An Easy Way to Make the AI 3 Times as Strong...

[Jon Shafer]

... Make the AI upgrade its units.

Seriously though. I can name a thousand instances when if the AI had upgraded its units to the maximum tech that it owned (often the same as mine or even higher in some cases) then I would have been in serious trouble. If there was ONE improvement I could ask Soren to make it would be that one.

[WarpStorm]

I'm not sure why they don't always upgrade. It might be that they don't have the cash.

[alva]

If there was ONE improvement I could ask Soren to make it would be that one.

Well, if I could do the same, it would be worker efficiency (IMHO, that's where the AI loses the game )

hmm, Warp, I think you're right.
When I check on a AI with money, his units are usualy pretty much up-to-date.

[hexagonian]

Unit upgrading works fine in Modded CTP2, and it does wonders for the AI.

[Catt]

I'm pretty well convinced that the AI will upgrade if it has the cash. But the AI's ability to manage cash (adjust sliders as appropriate and save a sufficient nest egg for upgrades) is lacking. The AI could use an improvement there.

But alva848 is right - worker efficiency is the AI's biggest weakness (city build decisions are a close second).

Catt

[Jon Shafer]

I still think the weakest portion of the AI is it's ability to fight wars. If two things got changed, the AI would be infinitely harder to beat. First upgrading (whatever the root of the problem, if it's fixed it will make the AI more difficult to beat), and second stack-movement and stack-attacking. The AI will usually start off a war with a nominal stack, but after that most of its units will end up being destroyed piecemeal.

[alva]

Trip;
You are 100% correct (as usual), but my guess is that, improving AI warfare ability is a very tough(read expensive) thing to do.


I've tried once to play a game completely automated (governor + workers fully automated and not interfering with build queus). All I was in charge off, whas unit movement. Well, I can tell you, it's best to play a couple of levels lower then usual

[WarpStorm]

I have to agree with Alva848 here. If the the AI followed a better worker and governor management scheme they'd have about 20-25% more gold and shields every turn. This would make them much more of a challenge. Maybe they'd even upgrade their units

[Alex]

They need money. They need to adjust sliders. They need to use stacks.

They'd need to be human.

[Admiral PJ]

In my mod , each population laborer needs 1 Gold for support, but all the tiles make more much money.. the AI's seem to work much better with this (judging from their research rates at least)
This ought to make expansion slower, but I might have to change anarchy, at the moment when you go anarchy you always go into the red and keep losing buildings.. still who said anarchy was nice?

I think the CASH problems arise because the AI dosen't save its money, hopefully PTW's stock exchanges and Commerce docks will help.

You can probably reduce the price of upgrading by change the general settings for rushing money (this might affect upgrade prices?).

IT would be good if disbanding units gave more production to cities too.. I sometimes disband a conscripted Infantry in a new conquered city to help build a courthouse etc, the AI should use this.

(oops this is the quick reply box.. not that quick :P )

[Jon Shafer]

Anarchy can be nasty.
All those unit costs...
And no money...



*Gags*

[Boris Godunov]

I think it's a money issue as well.

With PtW, I've noticed the AI being far more challenging in wars, sending in multiple stacks of 2-3 units into my territory. The Persians gave me a beating recently by using this tactic to send in Immortals. I couldn't produce my knights and medieval infantry fast enough and get them to the front to fend it off.

Of course, once railroads come into play, the human player still has an almost insurmountable edge over the computer AI, thanks to infinite movement.

ANYhoo, now that I've digressed, I think on the higher difficulty levels, the AI should get a discount on their upgrades. Yeah, some say it's cheating, but it would make it more challenging, which is what matters to me.

[Trifna]

Agreed. REALLY, this would be an easy thing to add for Firaxis. Very elementary, and very very true...

Hey, the fire of axis or axis of fire, hear ya hear ya!!! You should listen this little emperor

[alva]

I don't completely disagree here, but I can allready hear people starting to whine that the AI needs even more cheats.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by hexagonian
Unit upgrading works fine in Modded CTP2, and it does wonders for the AI.

Just for interest, how big is the bonus the "AI" gets in Cradle in order to do this? 400%? 500%?