So, to set a little background, I'm a fairly casual civ player, I've been playing since release mostly around king level, it's gotten to a point where I can win with the 'optimal' strategies so I can fiddle around with more fun stuff. A couple of my roommates picked up the game and we've been trying to play multiplayer with limited success.
The major complaint is, as is common knowledge, the simply baffling MP AI. Diplomacy, it seems, is entirely gone, with AI never talking to the player or proposing or extending deals, though when the player goes to the AI the same systems do seem to be there. At first we weren't sure if this was some kind of screwy "quick diplomacy" that we'd accidentally turned on, but reading the forums it seems like Firaxis just dun goofed somehow. What you get is a contrast between single player's alliances and world wide wars and multiplayer's endless crickets as you hit the 'next turn button' or conquer everybody out of boredom.
The question I have is, has anyone with MP experience had any success making the AI even remotely work? I know they suck at small continents maps but does Pangea help them out any? Do they conduct diplomacy between themselves and just leave you out, so you just have to go initiate all the time, or are they just silent, lonesome wanderers? I've heard hotseat helps, possibly because it's only 1 human player going at a time, is there a way to take turns, but on separate computers, just as a fix until someone with two brain cells to rub together makes a mod to fix the actual problem? I understand the rote response is "play vs humans!" and I've heard it, so there's no need to restate it. We want to play a game with a couple of us competing against a bunch of them, but without the hacks, uber-elite players and racist homophobes you generally get on online games with no lobby screening process and without playing against each other so we want to tear each others throats out.
Thanks for your consideration, folks. If there's any way you can help, we three prospective co-operative players will be grateful.
The major complaint is, as is common knowledge, the simply baffling MP AI. Diplomacy, it seems, is entirely gone, with AI never talking to the player or proposing or extending deals, though when the player goes to the AI the same systems do seem to be there. At first we weren't sure if this was some kind of screwy "quick diplomacy" that we'd accidentally turned on, but reading the forums it seems like Firaxis just dun goofed somehow. What you get is a contrast between single player's alliances and world wide wars and multiplayer's endless crickets as you hit the 'next turn button' or conquer everybody out of boredom.
The question I have is, has anyone with MP experience had any success making the AI even remotely work? I know they suck at small continents maps but does Pangea help them out any? Do they conduct diplomacy between themselves and just leave you out, so you just have to go initiate all the time, or are they just silent, lonesome wanderers? I've heard hotseat helps, possibly because it's only 1 human player going at a time, is there a way to take turns, but on separate computers, just as a fix until someone with two brain cells to rub together makes a mod to fix the actual problem? I understand the rote response is "play vs humans!" and I've heard it, so there's no need to restate it. We want to play a game with a couple of us competing against a bunch of them, but without the hacks, uber-elite players and racist homophobes you generally get on online games with no lobby screening process and without playing against each other so we want to tear each others throats out.
Thanks for your consideration, folks. If there's any way you can help, we three prospective co-operative players will be grateful.
