Better AI Difficulty

[Zack]

I'm using this mod through the History in the Making mod, which incorporates the Better AI Mod. I've heard that you first time using the Better AI Mod that you should play a difficulty level down than what you usually would, due to the better AI. So I regularly play on Prince, so when I first played this I tried it on Noble. Its 375 BC, and I've been in the Medieval era for quite a while now. As you can see in the pictures, I'm out teching the other civs and I'm starting to pull away. Should I have just started on Prince?

 

[phungus420]

It's hard to say, since HitM is a radical mod if Better AI will really make things harder, since the AI likely wol't understand or at least utilize as well as a human all the added features in the mod. The general advice for moving down a difficulty only applies to a regular BtS better AI game. Of course it's also possible that you've improved, and Monarch would be a more apropriat difficulty level for you by default, and Prince should be your level of play when playing with better AI.

 

[bob_x]

Maybe this explains why I can't win above Emperor level with the Better AI (unless I play the Island map).

 

[jdog5000]

Playing a mod does have an effect, though the BTS AI is amazingly robust to wide ranging circumstances so it's hard to say.

In terms of whether or not you should drop down a level when starting a new game with Better BTS AI, there are so many factors that would go into that kind of decision. One thing is for certain though, the AI teching rate has not been improved so as to compensate for the lost bonuses, so it doesn't surprise me at all that you can pull away playing a quieter tech style.

Really, most of the AI changes to date focus around war ... in that screenshot, there's a pretty good chance Germany would be considering attacking you if you haven't pulled to far ahead in power yet, but if they're small and behind that may not matter. If you get a different setup next time and have a powerful, aggressive neighbor, that's when you might feel a difficulty level worth of difference.

 

[Zack]

Really, most of the AI changes to date focus around war ... in that screenshot, there's a pretty good chance Germany would be considering attacking you if you haven't pulled to far ahead in power yet, but if they're small and behind that may not matter. If you get a different setup next time and have a powerful, aggressive neighbor, that's when you might feel a difficulty level worth of difference.

Not really a chance that Germany attacks me in this game (but I can see why you would think that), because a bit later in the game this happens:

1) They are very small
2) They have a weak military
3) Same religion
4) After shared wars, civics trades, religion, etc. they're friendly
5) I am the biggest, most powerful empire