AI cheating?

[Curley123]

Whenever I play the at least one enemy starts producing War Walkers around 1900. No matter what I do to slow them down they are able to out produce me in Science every game, by a big margin.

Often these contries will not have a city over a population of 12 and no where near the improved tiles that I do.


I have PW set at a constant 20% and seem to be able to eventually out produce them and then cripple their countries by taking out their big cities.

Anyone have a suggestion on how to speed up my technology or slow down their's?

[faded glory]

The AI doesnt build units like we do. It simply uses the cheat option to make them. It also

we know this, The AI cheats bye
1)can see the whole map and inside all cities (thats why it wotn attack a city unless it wins)
2)preprogrammed to withdraw 500 pw ever 100 years

[Martin Gühmann]

It is no secret that the AIs of all civ games are cheaters. Otherwise they wouldn'd have any change against the human player.

-Martin

[Curley123]

I also notice that they know which cities do not have any defenters and will bypass other cities that are closer.

One of my pet peaves of computer games is the way companies will "help" weak AI by giving them god like powers.

I was considering Call to Power 2 but it ain't going to happen.

Oh well, another game that could have been great but is just going to gather dust on my shelf.

[faded glory]

Its not too bad. Atleast PBEM isnt. Check out the CTP-multiplaying forum

[preacherman]

Science is controlled by gold. If you want to control the game you must get gold up fast—build mines as much as possible—get trade routes up and keep them up—get market places in every city—build as many cities as possible. I build two warriors then a settler in every city before I build anything else.

[Dictatress]

I usually encounter one or two nations that keep a constant lead in science. The solution is to use Wonders intelligently, stay on good terms with those nations (so you can trade/demand advances), and build up your military. Then you just conquer the scientific civs and loot the advances they have.

[Jaybe]

Curley,
I presume you are playing at diety level. Try playing at a lower level and they won't "cheat" as much. It has been a few months since I have played CtP (Macintosh, latest "official" (v.1.2b) version), but playing at Prince or King level never had your "AI War Walkers around 1900" problem. As you increase the level you play at, the AI science advancement and production costs are reduced, along with their getting more advances at the beginning of the game.

Playing at King level gives the AI just a little production/advancement edge.

Also, make sure you are using the proper government(s) at different stages of your empire. The Call To Power Strategy Guide (I THINK that's the name of the book), was very useful.

Always playing single-player, my main objection to the game was the end-game. Otherwise I enjoyed it alot. At King level, the AI would even occasionally use intelligent battle tactics, e.g., using stacks of units in the field.

[Gregurabi]

Robotics in 1900 is pretty slow -- if you're playing on the higher difficulty settings, and it takes you that long to get to Robotics, you've already lost.

Expand, expand, expand! Make more cities, and make them big! Give them food -- this is the single biggest problem I see with the AI: lack of PW tile improvements.

Enslave the AI! (See other thread.)

Build one or more "science cities" -- give them all the science improvements (rush buying, probably) and give them lots and lots of food -- until you get them big. Then hit the "maximize science" button to convert 7-8 citiezens into scientists.

Get all the trade goods, build Caravans, and ship them all to a single city (this is called a "monopoly" even though that term makes no sense here). Build Marketplaces and Banks in any city with non-negligible gold income.

Build mines on mountains, and later the advanced mines. Build them on hills, too, when your cities are large enough. Build Mills everywhere, and Factories in the high-production cities. Try not to pollute too much.

Use the sliders. Set workday high in the early game to bootstrap your PW and military defenses. Keep wages reasonable, to avoid retarding your science too much. I generally don't worry overly much about Rations, since I can usually just crank up PW and build more farms/fisheries to make up for it -- but I haven't really explored a low-Rations strategy yet, so I'm open-minded on that one.

Do all this, and fight well, and you'll be showing the AI the bottom of your boots. Robotics by 1700 or so is easy.

[Dictatress]

No, you haven't lost if you don't have robotics by 1900. I never research robotics. The key is tank warfare, which I get around 1800. It doesn't really matter if I get it in the late modern age, because I'm going to win with tanks anyway. Then why do further research or construction?
The key is to have a reasonable lead in science and a robust economy. Then you can build the best army in the world. With your army, you take over enemy cities. Thus their resources, manpower, wonders, and advances become yours. And that's while you have only spent production on an army! Just think how pointless it is to build a phenomenal economy and an army to defend it, when you can use what your enemies have built!

[jpww]

If I wanted to increase my science output I would hire scientists!

[TheRussianKing]

I dont understand u ppl. I usually get to the end of the game before its even 1700!


NO dont hire scientists, hire merchants, they give u Gold AND Science

[Gregurabi]

It depends on your world size and number of civs. (And difficulty level, but I tend to assume that everyone plays Deity.)

I normally play Deity, Huge world, 8-10 civs. I do not turn on bloodlust, but I do not let myself win by building the Alien (that would be too easy). What this means is I have to track down and destroy every AI before they can build the Alien.
That's the only way I can be even remotely challenged by the game -- I'm never in danger of being conquered by the AI, but I might be too slow in finding and attacking them.

(Oh, and I'm not playing with any mods.)

[mauranius]

aren't there any codes for CIV or at least tell me how i can get into the cheat mode

[Locutus]

Simply press the '-key (the "-key without shift, not the ~-key).