Tweet
I’m aware of the luck factor in battles; in fact, I like it. If the result of every battle were pre-ordained, the game would be boring. However, there are times when I can’t avoid feeling like the AI is cheating. Like, when I had a walled town defended by two spearmen and a swordsman, and it gets attacked by three Persian warriors, and they take it without receiving a single hit! Or when I was invaded by a horde of Egyptian War Chariots, although I was somewhat outnumbered I had veteran knights and pikemen. In the first couple of turns things went as one would expect, with a clear predominance of my superior units, but all of a sudden the AI began to win almost every battle, even at incredible odds. My defenses melted away and I had to quit that game, and I had the distinct sensation of the AI “getting mad and giving me a lesson”. Have these spurts of invincibility been built into the design to spice things up, or have I been playing too much...
And what about wonders? Suppose I start the Great Library, and then get a notice that Greece is building it in Athens. I take a peek using espionage and see that there’s no problem, as it will take 75 turns to complete and Athens has a rotten shield production, while my city will get it in 21 turns. Then one or two turns before I get it, Pop! Athens builds the Great Library. Supposedly, you can’t rush wonders. OK so maybe he used a leader. That would explain it once or twice, but it happens again and again, even during the same game and while there are no wars going on to generate leaders. How does the AI rush wonders? I wonder...
Does corruption affect the AI as it does the human player? My far away cities are practically useless because of smothering corruption, so when he plants that ridiculous city in the middle of my empire and light years away from his capital, I figure it will amount to nothing. But before you know, it is growing and culturally expanding and spouting out units and workers. I take a peek and it has temple, library, colosseum, etc. How!!?? OK he could rush some stuff by buying at an outrageous cost, but (unless the AI cheats in falsifying information during face-to-face transactions) I’ve noticed that most AI players are perpetually broke. Besides, it also occurs in Despotism, where you can only rush things by killing people. Go figure...
And how oh how does the AI produce those droves of settlers each with its spearman escort? And all the while producing wonders too, and lots’a military units. At Regent level, I can barely keep up by making as many settlers as possible and sending them out unescorted. And if I concentrate too much on that, the AI players start grabbing all the wonders. Incidentally, trying to out-settle the AI is what I find most challenging—and many times frustrating—in the game.
And what about teleportation? The AI sends settlers+escorts into your territory, obviously bound for some piece of unsettled territory which you nonetheless consider rightfully yours. You will have none of it and tell him begone, only to find that after the abject apologies, his units are magically teleported to their destination, precisely what you wanted to avoid! But, if you try the same trick on him, your units are always sent back to where they started... Is this cheating or what...
Trade is another bother. Although not a cheat in the strict sense, it is very unfair to the human player. Annoying to say the least. You almost always have to give more than you get. Caesar comes up and offers a Territory Map, in exchange for your Territory Map plus Monarchy. If you suggest something more even, like he add Pottery to the deal, he feels insulted! If he doesn’t want the deal fine, but why should he be “insulted” by what is obviously a fairer transaction? I am insulted! And adding injury to insult, that traitor Foreign Advisor seems to agree with Caesar’s demands... The Military Advisor, now THAT is a guy you can count on... ;-)
And what about wonders? Suppose I start the Great Library, and then get a notice that Greece is building it in Athens. I take a peek using espionage and see that there’s no problem, as it will take 75 turns to complete and Athens has a rotten shield production, while my city will get it in 21 turns. Then one or two turns before I get it, Pop! Athens builds the Great Library. Supposedly, you can’t rush wonders. OK so maybe he used a leader. That would explain it once or twice, but it happens again and again, even during the same game and while there are no wars going on to generate leaders. How does the AI rush wonders? I wonder...
Does corruption affect the AI as it does the human player? My far away cities are practically useless because of smothering corruption, so when he plants that ridiculous city in the middle of my empire and light years away from his capital, I figure it will amount to nothing. But before you know, it is growing and culturally expanding and spouting out units and workers. I take a peek and it has temple, library, colosseum, etc. How!!?? OK he could rush some stuff by buying at an outrageous cost, but (unless the AI cheats in falsifying information during face-to-face transactions) I’ve noticed that most AI players are perpetually broke. Besides, it also occurs in Despotism, where you can only rush things by killing people. Go figure...
And how oh how does the AI produce those droves of settlers each with its spearman escort? And all the while producing wonders too, and lots’a military units. At Regent level, I can barely keep up by making as many settlers as possible and sending them out unescorted. And if I concentrate too much on that, the AI players start grabbing all the wonders. Incidentally, trying to out-settle the AI is what I find most challenging—and many times frustrating—in the game.
And what about teleportation? The AI sends settlers+escorts into your territory, obviously bound for some piece of unsettled territory which you nonetheless consider rightfully yours. You will have none of it and tell him begone, only to find that after the abject apologies, his units are magically teleported to their destination, precisely what you wanted to avoid! But, if you try the same trick on him, your units are always sent back to where they started... Is this cheating or what...
Trade is another bother. Although not a cheat in the strict sense, it is very unfair to the human player. Annoying to say the least. You almost always have to give more than you get. Caesar comes up and offers a Territory Map, in exchange for your Territory Map plus Monarchy. If you suggest something more even, like he add Pottery to the deal, he feels insulted! If he doesn’t want the deal fine, but why should he be “insulted” by what is obviously a fairer transaction? I am insulted! And adding injury to insult, that traitor Foreign Advisor seems to agree with Caesar’s demands... The Military Advisor, now THAT is a guy you can count on... ;-)
Comment