Tweet
I'm not sure where this story/bug/strategic question should go, so I'll put it in here. To me, it is clear evidence that the AI in the game cheats, so clear it almost borders on proof. But you be the judge.
I'll be the first to say that I'm not a brilliant Civ player- I could beat both Civ2 and SMAC on deity, but only with difficulty. After dominating my first game on Chieftan (as the Indians), I decided to try an ultramilitaristic strategy on a large map for my second game- enter the Aztecs (love those Jaggies!). I only picked 8 civs because I wanted space to explore.
So, I start the game, produce a bunch of Jaguar Warriors and explore about for a bit. After a few dozen turns, and with a fledging 3-town empire, I stumble upon the hapless americans some 15 squares to the south of me. After meeting, greeting and techschanging, I park four Jaggies outside his capital, capture it, two settlers and another city, and (stupidly enough) raze them to the ground. Unfortunately, his last city seems stronger, and my two remaining Jaggies are killed off by his only offensive unit, an Archer. Oh well. I decide to leave it for the moment. Note that his only contact with me has been through my jaguar warriors. He's never been near my territory to the best of my knowledge.
I now concentrate on exploration and building up my empire, increasing the number of cities to six. During one of these expansion phases, I send out what I thought was one of two spearmen from the capital (but which turned out to be the only one) to protect a new settlement from Malibu Barbie (set to Restless). So, my capital, pretty much at the center of my empire, is undefended- not a single unit is stationed in it. I'm not really paying attention at that moment, but it's important to understand for what happens next.
About a dozen or so turns later, an American unit, an Archer, appears on my southern border. My immediate thought is "stupid AI! I've got six well-defended cities up here!", but I send a jag warrior to intercept him in a few turns. No Workers down there, so I thought myself safe. What happens? He marches on my capital, which I thought was well-defended, and razes it to the ground.
Now, of course, this was entirely my fault. However, as well as showing my stupidity (leave undefended cities during wartime? What was I thinking?), I personally see it as evidence that the AI is cheating. What sensible player, unless he knows that he can do damage (which the AI supposedly didn't) sends up their single attacking unit to a much-superior civ? To me it seems as if it "knew" what was going on in a place it had never seen. Not even been near. I had basically uncovered and patrolled a radius of 5-10 squares from my civ's borders. Before this attack, the Americans had never been up there.
Is this an example of the AI cheating? I think it is. Concievably, he could have stumbled up randomly to exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Somehow I doubt it.
I'll be the first to say that I'm not a brilliant Civ player- I could beat both Civ2 and SMAC on deity, but only with difficulty. After dominating my first game on Chieftan (as the Indians), I decided to try an ultramilitaristic strategy on a large map for my second game- enter the Aztecs (love those Jaggies!). I only picked 8 civs because I wanted space to explore.
So, I start the game, produce a bunch of Jaguar Warriors and explore about for a bit. After a few dozen turns, and with a fledging 3-town empire, I stumble upon the hapless americans some 15 squares to the south of me. After meeting, greeting and techschanging, I park four Jaggies outside his capital, capture it, two settlers and another city, and (stupidly enough) raze them to the ground. Unfortunately, his last city seems stronger, and my two remaining Jaggies are killed off by his only offensive unit, an Archer. Oh well. I decide to leave it for the moment. Note that his only contact with me has been through my jaguar warriors. He's never been near my territory to the best of my knowledge.
I now concentrate on exploration and building up my empire, increasing the number of cities to six. During one of these expansion phases, I send out what I thought was one of two spearmen from the capital (but which turned out to be the only one) to protect a new settlement from Malibu Barbie (set to Restless). So, my capital, pretty much at the center of my empire, is undefended- not a single unit is stationed in it. I'm not really paying attention at that moment, but it's important to understand for what happens next.
About a dozen or so turns later, an American unit, an Archer, appears on my southern border. My immediate thought is "stupid AI! I've got six well-defended cities up here!", but I send a jag warrior to intercept him in a few turns. No Workers down there, so I thought myself safe. What happens? He marches on my capital, which I thought was well-defended, and razes it to the ground.
Now, of course, this was entirely my fault. However, as well as showing my stupidity (leave undefended cities during wartime? What was I thinking?), I personally see it as evidence that the AI is cheating. What sensible player, unless he knows that he can do damage (which the AI supposedly didn't) sends up their single attacking unit to a much-superior civ? To me it seems as if it "knew" what was going on in a place it had never seen. Not even been near. I had basically uncovered and patrolled a radius of 5-10 squares from my civ's borders. Before this attack, the Americans had never been up there.
Is this an example of the AI cheating? I think it is. Concievably, he could have stumbled up randomly to exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Somehow I doubt it.
Comment