I think there should be an additional version of an AI in the game.
One that acts more as a multiplayer game bot.
Now it might sound like I'm asking for a "better AI" in the game and don't get me wrong, I would like the game to have a good AI, that would be able to focus fire in war, rebuild army etc. However, the classic immersive AI is not going anywhere nor it should be. The AI in a typical single player game will always have personalities etc. so that means higher difficulties will always have unfair bonuses. Deity Canada won't be able to roleplay Canada and still be challenging unless it starts with 3 settlers.
So that brings us to multiplayer. If a player that is good against AI will join multiplayer, they will quickly get destroyed there. That is because multiplayer civ is a totally different game. Furthermore, to practice for multiplayer games you have to join a lobby, spend several hours and be part of all the good and bad associated with multiplayer. Maybe you just want to test out a new strategy? Maybe you want to practice cooperation with your team?
I'm suggesting Civ 7 has a "bot AI" for practice purposes. You could find that AI by hosting a multiplayer lobby and instead of filling the slots with "player" or "Computer" you instead choose "Bot". Host would be able to control the difficulty on bots but the difficulty has the same modifiers as players, meaning if you want easier bots you put "deity" on them, if you want them to be more challenging you put them on "settler".
The bot AI would be completely void of all personality, they would only accept fair trade deals, they would play to win and they would follow current multiplayer meta. They would also be subject to simultaneous turns so you could practice with that aspect.
Now that feature doesn't really have to be in the game from the start, at least not a perfect version. There just needs to be something so that the community can mod their own version. For example, the current CPL community would impose a rule on bot that it can make only two alliances in an FFA game.
This would have an added benefit for disconnecting players in usual multiplayer games. Right now, when a player disconnects their civ will be taken over by the AI and any lucky neighbor can just go and stomp that empire for massive gains. In civ 7, disconnected players would leave behind an empire controlled by a bot with a turtling bias. Turtle bot would not compete for victory but would put all resources into defending its empire making war against it risky.
One that acts more as a multiplayer game bot.
Now it might sound like I'm asking for a "better AI" in the game and don't get me wrong, I would like the game to have a good AI, that would be able to focus fire in war, rebuild army etc. However, the classic immersive AI is not going anywhere nor it should be. The AI in a typical single player game will always have personalities etc. so that means higher difficulties will always have unfair bonuses. Deity Canada won't be able to roleplay Canada and still be challenging unless it starts with 3 settlers.
So that brings us to multiplayer. If a player that is good against AI will join multiplayer, they will quickly get destroyed there. That is because multiplayer civ is a totally different game. Furthermore, to practice for multiplayer games you have to join a lobby, spend several hours and be part of all the good and bad associated with multiplayer. Maybe you just want to test out a new strategy? Maybe you want to practice cooperation with your team?
I'm suggesting Civ 7 has a "bot AI" for practice purposes. You could find that AI by hosting a multiplayer lobby and instead of filling the slots with "player" or "Computer" you instead choose "Bot". Host would be able to control the difficulty on bots but the difficulty has the same modifiers as players, meaning if you want easier bots you put "deity" on them, if you want them to be more challenging you put them on "settler".
The bot AI would be completely void of all personality, they would only accept fair trade deals, they would play to win and they would follow current multiplayer meta. They would also be subject to simultaneous turns so you could practice with that aspect.
Now that feature doesn't really have to be in the game from the start, at least not a perfect version. There just needs to be something so that the community can mod their own version. For example, the current CPL community would impose a rule on bot that it can make only two alliances in an FFA game.
This would have an added benefit for disconnecting players in usual multiplayer games. Right now, when a player disconnects their civ will be taken over by the AI and any lucky neighbor can just go and stomp that empire for massive gains. In civ 7, disconnected players would leave behind an empire controlled by a bot with a turtling bias. Turtle bot would not compete for victory but would put all resources into defending its empire making war against it risky.
