AI is unfair!

Hello Everyone

First of all -- this is my first post, so please go easy on me ;-)

I have decided to play on 'Monarch' dificulty level. I usually play as either Americans/Germans/Poles(Mod). Early in the game, I produce only settlers and a warrior/spearman per each settler (for protection against barbarians). That is, I produce as many settlers as possible and create new cities as frequently as possible.

The problem is that after I meet several other nations and look at the histogram, I find out that I am WAY behind everyone else in terms of size et cetera. Further, some civs get wonders like the Pyramids 2000-1800 BC!

Therefore, my question is: is it usuall that other civs grow unreasonably fast early in the game? Should I worry about histogram's ratings at all?

Also, once I played a game where I have chosen opponents with the lowest aggression level. However, most of them kept declaring war on me for asking them to leave my territory (very early in the game as well). What's up with that?

I play C3C v 1.12 BETA, I believe.

Thank you

i think your city-rate is gowing too slow. Read up on how to build a settler-factory, this will dramatically increase your growth.

Dont bother about the Histograph rating early in the game. The human can be behind the AI the entire game in score and still win.
The AI start with many bonuses on the higer levels like free workers and settlers and free defensive units. The AI also will build most of the ancient wonders it is only in the industrial age the human cacthes up. Dont worry about the ancient wonders too much. When youre weaker than the Ai dont tell the Ai to get out of your territory or declare war. They will most likely declare war. Some civs are also more agressive than others like Zululand is more agressive than France. Read some of the strategy articles in the War Academy. Welcome to CFC

"AI is unfair" and "AI cheats" have been the topics of far too many discussions in the Civ3 community. Yes, the AI is not fair. That's the way it's supposed to be as you increase the difficulty level. Try placing your cities 2 tiles apart and use settler factories, that should keep you first in the histograph and way first in actual power.

Don't worry about the histograph. On Monarch or above the AI will beat you to alot of wonders. Often you can seize them off the AI in the middle ages. Just link your cities with roads and maintain a decent military and you can catch up or wipe them out later.

I was playing on Monarch and only caught up in the middle ages and fell behind again as all the AI got coal and I didn't.

Yes, don't worry about the histograph, as you can often be last in score and first in true power. However, it is fairly easy to be first or second in the histograph anyways on Emperor as long as you have at least 1 luxury resource.

Welcome to the CFC!

Originally posted by WiktorThePole
Therefore, my question is: is it usuall that other civs grow unreasonably fast early in the game? Should I worry about histogram's ratings at all?

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At the Monarch level, it's a little bit abnormal for the human player to be at the bottom of the historgraph ratings by 500BC (plus or minus 500 years). You should be able to grow as fast or even faster than them at this level. You may want to sharpen up you opening sequence. The QSC at the GOTM forum is a good place to start.

At Emperor or higher, it's the norm for the AIs to take the lead before 1100 AD (plus or minus a couple century).

Good points Moonsinger. While you can't expect to begin the game at the top and stay there, like the levels through Regent, you should be near the top unless you have a REALLY bad starting position.

Originally posted by dozenlong
Good points Moonsinger. While you can't expect to begin the game at the top and stay there, like the levels through Regent, you should be near the top unless you have a REALLY bad starting position.

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Well, whats a good starting position then?

Eveyone -- thanks for answering my question. I have reviewed my opening strategy and have managed to advance fairly quickly.

Thanks!
Wiktor

A good starting position usually involves a nice area where you can have a few core cities that can specialize in food (flood plains, cattle, wheat), production (hills and mountains with 1 or 2 high-food tiles), and a bit of gold also does not hurt. Further, it has easy access to several luxuries through simple expansion in all directions (on small, 4 or 5 luxuries is the norm, on huge, none - so try playing on small).

Originally posted by WiktorThePole
Well, whats a good starting position then?

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IMO, a good starting position is where I can place my first city right next to the river and next to 1 cow on the grassland. The more cows and shield bonus grassland, the merrier, but 1 cow is all I need to setup my first settler factory. Of course, deer and wheat instead of cow is ok too.

Originally posted by Krayzeenbk
"AI is unfair" and "AI cheats" have been the topics of far too many discussions in the Civ3 community.

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true, when i played on the second turn the ai has a spearman guarding his city. i know that is not possible without hurring and they are depositism and since this is a scenario i made it so i can just see his city and what i saw was that they got a spearman on turn 2 and they have 1 citizen and their terrain was junky. how is this possible?

Originally posted by Bluemofia


true, when i played on the second turn the ai has a spearman guarding his city. i know that is not possible without hurring and they are depositism and since this is a scenario i made it so i can just see his city and what i saw was that they got a spearman on turn 2 and they have 1 citizen and their terrain was junky. how is this possible?

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The AI does not play by the same rules we humans do. The tendency for this has increased with each new version of Civ. Apparently operating under the assumption that a human can always beat a computer (not true).
Because of this, my wife who enjoyed Civnet (in spite of its problems) won't touch any later versions because of the fustration factor of always trying to play catch up even at Chieften level.

That does not happen on Chieftain though, does it... On Chieftain the AI produces nothing, wins no battles, and was generally just something I didn't even notice when I started playing Civ3.

BTW: I did not deny the AI cheats, it's just that it's been already discussed to death and the point is with its current cognitive abilities, if it doesn't cheat, then the single player game is absolutely pointless. Humans cheat too, by having a brain