Most challenging/best AI for Civ like game?

[clinton]

Do people have any recommendations on what would be the most challenging/best AI for a Civ like game, most challenging being defined by what game is most difficult to beat with the AI playing on a difficulty level where it has no artificial advantages (like production bonuses etc)?

I haven't played Civ for a few years ago, and eventually massacring swarms of idiot AI units on Deity got old, whether I ended up winning or losing. The gameplay was predictable and basically most of the challenge was micromanaging and cheesing the AI with various strategies to make it act even more stupidly.

I know I could play multiplayer but I like to play at my own pace and set my own challenges.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Do people have any recommendations on what would be the most challenging/best AI for a Civ like game, most challenging being defined by what game is most difficult to beat with the AI playing on a difficulty level where it has no artificial advantages (like production bonuses etc)?

I haven't played Civ for a few years ago, and eventually massacring swarms of idiot AI units on Deity got old, whether I ended up winning or losing. The gameplay was predictable and basically most of the challenge was micromanaging and cheesing the AI with various strategies to make it act even more stupidly.

I know I could play multiplayer but I like to play at my own pace and set my own challenges.

For Civ 4 to 6, there are modifications which improve the AI considerably - but the bar you set is quite high and depending on your skills, you will even have with the mods on not a real challenge on the difficulty setting with leveled playing field between human player and AI. Here are the links (in case of Civ5, it has to be noted though that the better AI comes with a significant and - IMO very positive - rework of the vanilla game, making it more like a Civ 5.5):

Civ 6: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/real-strategy-ai.640452/

Civ 5: https://forums.civfanatics.com/forums/community-patch-project.497/

Civ 4: https://forums.civfanatics.com/forums/civ4-better-ai.245/

I don't feel qualified to rank the strength of those modified AIs vs. each others, but Civ6 will probably even with the mod on least challenging - a mod can only do so much and in Civ6 the AI just struggles with the advanced rules and concepts.

If you are willing to look outside the civ series, I can recommend you Imperiums: Greek Wars - the AI puts up a fight here even without getting extra boni. I have wrote my thoughts about the game here: https://forums.civfanatics.com/thre...rs-sucessor-of-agressors-ancient-rome.666062/

I haven't played Old World yet, but I could imgaine that some focus was put on the AI in it. Humankind has a good tatical AI in the tactical battles, but it is weaker on the strategic level (you can trick them into battles where the terrain is in your favor) and pretty weak in terms of economy (becomes especially visible on slower game speeds, which are the best for pacing in my eyes)