RoN's Single Player Experience: Promising!

[Chronus]

Cotton pickin', *$)@*#$&#* Yin fan club! I'm gone for one weekend and his post already has four pages to it!

Anyway, just a hearty thanks to everyone for all the input. I'm still tottering on whether I should buy this game or not but pleased to see most everyone else is enjoying it.

I notice that some people have longer lasting games and avoid the rush strategy. I presume you're the builder type but to clarify: does this game leave some room for the builder type player or is it basically a war game?

Again, many thanks!

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Chronus
Cotton pickin', *$)@*#$&#* Yin fan club! I'm gone for one weekend and his post already has four pages to it!

Anyway, just a hearty thanks to everyone for all the input. I'm still tottering on whether I should buy this game or not but pleased to see most everyone else is enjoying it.

I notice that some people have longer lasting games and avoid the rush strategy. I presume you're the builder type but to clarify: does this game leave some room for the builder type player or is it basically a war game?

Again, many thanks!

I am a "Builder Type"..so I set my POP CAP to 600 + (Wonders, Specific Civ POP Increases, ect.) also made it so Peace would last 50 minutes...building me a nice economy plus Military..I have had a couple longer games..but..thats just me..SEVERAL SKIRMISHES followed by MULTIPLE MELEES concluding with FAST,FORTIFIED FIGHTING!!

It is simply an enjoyable game!!

Peace

Grandpa Troll

[kainzero]

pause the game? yack i've never thought about that, because MP always remains in the back of my mind.

about the builder/war, it depends. obviously static defense isn't gonna get you too far at the 8 minute mark without a military. since i mostly play conquest mode that's how i play.

but there's anti-rush modifications and there's wonder victories and there's even some weird game where you have to tech up to the last age faster than your opponent with no fighting. I guess if that's your game, so be it... but if i wanted a game like that i'd play simcity.

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by kainzero
pause the game? yack i've never thought about that, because MP always remains in the back of my mind.

about the builder/war, it depends. obviously static defense isn't gonna get you too far at the 8 minute mark without a military. since i mostly play conquest mode that's how i play.

but there's anti-rush modifications and there's wonder victories and there's even some weird game where you have to tech up to the last age faster than your opponent with no fighting. I guess if that's your game, so be it... but if i wanted a game like that i'd play simcity.

Thats what I love about this game:

THE DIVERSITY

Peace


Grandpa Troll

[yin26]

Well, I never tried to give the impression that the AI was "Godly," however, I haven't seen anybody, even on moderate level, beat the AI by playing poorly. You've got to put on a decent game even against Moderate level, and that's simply astounding to me.

I was away for a week on business and came back last night to try a game on Tough. Needless to say that the combination of not playing and coming back at the higher level left me getting beaten badly. Of course, I think I've only played 4 complete games due to time, though I did a degree of 'mini-games' to test some things.

In this game on Tough, though, I didn't put any pressure on the AI. I was curious to see if I could outbuild and outpace it. Nope! It was no contest. The AI got ahead of me in all categories and then steam rolled. It was beautiful!

Granted, I still don't have a real game plan and expect to be on par with Tough AI relatively soon, but I simply *love* that this AI is good enough WITHOUT CHEATING to force me to play well or get crushed.

The AI still needs, IMO, to press its advantage, though. After it took my first city, I sat back to watch what would happen; while it methodically (and capably) took one city after the other, it did so in a very unhurried manner, which would have given me a good amount of time (5-10 minutes) to marshal troops for a counter-attack. Perhaps the AI is programmed to play it safe this way?

Well, I guess it would be nice to see it go for the kill a little faster in such a situation as long as it isn't meeting much resistance...

[Tatran]

I don't think the AI is "godly".According to a yesterdays
battle in CTW campaign I saw the AI simply not attacking me anymore.
This was the situation :
Level : moderate
Nation : Egypt (random)
Age : gunpowder
Territory : Whole Africa (without the southern part) and
the 2 areas in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia)
Ally : Romans
Inca's started a war against me.They attacked me
in West Africa from the Amazone region.The first 30
minutes (of the 90 minutes) the Inca's invaded West
Africa several times with a combined force,but they got
easily slaughtered by the defense I made around
the coastal cities (a lot of towers).Even the siege
weaponry couldn't destroy a building.
By seeing this happening I didn't expect too much
problems and decided to sit and wait,because the
Inca's had to win (they were the invaders).
The game was halfway I haven't seen an Inca
soldier for 15 minutes.After another lonely 15 minutes
I decided to scout his territory.He had a large army
(as I expected),but it was only running around in his
own territory.And this stayed so for another 30 minutes.
And then the battle was over.I kept West Africa and
the Inca's lost some tribute.
Did the AI simply give up?
I guess the AI has problems to handle island scenarios.
(I've seen this in other games like Age of Mythology).

