Best AI difficulty mod?

[Damirith]

Hello. Just wondering what people thought of the few mods on the steam workshop that alters the AI difficulty. Seems like most don't like the upfront perks that the AI gets on higher difficulties, so instead the mods make their bonuses more progressional.

Any particular mod that someone has tried and liked? Any ones that people would NOT recommend?

 

[Eva-kun]

I've been using the following mod myself.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2028480910

It just changes the bonuses they receive.

Don't bother with AI+. It's out of date. Other than that, I don't see many mods that edit behavior since DLL code hasn't been released. I tend to tool around with mods to make AI more capable of keeping up.

 

[Kotofei]

Not really a mod, but I find that fridge full of beer helps the AI keep up in the mid-late game. Around T100 my decision making goes downhill and by turn 200 I can't remember which victory condition I'm going for, much like the AI.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Infixo's Real Strategy (AI):

https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/real-strategy-ai.640452/

It hasn't been updated since the Ethiopia DLC, but even that "outdated" version works technically flawless with the current civ version and the AI plays a lot better.

 

[Infixo]

Infixo's Real Strategy (AI):
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/real-strategy-ai.640452/
It hasn't been updated since the Ethiopia DLC, but even that "outdated" version works technically flawless with the current civ version and the AI plays a lot better.

I will update it, be patient.

 

[Aristos]

Vox Populi.

Or Civ 4 BTS.

 

[Pfeffersack]

I will update it, be patient.

That's great to hear - and sorry if my post sounded somehow impatient or demanding, that wasn't my intention! On the contrary - I just tried to emphasize how great your mod is still even without a recent update So take your time, good things need it!

 

[Damirith]

I already have been using Infixo's mod and yeah the AI does seem to be better. However I think his mod doesn't make any changes to the base game in terms of how the AI is given their bonuses when playing on higher difficulties.

I have seen some mods on the workshop that changes the AI bonuses, like removing their starting extra units and shifting the bonuses towards food, gold, and production, however most don't have many subscribers. So I was wondering if maybe people are just satisfied with how firaxis does it, if there is some mod that I am just not seeing, or if most are playing some mod that overhauls the whole game.

 

[Stoic]

Hello. Just wondering what people thought of the few mods on the steam workshop that alters the AI difficulty. Seems like most don't like the upfront perks that the AI gets on higher difficulties, so instead the mods make their bonuses more progressional.

Any particular mod that someone has tried and liked? Any ones that people would NOT recommend?

Bamse's difficulty mod on steam.

 

[Mahi]

Military power needs to be divided into military classes. Would make a much better foundation for the AI to decide whether or not to go to war.
I wish I had the time an skills to try it out myself.

 

[Damirith]

Bamse's difficulty mod on steam.

Yeah, but only 230 people are subscribed to it. This is where I scratch my head as most of these difficulty mods don't have a lot of players using them. So then most people are not bothering with changing the game's difficulty?

 

[Infixo]

Yeah, but only 230 people are subscribed to it. This is where I scratch my head as most of these difficulty mods don't have a lot of players using them. So then most people are not bothering with changing the game's difficulty?

Question is: do you want the game to be easier or harder? A mod can be named „xxx difficulty” but it doesn’t mean that it would make the game more difficult.
Btw, there is a mod called „cheat menu panel”. It has 152000 subscriptions on Steam. People like easy apparently…

 

[Damirith]

Question is: do you want the game to be easier or harder? A mod can be named „xxx difficulty” but it doesn’t mean that it would make the game more difficult.
Btw, there is a mod called „cheat menu panel”. It has 152000 subscriptions on Steam. People like easy apparently…

Ha, yeah I saw that mod too. I can see if maybe it helps you with testing your own mods, but for me the fun is lost if you just cheat your way to win.

I guess what I am trying to figure out is if there is some "collective agreement" on how best to balance the AI at the higher difficulties and how to make the AI a bit better. So I started with searching around on the workshop and seeing what is popular, but I wasn't seeing a clear winner. I can understand changing up the difficulty as the game goes on because it seems that the AI's advantages are all front loaded at the beginning of the game and then once you "catch up" the difficulty goes away.

 

[aieeegrunt]

I think any mods that increase stacking and movement is probably going to help the AI a lot as well

 

[Galvatron]

I will update it, be patient.

No.

