[BTS] AI World Cup

[Major Tom]

Inspired by the AI tournaments hosted by Kjotleik, Keler, Kossing and others I would like to arrange one too. The main settings will be Deity AI and fractal maps. The method will be the spectator mode 1 size/1 city surrounded by mountains and ice on the edge.

The format:
4 zonal qualifier groups (13 in each). 4 games in each group with the 16 winners advancing to the group stage. The group stage will be 4 groups with 4 AIs in each. 2 games in each with the 8 winners to play quarter finals. Quarter finals and semifinals will be duel mapsize. Best of 3 games to advance.
The final will also be a duel map but best of 5 games to declare a winner.

The 4 zone qualifier groups are tied to geography. They are as follow:

The Old World (Africa and the Middle East): Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, Ramesses, Hatshepsut, Shaka, Zara, Hannibal, Mansa, Saladin, Justinian, Mehmed, Suleiman and Alexander (he conquered most of the area in his time).
The Euroland: Augustus, Bismarck, Boudica, Brennus, Catharina, Charlemagne, De Gaulle, Fredrik, Julius, Napoleon, Pericles, Stalin and Victoria.
The New World (aka America): Sitting Bull, Hyuana, Montezuma, Pacal, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Washington, Churchill (american mother), Ragnar (vikings discovered the continent), Isabella and Joao (Spain and Portugal also discovered the continent), Louis (got his own state there) and Elizabeth (could be held responsible for the Mayflower voyage).
The Other World (aka Asia): Asoka, Cyrus, Darius, Gandhi, The Khans, Mao, Qin, Sury, Tokugawa, Wang, Peter (Siberia is Asia) and Willem Orange (owned Indonesia which is 20 times larger than the spot of land behind the dikes).

Zone winners and draw for group stage :
AI World Cup


The group stage with 4 in each will be filled with AIs with maximum peace weight difference. You can say the peace weight is a kind of seeding.

Quarter- and semifinals pairings: AIs with similar traits or personalities will be pitted against each other. F.ex. 2 industrials or 2 religious freaks and so on.

I will do a short report of each match in the qualifiers. Later stages may consist of more detailed reports with screenshots.

Hope you will enjoy. Betting is hereby opened.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

I'm surprised that France is not included in the New World, given that many other European empires are included that influenced North and South America. France explored and settled the area of Canada known as Quebec and also settled the Mississippi River and claimed land west to the Rocky Mountains. This latter area became known as the Louisiana Territory sold by France to the USA as the Louisiana Purchase in late 1803.

 

[Major Tom]

Sure. Louis is included in the New World.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Sure. Louis is included in the New World.

Sorry, I missed that. Playing too much Civ VI and was looking for Catherine de Medici of France.

 

[elmurcis]

My votes go for Ragnar, Catherine, Zara and....Asoka (to have 1 favorite from each world part)

 

[CaiusDrewart]

My predictions:

Zara, Justinian, Suleiman, and Hannibal from the Old World (definitely the most competitive zone).

Catherine, Charlemagne, Victoria, and JC from the Euroland.

Joao, Isabella, Ragnar, and Pacal from the New World (probably the weakest zone).

Cyrus, Qin, Mao, and Sury from Asia (Sury isn't listed but I assume he's in there?)

I think Justinian takes the tournament.

 

[Major Tom]

(Sury isn't listed but I assume he's in there?)

You are right. Post corrected so there is all the 13 in The Other World too. Thanks.

 

[Major Tom]

I throw in my predictions too:

Old World: Mansa (trades his way up), Saladin (religious alliances), Mehmed and Suleiman (the turks are often doing well in my games).

Euroland: Augustus (prets rules), Boudica (religious alliances), Charlemagne (strong warmonger) and Victoria (quick settlers with financial support).

New World: Churchill, Elizabeth, Isabella, Pacal.

Other World: Gandhi, Asoka, Ghengis, William.

Elizabeth to win tournament.

 

[Lain]

Old World: Justinian, Saladin, Zara, Mehmed

Euroland: Catherine, Victoria, Charlemagne, Julius

New World: Ragnar, Hyuana, Pacal, Joao

Other World: Sury, Cyrus, Peter, Willem

Justinian to win in the end.

 

[Major Tom]

OK, time for some games as there seems to be no more betting, for now. Hope the group stage will have more interest. This zonal games just have brief reports as the maps are so huge and there is so mutch going on. Better analysis with screenshots is planned for the later stages when the maps get small.