[Rohag]

Originally posted by Tatran
According to a yesterdays battle in CTW campaign...

At least a handful of folks have reported finding the "moderate" AI in CTW easier than the Quick Battle "moderate." Maybe it's too soon to tell what's up with this.

In my case I noticed this after the autopatch.

[PrinceBimz]

If the AI is not "godly" it is the closest to "godly" I have ever seen in a RTS game. I am currently playing toughest. I usually play 2v2 with me and an AI vs two other AIs. I win some, lose some, but lose some more often then win. Sometimes I get the living daylights beat out of me. Also my team loses because of me more often then my AI allie...hehe. I have actually had my AI ally do coordinated attacks with me. I mostly play water type maps such as East Indies, British Isles and Warring States or Altantic Sea Power.

[Martek_2003]

I have been very impressed with the AI so far.

I have now completed two CtW games at moderate, and even tho I was able to win, the AI was able to provide a challenge (at least initially - once I got good enough moderate was too easy).

Yesterday I decided to try a couple of quick battles on tough.

Small Map, 7 opponents. Expensive / Slow Tech. Free for all setting (cant remember what the actual setting is called)

The first game I won with a wonder victory shortly after hitting modern age. The AI provided a good challenge, and many times I found my front lines moving back and forth as I would advance and be pushed back. It was a lot of fun.

The second game I lost. My empire was simply crushed. I was doing good until the modern age when one AI, after defeating all the remaining other AIs (I defeated 2 of the AIs) turned on me with a combo of a large army and nukes. The battle raged for quite a while, with many nukes deployed on each others forces, but in the end the AI nuked my economic centers one too many times and I was overrun.

The game settings above are really alot of fun. The small map combined with 7 opponents really forces alot of interation quickly. Fighting for resources and area to expand are key and the AI seems to handle it very well, with one or two AIs dominating all the others.

RoN is going to be staying on my HD for quite a while.

[Tatran]

< Martel_2003> you did a fine job by winning your
CTW games at moderate level.I lost mine today
due to armageddon.
Last battle was the same scenario as the one I
posted before only now in the Information Age.
I had still long way to go to secure victory in this
CTW campaign,so I tested some things in this
last battle,although I didn't choose to end the
campaign.
First : I use the same tactics with a lot of towers
around my coastal cities.Well it was a waste of
resources.Those missile cruisers knocked everything
down what was their reach.To have a large fleet is better.
Second : as the defender I hoped to get rid of the
90 minutes timer with the World Domination tech.
That didn't work.
Third : using too many nukes means Armageddon
and the end of your CTW campaign.

Probably it's better to be a rusher when you're
the defender than wait and build up your cities.
I've seen the AI expanding very rapidly.

By the way the AI still kept attacking me 'til the end.
I got hit by 4 nukes,but it never really hurt.To have
the Missile Shield tech is still a must.The AI attacked
this time with everything I had.So I guess the previous
battle (in the Gunpowder Age) was a incident.
The AI is a good opponent at moderate level.

[PTM]

Yeah, this game is simply amazing in terms of RTS AI. I've found myself exploited by AI during wartime (I cannot say if the AI knew what it was doing or if this was just a pure stroke of luck).

