The ruthless, merciless, warmongering AI

I fondly remember the Civ1/Civ2 days when the computer was totally inept at warfare...

Flash forward to today: I'm the Japanese, playing on Regent level, sitting pretty much in the middle of the road as far as score, power, etc. goes. It's the early industrial era for me and I'm just trying to survive the game happily and peacefully.

All of a sudden the Chinese, who were "gracious" towards me and who had shared a mutual protection pact for the past 40 turns, declare war on me the turn after I give them 50 gold. Evidently they were farther in the tech tree than anyone else in the game, because instantly I had squadrons of bombers obliterating my infrastructure, and a neverrending stream of tanks pounding my cities into oblivion. And let me just say this for the record: While better than I expected, Samauri just DO NOT defend well against thundering legions of tanks. Though it was pretty funny to see my little Samauris poking their swords into the barrel of the tanks...

I pretty much figured the Chinese were after some resource I had that I couldn't see yet (they had done a similar instant-aggression-without-provocation before to get the one source of coal on the continent that I unkowningly had). But when they took my first city, they razed it! Then they razed the next one! And the next! It was insane! The computer was practicing all-out genocide! :rocket2:

To make matters worse, somehow the Chinese convinced EVERY SINGLE CIV IN THE GAME to declare war on me! I had declarations of war, military alliances, and trade embargos coming from every direction! The diplomacy advisor's screen looked like a spider web of war and alliances -- all against me! Previously I had done *nothing* against these people (okay, so maybe I beat the Indians into submission, but that was a long time ago...), and their attitudes were previously ranging from "annoyed" to "polite," and I had been accepting just about every trade/tribute they initiated. But now all 7 civs in the game were out for blood -- mine! :vampire:

So picture this: My coasts are surrounded with Chinese aircraft carriers, English man-o-wars, Babylonian galleons, German transports, Persian destroyers, Zulu ironclads -- all bombarding the bejeezus out of my cities and infrastructure, not to mention the Chinese bombers and tanks. It took 2 full minutes per turn just for the computer to finish attacking me, and that's with animation off! And NOT A SINGLE ONE of them would even answer my attempt for communication! :suicide: All I could do was mobilize for war, drop my science to 0, sell all my science improvements, tell the governers to focus on production, draft citizens every turn, and fill every build queue with infantry (which I luckily had just discovered before the war broke out).

So when the dust finally settled (I think their alliances expired), I had lost 6 cities to the Chinese (they razed 3), lost 1 city to the Persians, given 1 city each to the Chinese, Persians, Germans, Zulus, and Babylonians in exchange for peace, lost 4/5 of my population, lost almost all of my roads, lost access to all my resources (except rubber -- thank goodness for infantry).

Needless to say, I basically just hung on for the rest of the game and watched the Chinese launch their spaceship.

Even though I feel like I was just severely beaten, dragged around town, and hung up to dry, it feel good to see an AI that uses *me* as the whipping post! I just wish I knew why the computer took such a ferocious turn... Hal, anyone?

And besides, I did get to see Mao say "All your base are belong to us" at the end of the game...

You're taking it better than I would.

I would be as impressed as you but I'd still be stomping around pulling out my hair.

To quote Von Bismark "Go back to Chieftan"

Or maybe just Warlord.

Seems like the AI has really been souped up good. Looking forward to the challenge.

Yep, he really is though ! They did a great job there... Who needs multiplayer with such an AI ? (just kidding, Firafax, we need multiplayer baaaad).

Anyway, not only does the AI uses better war-tactics, he also uses better diplomatic tactics, like you illustarted... Very refreshing !

I'll still beat the **** out of deity level one day, though

Forget about AI with more TECH killing you, it's the weak guys you must watch out for.


I the Romans had riflemen in the year 1600 and the egyptians (i thought) only had the war chariot. While i was destracted with war against france, the egyptians sent 12! war chariots to one of my large border cities in the north. I had railroad so i sent in about 6 riflemen to the border cities in case something were to happen, leaving some of my southern coastal cities with weak defence for that turn (archers, warriors).

