AI upkeep of units:what a joke!

[eyrei]

My last game, playing as the Persians, was possibly the most irritating game I have played yet. I generated a random large map with 12 civs, and medium sized continents. The irritation began when I realized that 8 of the civs were on one continent. Next, the English founded a city right next to my settler who was about to found a city, which quickly caused a war. The next turn the French signed a military alliance against me. I fight them both off, and solidify my land borders. As I am filling in my coastal areas, I notice the Germans had, without ever trying to walk across my land as AI civs usually do, had founded a city on my coast. Back to war. The Germans begin sending hoards of bowman and swordsmen at my border cities, and I keep killing them. Every time I sue for peace, willing to give some gold or even tech for some peace and quite, they demand my second largest city. I trade for a world map that includes the German territory, to find it is about half the size of mine with half as many cities. Yet the German military is about twice the size of mine (and that is just the units crossing my borders to attack. What really gets me here is most of my cities were nearing size six, with roads in every square they are working, my empire is not experiencing significant corruption, and I am making zero gold per turn with my science rate at 30%. OK, if the Germans were falling behind in tech because they are also running on a low science rate, I would have been happy. Yet, suddenly, they are building Sun Tzu's Art of War. I am still three techs away from the middle ages, and my other neighbors, the English and French are technologically equal to me. The Germans do not even have contact with as many civs as I do (checked this via the diplomacy screen), so they are not trading for these techs. I would expect this at Deity level, but it really seemed as if I had pissed the AI off somehow, and now the Germans were the chosen ones to wipe me off the ****ing planet. Again, it would not have been nearly as bad if they would have accepted peace without me giving up a major city. Apparently, their army was SO large they felt I owed them something. Oh well, I will get revenge next game.

 

[Sam_Catchem]

Eyrei,

You playing Monarch? If so, take the offense first. Things get so crowded..it is better to beat them back before they come after you. I have yet to figure out a good way not to have an early war on Monarch. It just seems like you have to take somebody down early so people don't mess with you. Then it would seem you can go peaceful. I just find it impossible not go out and kill early.

 

[eyrei]

I generally start an early war and kill off my nearest neighbor as well. Unfortunately, everyone wanted a piece of me this time, and that early on in the game, defending a long border is nearly impossible. Plus, the Germans had more than enough units to take out everyone on the continent. Immortals suck when they are outnumbered, because their increased attack only allows them to take a unit with them before the 12 archers waiting in the next square pepper them with arrows. What really sucked was that my territory was not really that large, I do not know why the AI felt the need to knock me down a notch (or two).

 

[Sam_Catchem]

Dang!

I have never seen the AI that agressive. I agree though..they do somehow magically get tech at times. I don't get that at all. The Zulu once in my game were fighting me in a long protracted early game battle. I sacked a couple of cities and wanted to get out of this war for a bit. I sued for all his tech and to my amazment..he was almost there to the next age. Which is amazing with his 2 little cities. We were secluded on the continent. He had no other contacts..so I cannot figure out how he did that. I was glad he did though..cuz I got them all.

 

[eyrei]

I have noticed that when you destroy a civ early and they restart with an army and a couple of settlers, they get a couple free techs too. Seems kind of ridiculous. I don't really see how that applies here anyway. AI cheating like this (or at least the appearance of cheating) makes for very angry, agressive human players. I think I will make a point of wiping out the Germans next game, even if it means I lose.

 

[Sam_Catchem]

Tht is why I build like 2-4 cities..more if possible. Then make sure there are barracks in each one...and then go hunting for my neighbor. THis way enough time passes that they do not get the bonus of regeneration. I do this all the time now with the Babs..I stream in Bowmen and start taking cities right off. THen, right before I kill them off..I sue for all their techs, gold, workers, whatever I can get. Then I wait a couple of turns..then I start demanding crap from them..if they refuse..I wipe them clean.

 

[eyrei]

Yeah. I use that strategy with the Babylonians too. Genocide at the beginning of history, and then peace for 4,000 years. Works for me.

 

[Sam_Catchem]

Yeah..it is sweet. Then nobody knows what a$$hole you have been..pretty damned sweet.

 

[Smirk]

Regeneration doesn't only happen at the beginning. I'm well into the middle ages, and a number of wonders have already been built, and the babs just regened when I destroyed them.

 

[Gholam]

AI civ respawning seems to follow similar rules to barbarian encampment respawning... my first game, large/continents/4 civs/chieftain I took out Babylonians in the *modern* age and they respawned, multiple times at that, because there was a large unclaimed area on their continent.