Upgrading the AI

[PrinceBimz]

I have been playing on the easier levels and it was indeed fairly easy. So I tried the very hard level for the first time about 20 minutes ago. Yep thats correct 20 minutes ago. I figured some people said how easy the AI was so what the heck I give it a try on very hard. Well what was I supposed to do when the AI torn into each of my cities extremely early with Slavers? Then I had barbarians beating my settlers to death.

Besides I had watched the AI setup a fortification adjacent to my MAIN city. It built up a stack of 4 Archers in that fortification over a couple of turns. Then I was thinking, well it probably won't attack according to what others say. WRONG! It attacked alright, took over the city and headed straight for my other ones with a bigger army. Of course with the Slavers I could not build up a big enough army that quick to stop this. I did not have enough population, I did have the city to 6 but those Slavers brought it down!

All of this happened very early before I could have a chance to do anything! So what is this about the AI not attacking? I take it many must be talking about the easier levels unless my experience and position was rare. Maybe it was the way the random map was setup or something, I don't know. But I got the hell beat out of me because I could not do anything in that situation. I feel the AI is not NEAR as bad as others say it is because of what I seen here. Anyone else had an experience like this early in the game before you had a chance to do anything?

I remember even playing on one of the easier levels where the AI had sent Destroyers up and down my coast destroying ever net and improvement I had built! Of course I was surprised means I heard the AI don't use naval units. Anyway I was forced to build ships or planes to sink those Destroyers.

[ChaosSpeeder]

In my opinion, the AI becomes weaker and weaker, the longer the game lasts. At the end, there are no more attacks.

try the frenzy ai, as a solution.

bye, Andre

[hexagonian]

Hey, have a good trip...

Don't hit any deer, or my brother-in-law!

[OmniGod]

Can't always trust what others are saying can you But Andre is correct in that the AI gets weaker with time as you are able to buildup and repel anything they sent at you. With the frenzy and diplomod combined it ups the ante a little bit and strengthens their stand substantially over the long run (but isn't perfect by any means). Most of the comments on those two mods are based on Impossible level playings, and I hope most of the comments/complaints about the AI come from people at Very Hard or Impossible since the AI at lower levels is truely a push over. Give those mods a try and see some real toughness come your way.

[pchang]

In that case, look at the other thread to see how to create a new strategy and inherit from that one instead.

[pchang]

In that case, look at the other thread to see how to create a new strategy and inherit from that one instead.

[Steve5304]

My Friend on Mplayer said that He had found a Bad String that makes the AI confused between Rivers Roads and ways to return home? That would explain why the AI goes nuts at a river/Road junction with there constant back and forth. I asked him for it but he didnt give.....ill keep on him but if hes right, that would certainly explain alot.

[GAMEOVER]

COuld someone please explain to me step by step how to install the frenzy and diplomatic mods? I can barely turn my computer on and off, so i would appreciat ethe help.

[Gwap]

Thanks. I think I'll be installing that

Another thing I recently noticed. They ask me money for improvements.

But I guess that the "I give you advance and you give me money" whereby the money never arrives is a hardcoded "feature"?

[OmniGod]

I figured that you tried to screw me Dale I still haven't had them give me anything, the AI must just hate me even if I've fallen off the pace or if I'm leading the pack... so I've said screw them. Here comes my tanks..... That'll teach them.

The vendictive ruler

[Dale]

Don't ya wish you could code slic for individual users? You could put in all sorts of traps and stuff to trigger depending on who was playing. Now THATS evil!

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Rommell to a sub-commander outside Tobruk: "Those Australians are in there somewhere. But where? Let's advance and wait till they shoot, then shoot back."

[Howie]

I rarely post, but I have not seen this issue addressed, or I may have missed it.

I have followed the slic and non-slic AI improvments and have toyed myself. One of the main complaints I see repeatedly is that the human player makes gains and eventually "turns the corner" in the 1st century or so and then the game is boring. I have not seemed to encounter this. If fact, if anyone is "turning the corner" it is the AI that is wiping me off the planet.

Here are examples of setting in DiffDB from Alpha.

Beginner=
# % amount to multiply production cost by per age for ai
AI_MIN_BEHIND_PRODUCTION_COST_ADJUSTMENT 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
AI_MAX_BEHIND_PRODUCTION_COST_ADJUSTMENT 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.9

Impossible=
# % amount to multiply production cost by per age for ai
AI_MIN_BEHIND_PRODUCTION_COST_ADJUSTMENT 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 ## JAW
AI_MAX_BEHIND_PRODUCTION_COST_ADJUSTMENT 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.5 ## JAW

Obviously, smaller numbers benefit the AI as seen between "Beginner" and "Impossible" levels.

The same logic goes for the scaled bonuses over the ages. So why is everyone scaling the values to DECREASE the AI's bonuses as the game progresses. The reason the AI is falling behind is because the human is gaining while the scaled bonuses for the AI are DECREASING!

I have scaled my bonuses in the DiffDB as well, but in the REVERSE direction. My AI gets TOUGHER as the game goes on, making "Impossible" level live up to it's name.

Has this been covered before? Am I missing something?

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-- Red Eyed Civer (Dooh! It's 4:30AM again!)

[Apollon]

Well, it aint all that hard actually.
Frenzy v4.0:
Unzip the Frenzy folder to, e.g
E:/Activision/Call To Power 2/Scenarios
(replace with your hard drive name and path)

Start CTPII, press new game button ( ) and press "select scenario". Scroll down to the Frenzy scenario, load it, and then select your game settings.

For Diplomod 3.2, it's easy to install, just follow the instructions in the readme's.

[Gwap]

I'm sure that if Firaxis keep half an eye on this forum they are bound to put an easter egg or two in for several of us in Civ3

(if(Apolyton_member){
disable_bugs();
}

[AllenJ]

I'd say rather
if (apolyton_member) {
disable_bugs();
}