I demanded that egypt pull out or declare war, and they declared war!?! They were a weak backwords country unworthy of my military strength.

I sent in 5 cannons and started bombardment, and those war chariots ran home like chickens.

then....

4 ships landed on my southern shore and were able to take 3 of my towns with swordsmen!!!

It was a diversion!!! The AI tricked me!!! I was pissed!!!

The AI sounds cool as ****
I wanna hear more stories like this, U only havew to keepo me sane for 13 days, plzzzzzz.

(Im drunk, Thats why my typin askew)

in my game, warlord level, I'm dominating in every aspect in 1599 except the Chinese is more advance in tech. I wonder why

Anyways, they also declared war on me while I had 90% of my force fighting the Russians on the other side. Woohoo, the great mobolization occured as I ended my war immediately with the Russian and my whole force move across to the other side. Before the war the Chinese is polite toward me and had just accept my 10gold goodwill donation(I know I'm cheap)

At that time our civ is kinda equal with me beaten out 3 civ and had a greater nation area while the Chinese is more advance in tech. It was a war of production madness. In the end I prevail cause simply I could produce more in war time. My capitol gave me one cavalry per term

I kinda cheat cause during the 100 years war I saved and load the game more than 200 times

So I ended up had Mao gave me the two techs that he had but I didn't

Oh yeah, my biggest problem seemed to be civil disorder. Under democracy they cease production when long war broke out.

one funny thing was England which was my first victim allied the Chinese and declared war on me, though all she had was a tiny town on a tiny island share by two other nation.

She did cause me problem as after the Franco-Sino war ended Mao redeclared war one me cause I forgot to end the war with England.

Then, believe or not, an England warrior land on my remote shore and occupy an unimportant, undefended costal city

Anyways, the invasion ended rather quickly.

Then 5 turns later England beg me to protect her when German(3 city left), and Greek(my present ally and potential rival) both declared war on her, go figure

Now days, whenever I put "Right of passage" down on the bargaining table, my reply is always "Your sneak attack on England was well-known"

Hell that was more than a century ago

It was a diversion!!! The AI tricked me!!! I was pissed!!!

Click to expand...

I had a similar experience in a huge world map game. I had just finished beating the persians and now held all of northern america apart from the tundra and ice regions. As I pushed towards greenland with my galleons the germans, who occupied most of southern america launched an attack from the alaska area! about 10 horsemen was visible, so I started to send longbow men and musket folk to the area. I took them from my most heavily defended city panama .... boy did I learn a lesson or two when he stomped me with 20+ legions.

Wonderfull AI

I experienced quite the opposite. I was playing a game on deity level (just to get the feeling of what total defeat was like).

My closest neighbour was the Germans. They were one of the superpowers of that game. By the time I had pikemen they got armor. At that point the game was in the 16th century and the germans could have conquered my puny little civ whenever they wanted since we first met.

On the contrary they had always been really nice to me. I didn't trade anything with them because they already owned it all. They never demanded tribute or made as much as a threatening move against my border.

I really felt like having a big brother protecting me from the other kids

Then suddenly I made first contact with the other superpower, the Americans. It was like "look guys, here's a free parking lot for our tanks on the german border" The war took only a few turns. The Germans didn't rush in to help me, but they could have done the same thing as the Americans at any time during 5500 years!

I never gave them any gifts or anything, they were just being friendly. On deity level!

I think it's great that the AI does this from time to time. There should be friendly and unfriendly AI players even at the hardest dif. I wonder if there were anything you did that they liked, perhaps it was not haveing any resources they did not already own themself, or maby it was your form of government? ... now that would be cool commies vs. demo'es

I wonder if this is evidence of cultural groups? You weren't by chance playing the English, French, or Russians were you, Talar? Could be that the Germans really did look upon you as a brother civilization, and the Americans didn't since they are culturally allied with the Iroquios and the Aztec I believe.

