AI too aggressive?

[RockTheCazbah87]

Hey -

Having to wait until Friday and all to get the game, I've been reading reviews up and down the place, and the one thing that sticks out is that the AI is too aggressive. I just wanted to ask you guys across the pond who actually have the game - is this the case?

Talk about your experiences here!

 

[Crezth]

The AI is not too aggressive, they have variable aggression based on how you play.

Reviewers are not Civ fanatics, and they don't really understand that the other Civs play according to the way you do - especially in Civ V. If you have a big army, they won't rattle sabers - if you only have an archer, they'll be a little more hostile.

There are many pretty obvious factors that lead to diplomatic sourings in this version, like settling too close to the other players' civ, or befriending a city state they're allies with, or refusing demands (a classic). Because civs haven't seemed to aggressive to me in my games, I think it's because I don't step on their toes too much, at least until I need to.

The reviewers probably didn't key into this and didn't make the full connection between diplomacy and war. Same goes for a lot of people complaining about aggression.

My two cents.

 

[RockTheCazbah87]

Ah okay, thanks a lot! I've never tended to be a big warmongerer (at least while trying to retain a sizeable defence force) - you think, with careful diplomacy, this might ward AI attention away from me?

 

[Abraxis]

I find the AI is actually way less aggressive then Civ4. Maybe it's just the way I play, I don't know.

One thing i did notice. In one game I had a huge peninsula connected to the continent by 1 tile. I settled the pass with my first settler and went over 400 turns (Marathon) without opening my borders.

The AI seemed to pay almost no attention to me, I am wondering if it's because they didn't know about how much land I had behind that pass (which they never got through to scout).

 

[Dearmad]

It is NOT too aggressive by any means. I had to start all the wars I've been in so far.

 

[Jimbo30]

Hard to tell due to the Marathon speed being a true marathon.

Askia made 5 insults before declaring war on me in 1500 BC, so I wouldn't say the AI was non-aggressive. It seems ultra slow at expansion compared to me though, on King level I wouldn't expect that.

 

[Roconar]

Depends on the AI

Once I was stranded on a continent with Ramses. He didn't start any funny business.
Right now I'm playing a game in which Monty attacked me on turn 80. (I got iron just in time and smashed him .)

p.s: emperor difficulty

 

[RockTheCazbah87]

Thanks for all your help! I do tend to struggle a fair bit, so to know that the AI won't actually tread on me constantly is a big help.

 

[CladInShadows]

I've actually found the AI to be really whimpy so far. :/

 

[Abremms]

i was getting the impression that it wasn;t aggressive enough, then i started conquering city states because i was sick of them bein' all needy.

after the 3rd city state, the entire world declared war on me. luckily, only the nearby ones actualy invaded so i was able to fight them off

 

[kettyo]

I find the AI is actually way less aggressive then Civ4. Maybe it's just the way I play, I don't know.

One thing i did notice. In one game I had a huge peninsula connected to the continent by 1 tile. I settled the pass with my first settler and went over 400 turns (Marathon) without opening my borders.

The AI seemed to pay almost no attention to me, I am wondering if it's because they didn't know about how much land I had behind that pass (which they never got through to scout).

Vanilla Civ4 probably had the least aggressive AI of all the civ games i think. Many games passed without a single AI-initiated war. BTS is a completely different experience.

 

[ohioastronomy]

Your cities are very strong and don't need a garrison. If you don't build an army, however, the AI will decide that you're weak and attack you. I think that's why people are reacting to the aggressive AI: they're not bothering to build defensive armies because they're not needed, but the AI will attack based on your armies, not their ability to actually do anything to you.

Chalk it up as another (real) weakness in the AI model which can be overcome once you figure out what is going on.