SimCiv

[Nylan]

I don't know that this has been asked before, but if so I apologize for the repetition.

When playing strategy games, I frequently enjoy setting up multiplayer battles where there is no human player, but rather I get to watch the computers battle it out. I like watching these simulations and not only learning how the computer plays, but watching stories and events play out, sometimes as if there were real-life reasons and decisions behind what I know are really computerized, emotionless, just-beat-the-others actions.

I've been trying to do this with CivIII for some time now, and have been unsuccessful. No matter what I try, I must somehow be present in the game and as a result, the computers react to me and to my actions instead of each other. An example is trying to have one city on an island very far away from the other civilizations, with extensive fortifications and enough scouts/diplomatic ties to see what is going on on their side of the world. It usually ends up in a long string of extortion and NATO-sized vendettas against me.

Does anyone know how I could simulate a game of Civ without being a player, or at least a player of any significance to the unfolding of the game?

 

[eldar]

Use the editor to set up a map where you have a single-tile island in the middle of nowhere (top of the map, lots and lots of ocean).

Then in the 'Scenario Properties' section of the editor, turn on "Debug". In the editor help files, there should be details of how this affects the game, but essentially you become "God" and can peek into exactly what the AI are doing. It doesn't exclude you from the game, totally, but you can "cheat" and award yourself 1,000,000 gold and 20 Mech Inf defending your 1-tile island. You won't be getting any AI demands, when they do finally meet you.

To "meet" AI you need to place any unit in their territory (which Debug mode will allow), create an embassy, then delete the unit immediately.

If you don't want to get too bored waiting for the AI to do stuff, save the scenario and start up a game with it to "watch" them at SID level.

 

[Kumquat]

hmm make a ring of mountains around your hideout they will never get in

 

[eldar]

Didn't think of that, mod in some completely impassable terrain so they can't send any units after you!

 

[Nylan]

Use the editor to set up a map where you have a single-tile island in the middle of nowhere (top of the map, lots and lots of ocean).

Then in the 'Scenario Properties' section of the editor, turn on "Debug". In the editor help files, there should be details of how this affects the game, but essentially you become "God" and can peek into exactly what the AI are doing. It doesn't exclude you from the game, totally, but you can "cheat" and award yourself 1,000,000 gold and 20 Mech Inf defending your 1-tile island. You won't be getting any AI demands, when they do finally meet you.

To "meet" AI you need to place any unit in their territory (which Debug mode will allow), create an embassy, then delete the unit immediately.

If you don't want to get too bored waiting for the AI to do stuff, save the scenario and start up a game with it to "watch" them at SID level.

I've tried the ocean tile idea, but I didn't know about "debug". I'll have to try that. While it won't totally exclude some form of meddling in world affairs, it will be a step in the right direction.

Oh, and I'll think about those mountains as well. Thanks

Is there anything better out there, something that allows for no contact whatsoever but still lets me watch everything as it happens?

 

[Despair888]

Yes, there is a way to not allow any contact to other civs. You'll want Debug to be able to see everything they're doing, but what you can do is...

Create a 1 tile island... Make your one city here. Then in a box around it while leaving water in between the tiles, create a ring of mountains and make the visibility far enough between so that they can't see you... Would look something like this.

X = Mountain
W = Water
C = 1 Tile City

XXXXXXXXX
XWWWWWX
XWWWWWX
XWWCWWX
XWWWWWX
XWWWWWX
XXXXXXXXX

Now of course this would probably take a lot of space, but it's something to look into and may spark some new ideas.

 

[eldar]

If you do that at the top of the map you'd take up less space. It's not like you require 20 tiles for your "observation post".

E.g.
******* <- top of map
MSCXCSM
MSCCCSM
MSSSSSM
MMMMMM

M=mountain; S=sea; C=coast; X=city

 

[PaperBeetle]

It doesn't have to be a city, does it? I think when the Game Of The Month staff did the AI-played games (try searching for posts by GOTM-AI), they used a fortified settler. Founding a city makes it easier for the AI to meet you, because they only have to brush past your cultural borders.

 

[Tribute]

Actually, that ring of mountains idea doesn't work for human players (outposts), but otherwise, it'll definitely work against the AI, which I suppose, is the point. I also believe you can turn fog of war off, so you can see all the terrain, roads, and territory, but not the units. This is in the editor too.

There's also this thing in hotseat where you can lose, and the AI will continue to fight out the game. You only see the territory you've gotten so far, but it's still pretty interesting since the game goes by really fast, and you can see the score of each civ rising and falling with time in comparison to the others.