You probably have something with the cultural alliance thing Malys. I think I've heard that the alliances are randomly generated every game though. It is done in a geographic method each time you start a new game. I wonder if there is a way to tell who you are culturally similar to?

I never heard anything about cultural groups/alliances before. Where did you get that info?

Actually I think I was playing the Greeks (or it could have been English, I'm not really sure).

I did read that SOMEWHERE, that cultures of your "culture group" look on you better than others do. All the American Indian tribes will be more friendly while the Orientals will be more likely to suddenly go hand in hand and then stab you in the back with the other. Can't for the LIFE of me recall where I read that, though.

The answer to your question lies in the Civilopedia. Try Game Concepts, then Culture. There will be a short explanation of Global Cultures. Yes, being in the same global culture helps in diplomacy.

I believe that like cultures are more prone to being nice. In all my games, I cant recall having a civ from a similar global pool sneak attack me.

Also, I believe that there must be some calculation by a civ to determine if war is the only option to alter disfavorable corrolation of forces. Just right now, I'm playing at Monarch level (level 4), and its 1974, large map with 3 civs left, with mine, the English, being the largest, most populous, most productive, most culturally advanced, and armed with armies, armor, stealth bombers, and ICBMs to the teeth. And that Idiot Montezuma still sneak attacked me. I guess because a city of his defected, and he saw the writing on the wall. Well, at least that alliance with Cleo will help. Looks like she and I, Elizabeth, will have to give Monto a nice feminist thrashing. Its a barbecue, and Aztec is served up. Hmm, soon there will be a whole new continent open for settlement...

This discussion of AI behavior just cracks me up to no end!

I've not played but one whole game. I was the Babylonians, and I found that the Persians and Zulus (in my culture group) were nicer to me than the French (who were gracious to me throughout the game, but ended up declaring war on me out of the blue!). I should have paid more attention to my advisor...he kept mentioning at the negotiating table that Joan d'Arc had betrayed Elizabeth (england had long ago been destroyed) and so I should have trused his judgement. Never again will I ignore the info given me by my advisor, lest I take another such fall. :suicide:

Keep the stories of the notorious AI coming...it's good to know what we're up against.

Has anyone noticed any patterns in behavior and attitude for particular rulers?

Ah yes. Now I think I know why the americans suddenly declared war on me, when they were gracious, and I had a right of passage with them. I was playing as the english. It all makes sense now.

I, too, was attacked out of the blue by France. The only thing I can imagine that ticked her off was our right of passage agreement being canceled by me after the 20 turns were up. (It was the first time that the AI didn't immediately cancel it... but there was no reason for her to want it, I was on one end of the continent and the Iroquois were above me, but nothing to accomplish by having a right of passage through my land. Besides, when has not having a right of passage ever stopped the AI?

Anyway, France was polite towards me one turn, and the next turn I was attacked, out of the blue. My army dwarfed hers, my treasury had over 10,000, and France and I were equal on technological terms. (This is on Warlord difficulty.) I wonder if army proximity has anything to do with it? My border with France was weakly defended (picture American/Canadian border... the French had been our allies since first contact) and all my armies were divided between two northern cities, preparing to invade the Iroqouis. I had 30 cavalry each, along with about 10 infantry and a few artillery thrown in, as well. As soon as the first wave was over, my armies were activated and used our railroads, not completely built yet but getting close, to go and whoop up on France. I won the war, but it was just weird that she attacked out of the blue, for no reason, and with nothing to gain.

i find the best way to stop the computer from ganging up on you is to play the computer off against itself... declare war on 1 and get everyone to help you..... unfortunately if you try to keep doing it after the ohhhh second or third time the entire world will have caught on and will be allieing those who remain against you but if ur smart ull have taken an entire continent and only need a fleet of strong ships (which i had) to stop there attack and then to carry ur armies to victory