A mod can be named „xxx difficulty” but it doesn’t mean that it would make the game more difficult.
Btw, there is a mod called „cheat menu panel”. It has 152000 subscriptions on Steam. People like easy apparently…

Hey that triggers me. I only use that mod to reverse the times the game cheats me. Like when it says i can get somewhere by disembarking, and then it's like 'lol nope your workers stuck in nomansland tough break m8'. Or when liberating a city state sends my units across the continent faster than a railroad in 200 AD... or to another continent. Or when i told a unit to make a three turn trip and I find out ten turns later IT WENT ACROSS THE CONTINENT IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND NOT ONLY ISN'T THERE BUT IS FURTHER THAN WHEN IT STARTED. AND YES THIS JUST HAPPENED TO ME.

Military power needs to be divided into military classes. Would make a much better foundation for the AI to decide whether or not to go to war.
I wish I had the time an skills to try it out myself.

Also the numbers need adjustment. Having a bunch of warriors from 5000 BC makes you allegedly competitive with the wehrmacht.

What do you want to bet as an added bonus the AI s declarations of war will get a lot less silly if the comparisons are more accurate? Maybe not, but I'll try my luck.

Yeah, but only 230 people are subscribed to it. This is where I scratch my head as most of these difficulty mods don't have a lot of players using them. So then most people are not bothering with changing the game's difficulty?

Two points:

1. Players who use mods are an elite group that includes likely only 20% of the playerbase
2. The steam interface is a relic of 1990's programming that lends itself poorly to users. It's not designed to disseminate quality mods... which incidentally is literally why I'm here right now rather than in the workshop.

Bonus: I'm willing to bet most moses just want crazy stuff for the lulz like rainbow unicorn ultra infantry for ten hammers.

 

[Aristos]

People like easy apparently…

Of course they do. That is why Civ 6 is a financial "success".

On the other hand, I am having hard times on the level equivalent to Emperor in Humankind's closed beta. This is a BETA, version is 0.21, and the AI is using ALL mechanics sensibly.

They maximize actions to collect fame (the one and only victory counter), they expand well, they use diplomacy sensibly and consistent with the leader's traits, they declare war when they have a chance, they know when and how to rebel if you vassalize them, they use all combat mechanics very well, make the best of terrain, flanking, know when to retreat... and on and on.

This is a beta, yet the guys at Amplitude managed to already make the game a challenge for us the "silent minority" who actually want to be challenged by a STRATEGY game instead of distracted by scouting cats and vampires...

Bonus: I'm willing to bet most moses just want crazy stuff for the lulz like rainbow unicorn ultra infantry for ten hammers.

You mean "heroes"?

 

[aieeegrunt]

Of course they do. That is why Civ 6 is a financial "success".

On the other hand, I am having hard times on the level equivalent to Emperor in Humankind's closed beta. This is a BETA, version is 0.21, and the AI is using ALL mechanics sensibly.

They maximize actions to collect fame (the one and only victory counter), they expand well, they use diplomacy sensibly and consistent with the leader's traits, they declare war when they have a chance, they know when and how to rebel if you vassalize them, they use all combat mechanics very well, make the best of terrain, flanking, know when to retreat... and on and on.

This is a beta, yet the guys at Amplitude managed to already make the game a challenge for us the "silent minority" who actually want to be challenged by a STRATEGY game instead of distracted by scouting cats and vampires...

This is why difficulty levels originally existed in video games. So people who just want to relax and see how many Grunts they can have stuck with plasma grenades onscreen at once play Halo on normal, and people who hate their controllers play it on Legendary.

You could easily have a game where Prince is relax and build, and Deity is a nail biter.

Civ6 is not that game

 

[Aristos]

This is why difficulty levels originally existed in video games. So people who just want to relax and see how many Grunts they can have stuck with plasma grenades onscreen at once play Halo on normal, and people who hate their controllers play it on Legendary.

You could easily have a game where Prince is relax and build, and Deity is a nail biter.

Civ6 is not that game

 

[Wolffleet]

ARS - Improved Movement v2.1
and any other unit stacking mod does wonders for the AI military

 

[aieeegrunt]

ARS - Improved Movement v2.1
and any other unit stacking mod does wonders for the AI military

I’m getting a PC to play Civ4 again, but I already have Civ6 so I mean I might as well see if mods can help that game