The Old World - Game 1:
Yes, this is really a though zone. Group of death . It was 2 continents:

Western continent mentioned from north to south (upside down triangle shape):
Mehmed, Alex, Hannibal, Saladin
Zara, Gilgy,
Justinian

Eastern continent mentioned from north to south (rectangular):
Hatty, Rameses,
Mansa, Shaka,
Suleiman, Hammurabi
​

Top of the leaderboard in the BC was Hatty (early religions) and Rames (early wonders). And Mansa profiting from trading with those two.
However in the AD, Hannibal, Zara and Saladin took over the top spots on the leaderboard. Gilgy peacevassaled to Hannibal. Justinian got boxed by Zara and never made really progress.

In the endgame Mansa was going for culture with all the early religions around him. Hatty and Rameses had Shaka on their back all game so their attempts never got anyway. Still, it was Hannibal with his vassal that had the upper hand and wrapped up a space victory 1820 AD.
​

Euroland - Game 1:

1 big continent, 1 small and 1 isolated. Fredrik was the unlucky one with isolation. The small continent had 3 AI, Boudica, Charlemagne and Stalin. They had countless wars and never made it to the top of leader-board. On the main continent Cathy and Bismark warred well together with their neighbours and in the endgame it was Cathy for space and Bismarck for culture. Bismarck was a nose ahead and won culture 1834 AD. Cathy probably was just a couple of turns from space.


The New World - Game 1:

2 contintents with 4 and 9 civs each.
The small was Lincoln, Washington, Pacal and Joao. There was only one religion. Lovefiest and no wars.

The big one had plenty of action from turn 10 as the not so good neighbours Isabella and Montezuma founded Buddism and Hinduism respectively. All the wars sendt them down at the bottom of leaderboard. The one who profited most from picking the right wars was Roosevelt. In the endgame he was the main contender for space from this continent. However, on the other continent Joao peacevassaled early to Lincoln so Lincoln almost had a free run to space victory which he got 1806 AD. Roosevelt was really close, but no cigar.


The Other World - Game 1:

This zone has really much hate as the peace-weight differences is rather high.
2 continents. Both rectangular. 7 and 6 civs.

Eastern continent mentioned from north to south (poor peaceniks in the middle):
Sury, Ghengis,
Darius, Asoka
Willlem, Mao

Western continent mentioned from north to south (also poor peaceniks in the middle):
Peter, Toku
Kublai, Gandhi
Wang, Cyrus
Qin

In the endgame Willem was the techleader on the eastern continent and was close to spacerace victory. However, on the other continent Qin did well and with his IND trait he got Hollywood, R&R and broadcast towers and snatched a culture victory 1890 AD.​

​

 

[CaiusDrewart]

Lincoln! If he wins the AI World Cup it will be the upset of the century.

 

[Major Tom]

All zonal games are simulated now. I am off for a short week now, so sorry no write ups for zonal stage.

Here are the draws for group stage:

Group A: Napoleon, Pacal, Willem, Sitting Bull
Group B: Kublai Khan, Qin, Bismarck, Lincoln
Group C: Boudica, Julius, Joao, Mansa Musa
Group D: Hannibal, Justinian, Ramesses, Gandhi

2 matches in each group. Winners to advance to quarter finals.

Betting are reopened

 

[Major Tom]

My prediction for group winners:

Pacal, Willem,
Qin, Bismark,
Julius, Mansa,
Hannibal, Justinian.

Willem to win tournament.

 

[RedKi-rr]

I would bet on Justinian.

 

[Kjotleik]

Very interesting take on AI vs AI this, Major Tom.
I'm looking forward to hear how it goes.

I'm not going to predict any winners, though. I think I would need a map of starting-positions for that.
Just going for the "best" leaders is not always smart if they are easily boxed in with few opportunities to settle. And if they have poor lands compared to the others.
With enough land (compared to the rest) to settle, even Tokugawa or Montezuma can put Justinian to shame in a single game.

Sincerely
Kjotleik

 

[Major Tom]

I will put up starting positions on tuesday for round 1 for all groups.

 

[Major Tom]

Group A Game 1 Starting Positions

Spoiler Starting positions :

 

[Major Tom]

Group B Game 1

Spoiler Starting Positions :

 

[Major Tom]

Group C Game 1

Spoiler Starting Positions :

 

[Major Tom]

Group D Game 1 Starting positions