AI Aggressiveness?

[PolarisSLBM]

Apparently you can now set the AI's aggrssion level when you first start a game.

Does this even work? It does not seem to make a difference in any of my games. Well, it does, but the wrong way... in games I played where the AI was least aggressive, they still often declared war on me if I had a city with only one defender, no matter how good of a defender that was... and, oddly enough, they wound up with MORE units.

Let me give you an example. In my current game, Mexico (aka Portugal) has a HUGE army, 50 musketmen, 14 riflemen, 13 cavalry, cannons, galleons, ironclads, carracks, privateers... and they have only nine cities on the map. In comparison, I have 51 riflemen, 2 artillery, and an ironclad (I wish I had horses for cavalry...), and 18 cities. Twice as many as Mexico, and I still have an 'average' military. Brazil (Aztecs) have 10 cities, and 34 riflemen, 19 cavalry, and a large navy. Even the Incans, whom I am at war with, and have only 7 cities, still have 28 riflemen (4 per city). The AI seems to build up these massive forces now, and then they attack with them all. It has been a common sight to see someone declare war on me for no reason and the next turn there are 60 longbowmen standing outside Nippur or something.

The other thing is that the AI is even worse about attacking for no reason. Many times another civ declared war on me only because one city had only one defender. And just recently, Mexico declared war on me and sneak attacked me, and we had a right of passage treaty, and he was very gracious. It made no sense.

Has anyone else had problems with the AI aggression levels?

 

[thetrooper]

It works smoothly for me, I usually play with the highest aggression level.

 

[Theoden]

when they attack you when there is only one defender it isn't neccasarily the aggresiveness that is doing it. It is as much the general sneakiness of the AI. Anyway aggresion level does affect gameplay. Think about how many more times zulu or mongols(most aggresive) have declared war at you than french have(least aggresive).

Theoden

 

[PolarisSLBM]

My point was not the one-defender-ness... my point was it happens when I have insanely good relations with the other civ, and sometimes they even attack with hopelessly outdated units and lose terribly.

I had a game once where Ghandi declared war on me eight times. THen I nuked him because I was tired of being bothered by him. And it was on least aggressive...

 

[thetrooper]

I had a game once where Ghandi declared war on me eight times. THen I nuked him because I was tired of being bothered by him. And it was on least aggressive...

That is odd. Gandhi is peaceful. Did they declare straight up or after you tried to boot them? Maybe you should give in to their threats and demands sometimes. The one-defender thing makes no difference - AI not being that opportunistic. It is all about number counts. If you have less units than your enemy, they will demand or declare sooner or later. And a reg warrior is no different from a veteran cavalry - 2 units nevertheless.

 

[Zandrew]

Does aggressiveness effect production? If not then this could be why you see larger armies with less aggressive civs. Less aggressive may mean they're less likely to start a war each turn, but they still keep building units so when they do declare war their army is bigger.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

There is nothing mysterious with the Aggression Settings.

Max = All Civs have AggrLevel 5 (like Germany by default)
High (or what ever it is called) = All Civs have their default level +1 (Germany is not affected at all)
Normal
Low = all -1
Min = all 1

The main difference is how likely they declare if you don't cave to demands/ don't remove troops/ ask to remove troops. This applies inter-AI as well; max aggression games are often easier, since the AI is busy fighting themselves.
It does not affect how they act elsewhere; just think you only play against Bismarcks and Temujins.
Note the AL is completely pointless in WW2 (everyone is already in a locked war), and nearly pointless in FoR and MA (nearly everyone has AL=5 by default).

 

[dgfred]

There is nothing mysterious with the Aggression Settings.

Max = All Civs have AggrLevel 5 (like Germany by default)
High (or what ever it is called) = All Civs have their default level +1 (Germany is not affected at all)
Normal
Low = all -1
Min = all 1

The main difference is how likely they declare if you don't cave to demands/ don't remove troops/ ask to remove troops. This applies inter-AI as well; max aggression games are often easier, since the AI is busy fighting themselves.
It does not affect how they act elsewhere; just think you only play against Bismarcks and Temujins.
Note the AL is completely pointless in WW2 (everyone is already in a locked war), and nearly pointless in FoR and MA (nearly everyone has AL=5 by default).

Some dummies didn't know about the AL being pointless in WWII scenario . I thought it would make the AI 'more aggressive' in
attacking. Thanks again Doc for helping me see the light!

 

[PolarisSLBM]

I did not do anything to Ghandi. I do not even think we were on the same continent. But he would declare war, I would forget about him, he would land troops on my continent, by that time I talked to them and told them to go away...

The AI really should take these factors into account : this explains why I get 'bullied' around when I have a highly-advanced civilization with fewer (yet better) units.

Still plays oddly though. But thanks.

 

[Crimso]

Oh man starting next to India is da bomb you cn jsut take em over eraly an your all set toaskldjfhaslkdfjhasdlkfjhasldfkjashdflkasjdfh

 

[Portuguese]

WARNING: If the AI consider you a good piece of meat poorly defended, it will attack, no matter what.

Last game, I had several units standing on mountains and I saw the Germans coming, to conquer my big but poorly defended empire. Then, I rush a spearman in almost all my cities and they abort the attack, DISBANDING (!?!) the attacking units. They do this even though they are gracious, at any agressionlevel, as far as I know.

Tip: Just scout better. Half-dozen well placed warriors, in top of mountains between you and your opponents, may save you from surprises...

 

[zurichuk]

actually i think high aggressiveness is easier, they would have used half those units on each other (if you give in to the extra demands for tribute)

edit - it would help if i read ALL the posts, this has already been said