About CtP2

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
Thanks for all the help

I guess the only question left is - with Cradle, etc, is the AI any good at overall decision making and using the various features and victory paths? Better than civ2/civ3?

I think you should worry about how to survive at first in Cradle. But now to your question the AI can't use everythink properly, that is also true in Civ2 and Civ3. But we are working on it, for exapmle recently I figured out a possibility how to "teach" the AI to build forts properly, meaning placing them at its empire borders without the connection of a road.

-Martin

[Wiglaf]

So with cradle it's more or less on par with civ2's AI?

[Immortal Wombat]

This thread is hard with you on my ignore list...

Originally posted by Wiglaf
So with cradle it's more or less on par with civ2's AI?

Its hard to compare, because combat is a lot different, but broadly, yes, Cradle AI compares to maybe King in Civ2.
They expand roughly similarly, advance similarly. Perhaps the Cradle AI isn't quite as aggressive, but should be as good (or better) defensively. The barbarians are much more of a problem in Cradle, and winning isn't as easy anyway, because strategies like ICS do not give a significant advantage in CtP, and other 'bugs/features' in Civ2 which can be exploited are not there.

[Lou Wigman]

As far as I am concerned the AI in Cradle is better than that in civ2. Especially since the civ2 AI cheats furiously. In Cradle the AI has many advantages but as far as I know it doesn't cheat. (i.e. it doesn't do anything that the 'rules' don't permit.)

[Wiglaf]

Wrapup...

Ok, so the AI's decent with the mods, graphics are okay, features are nice (especially if the computer doesn't cheat... ), diplomacy functional. Just to make sure, though, again:

In your opinion is it worth the $19.95? Especially when you factor in the other similar titles on the market like EU2, CivIII, etc...would you go with CtP2 over the rest?

Thanks again.

btw, IW: I'm on your ignore list? Let by-gones be by-gones already, sheesh.

[Lou Wigman]

EU2 is good and definitely worth a go. Civ3 is a total waste.

[Wiglaf]

yes/no?

EU2 for $39 over CtP2 for $19?

[Immortal Wombat]

Re: Wrapup...

Originally posted by Wiglaf
btw, IW: I'm on your ignore list? Let by-gones be by-gones already, sheesh.

I end up reading most of your posts anyway.
You make me laugh

[Locutus]

Overall, the most striking difference between Civ2's and Cradle's AI is the fact that Civ2's AI cheats like hell and often behaves like a complete moron (various kinds of suicide attacks, building naval units in cities next to 'ponds', moving the capital all the time, poor city placement, etc, etc), in Cradle this is much less the case. In more general lines, Cradle's AI is in military terms roughly on par with Civ2's AI. Civ2 is better at attacking but Cradle does a much better job defending. In terms of city and empire management, Cradle is way superior to Civ2, this is really where modded CtP2 (Cradle, but MedMod even more - but MedMod has a weaker military AI) excells most, compared to Civ2. Even with all the cheats, Civ2 does a *really* poor job in this respect (focussing way too much on building units, building the wrong city improvements/wonders in the wrong cities at the wrong time, senseless tile improving algorithms, etc), whereas Cradle is roughly on par with an average human player. Same with diplomacy, Cradle (as well as MedMod) is much better than Civ2.

Is CtP2 worth the money? I'd say so. Even if you don't like it now, you can always come back in 6 months and see what we've been able to improve in the mean-time. It's always a bit of a gamble since it involves a great deal of personal preference: some of the people here think CtP2 is the best pc game ever while some other people think it's the worst game ever, with or without mods. It might be wise to borrow it from someone first or buy it somewhere where you can return it, but $20 bucks isn't all that much money and it's a Civ-game after (contrary to EU or others)...

[Dinner]

Re: yes/no?

Originally posted by Wiglaf
EU2 for $39 over CtP2 for $19?

Heck, buy both! However, if I had to just choice one I think I'd go with CTP2 because it costs less and I will still get hours and hours of enjoyment out of it. This is simple cost to benifet analysis; I'd enjoy both equally but one costs half as much (if not less).

[Wiglaf]

Thanks for all the help

I'll hopefully pick it up by the end of next week. (How's that for speed? ) I'll try and get back to you later as far as what I think of it, with and without the various mods. Looks promising either way, inherently passive AI or no.

Thanks again everybody, appreciate the info quite a bit.