Ptw Ai

[DrSpike]

Well I knew the game inside out 1.21 and before......my best deity landing using this strategy was stupidly early, around 1050, so i'm hoping now there is a little more challenge.

[Inverse Icarus]

the AI has a better sense of overlal strategy these days.

[Catt]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Well I knew the game inside out 1.21 and before......my best deity landing using this strategy was stupidly early, around 1050, so i'm hoping now there is a little more challenge.

You'lll probably still whip the AI, but you won't launch in 1050 AD.

The mechanism by which the tech valuations have changed (which I didn't go into last time) was simple in conept, but produced wildly different tech pacing. In 1.21f and prior versions, the human always researched at a "base rate" of 10. At Deity, the AI's rate was 6. At Chieftan, 20. Now, the AI base rate never gets below 10 -- at levels higher than Regent, the human's base rate increases (instead of staying at 10).

You might still coast off of the AI's research -- but the AI's research doesn't move nearly as quickly as in 1.21f and prior.

Above Regent, I think this does two principal things: (1) makes individual research more valuable, since the "floor" price for any tech is higher than prior versions (and which means, since gold geneeration opportunities are unchanged, more expensive techs and the trend I mentioned earlier about more easily falling out of the race completely); and (2) prolonged the game. Point 1 makes it harder to do the zero research strat and tends to force a more balanced approach on the human. POint 2 makes it a bit easier -- more turns for the AIs to drag themselves (with a little prodding) into fruitless wars of mutual stagnation.

I'd agree with much of what others have said in the thread and overall I find it a more challenging and engaging AI. But if you were regularly beating Deity in the early 1000's - 1200's AD before, it's not as if you're going to have to drop back to Monarch and "retool" your gameplay skills.

Catt

[DrSpike]

The thing is early landings are often less impressive on deity.

Once you have the strategy down pat it isn't that hard. Having said that there are still exceptions: I played a fascinating comparison game on a smallish map with 3 AI civs, one of which died early (the one on my continent. ) where a guy who contributed to the research pool early beat me by quite a few turns.

Of course, since defence is often stretched in such games it would make things harder if the AI upgraded, and I have seen some favourable comments on this whilst browsing the forums.

[Saint Marcus]

And a total revamp of barbarian behavior.

meaning? I'm anxious to know.

[alva]

Barbs have researched intelligence
They won't attack you just about anywhere.
No more setting a spearman on the mountaing and waitnig for it to become elite.
They will hunt down you're workers, .....