Arrrrrgggghhhh

[mrtn]

Try the google search in the upper right corner.

 

[zerksees]

I can't find the "search" function on this forum ?

Type what you are looking for over the words "Google search" at the top right of the screen and make sure the forums are selected as the place to look.

 

[LAW_FREAK]

I don't understand rants like these. What's the purpose? If it's really that bad, don't play.

I agree with Rammstein, if it is really that bad don't play it.

 

[Padma]

About the AI, I've read somewhere on this site that Firaxis stated that making a very intelligent AI that would outsmart you every game isn't difficult. They could do it.
However, making a CHALLENGING AI, one you can sometimes beat and sometimes it beats you, now that's hard. And that's what they're trying to do.

I believe this is the post in question.

The relavent bit:

Warren Spector was quoted in an interview once remarking that he used to think the goal of AI was to beat the player, but he now realizes a good AI's job is to challenge the player, but never to prevent the player from having fun. I think that's an important point. It's not that difficult (from what I understand) to write an AI that will pummel a player every single time. What's difficult is to write an AI that challenges a player and makes the player feel a sense of accomplishment (not frustration, mind you) when he wins.

We're always looking that direction, and I think we've done a pretty good job of it -- based on the number of colorful posts I see on forums where players talk about how Elizabeth's always stabbing them in the back or how Gandhi is a deceptively dangerous opponent. When I see this kind of thing I feel pretty good.

Just some random thoughts from a non-programmer.

 

[zerksees]

Thanks Padma!

When I read the rest of the quote from Dan Magaha I get the feeling that there were compromises made when deciding where to spend the most time in development. Here is an additional part I found relevant:

2) Ultimately of course any software developer (be it business software, games, websites, whatever) has a finite pool of resources to devote to the development of a product. The primary objective in a business is to produce a product that will make a profit. With game companies we have the added personal incentive of wanting to make a great, fun game as well. So you've got a lot of tradeoffs to make, not the least of which is, which features should we concentrate on? With Civ III, I think we improved the AI as much as we could while also getting in the myriad other things that we wanted to get into the game.

 

[Padma]

Compromises? You bet your sweet patootie there were compromises made!

 

[Greebley]

I was actually thinking about this. AI learning has been a interest of mine and it would be possible though extremely difficult to make a program that would learn from past mistakes (the extremely difficult comes from listing all the criteria that mattered to make your position good or bad).

Lets assume we did ths. I think the AI would quickly learn the best strategy is to build units and immediately attack. It would flee from offensive units and attack weak ones. It would also pillage and try to capture your worker.

Worse of all would be the jaguar warrior which could sit 2 squares away from your city and pick off any thing undefended. You would need troops covering every square of your empire or be pillaged.

None of these I would consider "fun".

The AI have very definite limitations that make the game more fun. For example, they don't take out the weak player when they could easily kill him on the harder levels. They also do not grab alliances from all the other nations every time they declare war on you.

 

[UFDelt]

I guess what I don't understand is why they don't make the AI to see everyone as equals. Computer player #2 should be as much of a threat as the human player to computer player #1. I don't understand why the discussion is about how the AI interacts with just the human. Each individual civ should treat each individual civ individually! The AI should not treat me any differently than another civ. But what do I know? Maybe I should always just end the game this way...