How does the AI found Panteons so early?

[Galgus]

In a recent game, the AI managed to grab the Pantheon believe I wanted before I even researched Pottery.

When stuff like this happens, are they just getting lucky or is there some free bonus they get?

I play casually on Prince difficulty Marathon games on Huge maps.

 

[kirbdog]

Probably the Celts are in your game. They get faith from the first turn.

 

[Smokeybear]

Or they stumbled onto a faith goody hut. Just takes one, and instant pantheon.

 

[Matthew.]

The AI at King and above start with Pottery already researched. Unless they purposely ignore shrines, they will start generating faith long before you are able to build a shrine yourself.

 

[Slowpoked]

Those two, plus meeting a religious city-state gives you lots of early faith.

 

[Browd]

Yes, might be the Celts or Ethiopians or Mayans, but may also be the level you are playing at.

The AI at all levels plays at Chieftain difficulty, which has a 10% discount on research costs and a 50% discount on building cost.

At King, the AI starts with Pottery and gets another roughly 7.5% discount on building cost, so it can bang out a shrine in an eyeblink. Even worse on Emperor, Immortal and Deity.

 

[smallfish]

Nah, its not just that. They also get a HUGE bonus for the amount of culture/science/faith/gold their cities generate

That's what the "Create" line is for

 

[Matthew.]

Are you sure that line is actually implemented? InfoAddict doesn't show a difference in culture gain, nor does it seem like the number of policies acquired relative to culture is changed. Immortal AI is still slow to form a religion and it is only sped up on Deity due to the extra first city and additional cities.

 

[TyBoy]

At least when it comes to generating the great prophets I think higher level AI pay a discounted cost. They may also be getting a discount on their pantheon.

This is based on using the IGE mod on deity and seeing that AI will generate a prophet at 100 faith, according to the readout from the mod.

 

[smallfish]

Are you sure that line is actually implemented? InfoAddict doesn't show a difference in culture gain, nor does it seem like the number of policies acquired relative to culture is changed. Immortal AI is still slow to form a religion and it is only sped up on Deity due to the extra first city and additional cities.

This is for Emperor:

			<AICreatePercent>80</AICreatePercent>
			<AIWorldCreatePercent>100</AIWorldCreatePercent>

And this is Immortal:

			<AICreatePercent>65</AICreatePercent>
			<AIWorldCreatePercent>100</AIWorldCreatePercent>

Try slotting the Immortal line on Emperor instead, and see how things go. Does AI get more religion earlier? More policies? One thing I've noticed is that if I do this and add discount values to stuff like UnitCost, Construction and Train, is that I'm no longer able to acquire certain wonders like say the Great Wall. They'll usually go by Turn 80.

Also, AIs are definitely able to expand much faster on Immortal+, not only because of happiness, but also the fact that they can pump out settler units faster (Train - same thing, 80:65)

 

[ASLunar]

Because the AI is a douche.

 

[joncnunn]

In a recent game, the AI managed to grab the Pantheon believe I wanted before I even researched Pottery.

When stuff like this happens, are they just getting lucky or is there some free bonus they get?

I play casually on Prince difficulty Marathon games on Huge maps.

If Celts are in the game, they will found a religion on either turn 5 or turn 10; it depends upon the amount of forest next to their capital.

Ethiopia's UB replaces a monument and grants faith and can be started prior to researching anything.

A faith ruin will easily grant enough faith to form a pantheon; this can't be granted prior to turn 20, but it might not scale for game speed.

There is also a chance of a ruin granting Pottery. Which could allow that lucky civ to build a Shrine early.

 

[sufficiency]

Celts will found pantheon on turn 5 or 10 usually.
Ethiopia will found on turn 10~15 usually.

On Deity it can be even faster.

 

[Matthew.]

Try slotting the Immortal line on Emperor instead, and see how things go.

I was unaware the create line was even functional (surprisingly difficult to find reliable sources on XML files. Anything on the internet is either outdated or just not there).

I'm assuming it doesn't change the actual yield gains but rather the benchmarks needed? Meaning while a player may need 200 faith for a great prophet, the AI may only need 100? It would explain why it doesn't show up in InfoAddict. A simple test would be to go to the extremes and see if they start acquiring polices stupid fast. I may test it out later today.

I will need to play around with it some more in the future. I am currently in "Achievement" mode and haven't touched modded games for a while now.