impressed with the AI as well.

However, as I said in an earlier thread "AI Diplomacy Flaws" I mentioned how I got the Zulus to give me 2 techs, 2 gold/turn, Incense, & contact with the Babylonians for a size 3 tundra city with only a courthouse & no potential for growth, no where near the Zulus & which would soon be absorbed by Aztec Culture since it was in the middle of their empire. I then was able to get Babylonians to offer 1 tech, 15 gold/turn with 10 gold up front, & contact with the Indians for another size 3 city earning me 1 gold/turn no where near them (thus heavy corruption) & also about to be absorbed by Iroquois culture or Aztec culture which it was pancaked between.

2nd situation - I recently declared war on the Chinese who had a larger military only deference between us was I had pikemen 1-3-1 they didn't. I took 2 cities. 7 turns later I saw the swarm of swordsmen coming at me. I tried to talk to the Chinese for peace since I knew they were only a 2 on the Aggressive level. When I threatened to overrun their cities they laughed, yet when I clicked on 'lets make a deal'... they agreed to not only peace, but agreed to pay me 9 gold per/turn, 10 gold upfront, & their world map. I almost was able to get them to give me a size2 city which wasn't even involved or near the battle. Bottomline, if I'm the one contacting them for peace that should be a hint that I might be in trouble. Nevertheless, I could even accept that they would want peace after 7 turns (even tho I just stole 2 cities of theirs) due to their "peaceful nature" & fear of my pikemen, but they shouldn't be paying me for a peace treaty that I'm asking for. Edited to add: The Chinese did "admire" my culture which might explain their generosity, but fact is we at war... a war I started & took 2 cities from them... then I was the one who asked for peace. Did the Chinese forget all that & only remember my culture?

3rd, someone else mentioned a Diplomacy flaw in the AI of being able to take a city, make peace, take a city, make peace, take a city, make peace, etc. I often had the AI refuse to listen to my envoy early on, but even so I could easily see how that flaw could be exploited. It seems the AI is too willing to accept peace without profit. I wonder if ComputerEnginee's had a tough deal simply because he clicked on the "I overextended myself" option, where I clicked on "lets make a deal". - ??? I was at war with both the Chinese & Japanese at the time, but they didn't have an alliance against me.

4th, in my current game the Zulus have tons & tons of spices in their jungles which would make them the trading envy of the world, but they are not linking ANY roads to them to trade for. Granted in the beginning it's not important, but now we're starting to learn gunpowder & still no roads to these spices. Japanese also have 3 sets of gems which would probably help it find some friends in my game, yet it keeps ignoring them.

Overall, I'm still impressed with the AI tho, but I won't get into the details of that.