Barbarians effect on AI?

[White Out]

Do we have proof or at least sound evidence of how well the Ai handles barbarians? Can we say for certain that:
Barbarians=Easier for human player if you handle them well yourself
Barbarians off== More difficult for human player as they aren't swarming the CPU?

Let me go one step further. What about the CPU ai taking honour now? Or germany or other civs who's UA is based on having barbarians.

In short.... if you can handle barbarians yourself with ease, does turning them off make the game more challenging. Discuss.

 

[Callonia]

AIs will occasionally mount an small army to rescue their settlers. I know this because two days ago denmark managed to send three warriors to rescue it's settler from an encampment which denied my two scouts who was going to cap it for a worker.

I took a couple of screenshots then deleted it cuz i didn't think it was worth sharing <_<

 

[joncnunn]

AI sucks against the barbs, even with the handicap against the barbs that's in "AI default handicap".

This is particularly bad when the AI tries to send settlers to another landmass as it doesn't known how to escort an embarked settler with an embarked land unit and this often results in the settler upon landing being captured by the barbs and brought to the nearest barb camp.

 

[White Out]

I have to agree with jon but im really curious to get more opinion. i free a lot of other civs workers/setters/prophets/missionaries. but then again just totally removing barbs seems like it would be quite harmful to germany/songhai/ottoman

 

[Callonia]

I did an experiment, I had an raiding army that plundered barbarian encampment.

But Portugal is now growing like a weed due to all the dead barbarians not obstructing her growth xD

I will have to deal with her by modern era.

 

[LoneRebel]

Since the AI has even larger bonuses against barbarians than the human player does, I don't think they handicap the AI as much as you'd think, despite the AI's ineptness.

 

[joncnunn]

Since the AI has even larger bonuses against barbarians than the human player does, I don't think they handicap the AI as much as you'd think, despite the AI's ineptness.

Easily refutable:
When was the last time you've seen a human player had any civilian unit captured by the barbs?
Let alone settlers?

 

[reddishrecue]

Barbarians could be a good ai abuser, as well as a city state abuser since ais like to build workers and settlers into unprotected lands. Ais, like city states, will improve and eventually, won't be threatened by barbarians as much as they used to anymore.

 

[LoneRebel]

Easily refutable:
When was the last time you've seen a human player had any civilian unit captured by the barbs?
Let alone settlers?

True. I only said "as much as you'd think", I didn't say it didn't hinder them at all.

When it comes to capturing civilian units the barbs will do it willingly enough, but the moment an AI military unit appears, the barbs would rather fight your units.

 

[MyopicCat]

Easily refutable:
When was the last time you've seen a human player had any civilian unit captured by the barbs?
Let alone settlers?

This incident on Yogscast is probably even worse than losing a settler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sze5AX5pj9g#t=930
(Skip to 15:30 if the auto skip doesn't work.)

Since his previous game was basically over on turn 12, Parv wanted a mulligan and played Babylon again in his next game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=TjoeZYeb4Zg#t=907
(Skip to 15:00 if the auto skip doesn't work.)

No fault of his own, just freakish bad luck. But hilarious...

 

[joncnunn]

the moment an AI military unit appears, the barbs would rather fight your units.

That's because the barb AI knows about the handicaps against barbs; which the AI has more of at all difficulty levels.

Barb fighting you that doesn't pillage a tile / capture your civilian unit / kill one of your unit -> not a disadvantage; and in fact free XP (if the unit hasn't maxed out on it)

Barb stealing the AI's workers / settlers : Is a disadvantage to AI

 

[CraigMak]

Have you ever lost a settler or worker to barbs? Likely not.. The AI however does all the time. That should be your answer.

 

[BuzWeaverCiv]

Barbarians could be a good ai abuser, as well as a city state abuser since ais like to build workers and settlers into unprotected lands. Ais, like city states, will improve and eventually, won't be threatened by barbarians as much as they used to anymore.

The Barbs do seem to B line straight to a worker or settler, but I've had games where the Barbs are marching along side an invading Civ. It was incredibly frustrating to watch the Barbs completely ignore the invading army right next to them.

I know there are people who will play with Raging Barbarians, but I can tell you they certainly make me Rage...

 

[Callonia]

The Barbs do seem to B line straight to a worker or settler, but I've had games where the Barbs are marching along side an invading Civ. It was incredibly frustrating to watch the Barbs completely ignore the invading army right next to them.

I know there are people who will play with Raging Barbarians, but I can tell you they certainly make me Rage...

They ignore AI units if human units is nearby cuz AI receiver bigger bonus against barbarians. Humans have 33% Then AI will have something crazy like 100% bonus etc.