Prior to 3.17 I was able to play on Emperor level and win a fair amount of the time. Since the 3.17 update I'm finding it bloody hard just to get a foot hold. All of a sudden I have an AI capital sitting 3 squares away from my capital almost everytime I generate. They come equiped with Copper so by the time you set up for an early Axe rush they are already well defended and surrounding your capital with cities. Then we get to the Barbs. Once established with about 4 cities (on a lucky game) manned with a chariots or Archers, along comme the barbs, not archers and warriors like before but spearmen and axes. No longer just one of them but 2 or 3 and they work in teams! I've had so many cities razed by barbs since this update. Has anyone else noticed the same thing?

:eek:

I've noticed a lot more barb activity, especially naval barbs. I never used to see more than one barb galley every three or so games but now multiple galleys and triremes come every single games.

Yes, a lot more and more sophisticated Barb land units and a LOT of Barb Galleys. although no other naval units -thank goodness.

I have changed my early game tactics for sure - I build a few Triremes quite early, good to upgrade to Caravel when the time comes, and I have to use them against Barb Galleys every game as well.

I didn't use to beeline for Bronzeworking, prefering to go for the early techs that give the early GW, now I go for that to build Axmen to counter the Barbs. I play on Prince, so haven't noticed the AI turning up any earlier than normal like you seem to. Must be the Level.

I love the Spearmen barbs. What horrors!

Don't take this the wrong way like everyone else does, but maybe you weren't as good as you thought you were? How about trying to build some defenders?

I also have noticed the Barbs being more of a headache.

What seems to have changed the most for me is trading with the AI. They are very selective now in what they'll trade and for how long. Getting good commerce from resource trading is more difficult.

And what's up with only being able to attack a unit from the air one time per turn? I have a nice little squadron of airships looking to beat down shaka's combat III frigates before I have to take them on, and I can only attack once for a maximum of 20% damage? Yeah, that sucks. :cry:

It got a bit harder, mostly in barbs only if you had bhruics.

3.17 fixed a lot of AI problems that bhruics fixed, so if you didn't have bhruics the AI will have seemed to step up slightly also (things like strengthening auto workers etc.). Ultimately though it isn't *that* much harder.

I also find the AI less predictable. In my last game Ghandi had a tech lead but was going for cultural. I got everyone else on the continent to declare war with me, but Ghandi was content to turtle in and let us chip away at his outer cities while amping up the culture in his top 3. I had a stack of atries and artillary outside one of his cities with about 5 tanks in it and he didn't even counter-attack at any point. (Yep, he won three turns later:sad:)

Don't take this the wrong way like everyone else does, but maybe you weren't as good as you thought you were? How about trying to build some defenders?

Helpfull! Three Spears against a chariot and an Archer in 1500BC in a new just settled city with no culture yet - all over.

If you settle new cities with more than that then I would love to see your game posts - it would make facinating reading.

1500BC? I normally have 3 or 4 cities, each border city with 2 archers being the worst defense I'd have in a border city at that time.

The irritation factor of barb galleys pillaging seafood is the only really difference I noticed moving to 3.17. That said, I was using Bhruic's patch for ages which fixed stuff like AI corp exec spam, which was really weakening it in the official 3.13 patch.