AI AutoPlay - Deity - Alternate Timelines

[Mec AntiKythera]

Kjotleik's series of AI Autoplay games got me interested in testing out how consistent the results would be if they were to be run again, and what effect turning vassals on would have. In order to find out I have played them again under both of those conditions. I will present the results of my games in this thread. I am interested to see what, if any, conclusions can be drawn by comparing the results to Kjotleik's original games.


AIAP 1 Original Result
Winning Leader: Joao II of Portugal
Victory Condition: Domination
Date of Victory: AD 1867

AIAP 1 Alternate result with original settings:

Spoiler :

AIAP 1 Alternate result with vassals on:

Spoiler :

AIAP 2 Original Result
Winning Leader: Charlemagne
Victory Condition: Domination
Date of Victory: AD 1762

AIAP 2 Alternate result with original settings:

Spoiler :

Due to the human player being eliminated, I think, I do not have a replay screen. It looks like Toku never met the Maya as they are not even on the scoreboard. Strange. In any case, Pacal II won a Culture Victory in AD 1822.

AIAP 2 Alternate result with vassals on:

Spoiler :

(3, 4, 5 and 6 to be filled in at later date)



AIAP 7 Original Result
Winning Leader: Louis XIV
Victory Condition: Culture
Date of Victory: AD 1847

AIAP 7 Alternate result with original settings:

Spoiler :

AIAP 7 Alternate result with vassals on version one:

Spoiler :

AIAP 7 Alternate result with vassals on version two:

Spoiler :

 

[Mec AntiKythera]

Reserved for future results.

 

[Kjotleik]

Hello.


Interesting. The first thing that caught my attention was that with vassals on the victory date was about 100 years earlier than with vassals off, in your games.

Also, I noticed, that the victory date of your "no vassal" game was very close to my original victory date. Only two years separate, in fact.

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread to see what results you come up with. I'm interested in this, just as much as you are... keep up the good work!


Yours Sincerely
Kjotleik of Norway

 

[Mec AntiKythera]

The vassals-on game did end a lot earlier, but not in the way I would have expected it to. It seems that Zara taking vassals actually made life safer for Cyrus as there were fewer neighbors left who could start a war with him.

Three games and three different winners. Hannibal and Cyrus were nearly eliminated from the first game while they both won on an alternate timeline. It is an extremely fine line between victor and vanquished on this map. In addition, Zara could have won the vassals-on game as he was dominating before falling victim to the culture strategy played by Cyrus. This map can go a lot of different ways, that much is clear.

 

[Mec AntiKythera]

Added the results to game 2 above. Again we see two new winners, although the original winner, Charlemagne, was doing quite well in the no-vassals game before Pacal's Culture victory. That validates the original result while at the same time demonstrating the luck factor.

 

[Major Tom]

Thank you for doing this. Very interesting.

Perhaps vassals-on make politics, trade/traderoutes more important and thus can drive the game in other directions than brute force domination type games.

Keep it going, with enough games some statstics can be made about various cause and effects.

 

[Mec AntiKythera]

Updated first post with the results from game 7.

 

[Kjotleik]

Hello.

These are three interesting game results, you've posted here. I can no longer see that having vassals on is a sure way to shorten the game at all.

Hannibal doing reasonably well, and even winning your no-vassal game, proves that one doesn't have to start on the main continent to win a game. But do note that Hannibal had contact with the NE continent once he had Sailing (fishing boats don't count, as they cannot transport troops...), while Charlemagne had to wait for Galleons on the Western Island.

With vassals on it seems Justinian I successfully vassals his continent in both your games, and wins one of them. Catherine, then, once again shows that you can win from a position on a "secondary continent."

In all games Charlemagne has no problem taking care of Washington. Also, Mansa Musa would probably be a monster with his tech-rate. Had he only trained a bit more troops instead of building all those World Wonders!

Keep up the good work! I find these games really interesting to watch. They kind of confirm some things from my own "original" games, while at the same time showing off that some small RNG-changes can completely change things around...


Yours Sincerely
Kjotleik of Norway