This is on "moderate":

The game was a 5 way battle. I was British, the comps were French, German, Russian, and Spanish. Early on the French had declared war against me (this was Classical Age) so I wiped him clean off the map. Then I allied with Russia, at Tsar Peter's request and at a 100 wealth offering (which seemed like a lot in the early stages of the Classical Age). Well, Spain was destroyed by Germany just then, and I eventually brought my nation into the Industrial Age. At this point I was running very low on metal, and I knew I'd need both metal and oil in large quantities if I were to win this game. The comps were both back in the Enlightenment Age, so I was feeling good about myself. I positioned the 1st Infantry Division on the border by Germany, my 2nd Armored Division just within his borders (thank you supply trucks!) and I put two divisions of artillery, the 3rd and 4th, one behind the 1st and one behind the 2nd. I commenced the attack, first drawing his units out with the artillery positioned behind the 1st and then flanking them with my 2nd Armored. I used the 4th Artillrey to reduce his city and then I advanced, sending in a few civilians to build a fort on the outskirts of my new territory as the assimilation process began to complete.

Germany, now, isn't happy losing one of its cities, especially since it's capital, Berlin, was simply a stone's throw away now. As Germany's reinforcements move to reengage me, I get my men in position to defend my new territory.

Just then Tsar Peter demands a ridiculous sum, something like 1000 metal, to continue our alliance. Screw that! The whole point of the attack on Germany was precisely for the metal. I ignore the request, but it comes up again. My forces are besieging Berlin now (which wouldn't elim. Germany because I play on "conquest" to prolong the game), and suddenly BAM! Russia declares war on me! I'm thinking "no way," but I know it's really happening when my undefended cities start getting rolled over by Russian Light Tanks. I'm now in Modern Age, so I send over some planes to hold him off as I scramble to retreat to my own territory. The game's looking like this now: Russians are about 20% into my territory (my capital, luckily, is about 80% into my territory), my troops are about 10% into Russian territory (because I had to cross Russian space to get to Germany), and Germans are hitting my retreating men.

Russia, those punks, have major attrition bonus and before I realize it my supply trucks were SPECIFICALLY targeted by overhead helicopter attacks. Russia, meanwhile, easily captures my two cities on the other continent (I'm playing map "Colonial Powers") and I'm not in a position to really argue with that. I push through, hoping to force the Russians to fall back and defend their own cities from me on the other side, realizing if I don't things won't look good for me. Luckily, Russia does fall back to defend itself. By this time I've managed to create a 5th Infantry, mostly cheap assault infantry, to fight back on the home front. I pin Russia down and conquer it from both sides.

Russia, meanwhile, EVACUATES. I can't prove they did this in response to what I did, but what I can say is that when they started losing their New World colonies increased dramatically. By now I have space program, so I can see all that's happening in the New World. As Moscow falls, Russia is erecting a defensive position on the New World, and, as I conquer Germany (without much trouble, thanks to the ICBM's I now have) I notice Russia is ready to invade!

Russia transports start coming over, and as I move to intercept with my Navy, their submarines make an appearance. Not having really expected it, although I should have, I take some major losses and significant Russians make it to my shore. I pull my forces from Germany as it finishes assimilating, and I defend the chaos. Then the screen goes black - Russian bombers took out my space program!

I send two nukes their way, angry at this, and they fall silent quickly. I build a cruiser fleet, clear the oceans of subs, and then drop a few more nukes, one on each city I know they have (about 4 total) and then advance into their territory. I slowly progress, taking more and more, and then the game is soon mine.

- PTM

[ChaotikVisions]

I love the stories of peoples games. Is it just me or does RoN seem like an epic in progress while playing? You don't fight a battle over some base, you fight a war against the Turks. You don't just destroy all his buildings, you roll your tanks through his farms while your Infantry assaults the city to capture it. You don't build a bunker to protect some expansion, you build a defensive line along your border hoping it'll withstand an assault long enough for you to reinforce it. Its that and more.

I fine myself playing it more like a quick game of Civilization then an RTS. I've never seen an AI quite so capable at invasions, its really impressive. I'm gonna write up a story and post the replay from my latest game once I finish it, it shows just why I love it so much.

[Rohag]

@PTM: Wonderful report! Apart from Conquer the World, exactly that type of game setup (multiple AI nations, Diplomacy) is becoming my favorite. BTW, I think I've noticed some AI nations are more apt to break alliances than others.

Originally posted by ChaotikVisions
Is it just me or does RoN seem like an epic in progress while playing? You don't fight a battle over some base, you fight a war...

Well said. The spectacle and the gameplay join together to afford me the same feeling.

[Cookie Monster]

Originally posted by Rohag
@PTM:
Well said. The spectacle and the gameplay join together to afford me the same feeling.

Agreed...........