Can't the AI even beat you with spaceships?

[DaveGold]

I've just played a game through to 2034 getting a cultural victory (with 8 cities even). What surprised me was that on Emperor level my two big, perfectly capable AI opponents hadn't got into space by 2034. I'd removed the Egyptians very early. The Persians had been alone on a similar sized island to me and had built two spaceship parts. The Japanese had mashed up two opponents to claim a big continent in the industrial era but hadn't built any spaceship at all. Neither declared war on me all game.

The question is, if these guys look as if they can't even build a spaceship by 2050 on Emperor level just how poor is the AI competition? Has anyone else seen the AI race into space?

 

[Justicex]

I'm only playing on difficulty 2 so they don't generally tech that far anyway

 

[Bandit17]

I have played about 20 games (finished only a few of them) and I have seen 1-2 spaceship parts built but nothing more. I have seen Gandhi (maybe) getting very close to a cultural victory as his borders were awesome and he was several policies ahead of everyone else. But since I couldn't know for sure exactly how many policies he had as the game progressed I took him out. So not sure if he would've succeeded on his own or not (should've saved the file to test that). So in the games current state the only real ai threat for victory is a domination win and that is only when they do not have to cross any large body of water to get to you.

Edit: I play mostly on King/Emperor difficulty.

 

[CarloTheCurious]

I've seen Egypt get a technological victory in a Deity/Huge/Archipelago game.

 

[Slowpoke]

I have played about 20 games (finished only a few of them) and I have seen 1-2 spaceship parts built but nothing more. I have seen Gandhi (maybe) getting very close to a cultural victory as his borders were awesome and he was several policies ahead of everyone else. But since I couldn't know for sure exactly how many policies he had as the game progressed I took him out. So not sure if he would've succeeded on his own or not (should've saved the file to test that). So in the games current state the only real ai threat for victory is a domination win and that is only when they do not have to cross any large body of water to get to you.

Edit: I play mostly on King/Emperor difficulty.

You can check by going to victory progress >> cultural >> details. I think the bubbles are how many completed policy trees. I doubt the A.I. will get a cultural victory.

 

[Zenstrive]

AI tends to go to war and swallow the competitions on King, so they might be screwed on cultural side.

 

[La Muerte]

Was playing a nice game , about to reach the Space Age , doing all kindsa stuff. My expansion into another continent were coming to a grinding halt due to cruise missiles annihilating my troops whenever I try to invade my enemy. Then out of the blue (hadn't really been paying attention to it) , the AI Iroquois won a cultural victory. Really took me by surprise.

 

[CultureManiac]

I've never seen the AI complete a spaceship, and I'm playing on Immortal level. The only thing the AI seems to understand is how to go after your cities, as long as you are on the same continent. In fact, I've never seen the AI actually WIN a game - never a cultural victory, never winning a vote in the UN, no spaceships, just a possible domination victory after it knocks me out ... not that I'm around to see it win

This really makes the end of the game drag on. The sense of tension that someone might beat you to a spaceship, etc, doesn't exist. Once you are ahead, they too often just watch you win.

Is it just me, or do the AI really not play like they want to win the game?

 

[mihaifx]

I tend to agree on the spaceship win.

My last game on immortal, France was in the Future age while I was just struggling into of the industrial age. Instead of going for the spaceships, they just built the UN and probably focused on diplomatic win, but failed to ever get more than 4 votes.
I eventually liberated most of the city states they conquered, and got a diplo win myself.

 

[dannythefool]

I think what we're seeing is the AI going after its initially set goal. I.e. if it tries to win diplomatically, it won't build a spaceship even if it could. Although it's strange that it tries to win diplomatically by annexing city states...

 

[Karlus]

The Egyptian AI won me a game with cultural victory, on Emperor level. I was surprised.

 

[Morningcalm]

I've seen an AI tech victory, and a Domination victory. Never a cultural or Diplomatic victory. I was a bit shocked when Darius won with a spaceship--I actually lightened up for the first time in over a week of playing Civ 5. Suddenly it felt like I had a challenge! I replayed the saved game of it, opened borders with Darius earlier, moved my troops into the pockets of land near his capital, and took out the spaceship part (I think Stasis Chamber) when I saw it. Then I earned myself a tech victory even as Augustus and Ramkhangheng declared war on me. Truly satisfying.

Pity I haven't had an exhilarating game of Civ since then.

 

[cussonet]

Lost once to Wu in a Deity game with Diplomatic victory game. I was playing OCC and she finished Utopia 5 turns before me ! Diplo victory was the only possible in this game, thats probably why she didn't destroy my city with her tons of units ! Silly AI

 

[Bandit17]

You can check by going to victory progress >> cultural >> details. I think the bubbles are how many completed policy trees. I doubt the A.I. will get a cultural victory.

I understand this but you do not know how many policies in each tree not finished. An opponant could easily have 1 tree showing finished and have four others all with just 1 policy each to complete. If your popping a new policy every 8 turns or so than the Victory Progress info is mute. The only real sources of info come in those random lists and it had shown Gandhi with about 18 while the rest of us were at around 12. As time progressed and the Victory Progress info did not change I began to get more nervous and figured it was best to just invade.

 

[Emstinson]

I'm actually surprised with their love of Civ Rev that they didn't put in your advisors telling you every dang turn that someone was about to win and which way...

 

[mihaifx]

I understand this but you do not know how many policies in each tree not finished. An opponant could easily have 1 tree showing finished and have four others all with just 1 policy each to complete. If your popping a new policy every 8 turns or so than the Victory Progress info is mute.

You don't expect to know everything about your opponent do you? I mean having 4 incomplete trees with just 1 policy required seems like a solid winning strategy....keeping your opponent in the dark and stuff...And the fact that you don't win immediately but after Utopia project is meant to offer some degree of protection, so you have time to retaliate. I think the level of information currently implemented is enough.

 

[JLoZeppeli]

Lost once to Wu in a Deity game with Diplomatic victory game. I was playing OCC and she finished Utopia 5 turns before me ! Diplo victory was the only possible in this game, thats probably why she didn't destroy my city with her tons of units ! Silly AI

I'm sorry to correct, that's cultural victory....

 

[Bandit17]

You don't expect to know everything about your opponent do you? I mean having 4 incomplete trees with just 1 policy required seems like a solid winning strategy....keeping your opponent in the dark and stuff...And the fact that you don't win immediately but after Utopia project is meant to offer some degree of protection, so you have time to retaliate. I think the level of information currently implemented is enough.

First off I was responding to Slowpost and secondly I agree with you and I must admit that I did not consider the Utopia project buffer. It would also be smart than to build the spaceship parts and build the ship all at once. Have them hidden away until your ready for the final build. You could also argue though that the lack of espionage and ingame info will just lead to more war since your goal is to accomplish your victory goal first. Suspicion: the act or an instance of suspecting something wrong without proof or on slight evidence. I argue that suspicion just leads to more war.

 

[elley]

Yesterday, I beat the AI on immortal difficulty with a diplomatic win, when the AI only needed 1 more booster for his Space ship, so it was just a matter of turns.

He was on a continent of his own, after an early extermination of his local rival, and I pretty much left him alone. Had to rush out the UN to win once I saw him finish the Apollo program. I even believe we had a Pact during the entire game against the rival on my continent.

So if you are on high difficulty level, and you leave 1 civ in peace, he might pull it of.

 

[mmmfloorpie]

In my current game, several of my opponents are about 200 turns ahead of me in tech. They all reached Future Era a loooong time ago. Not one has attempted to build a space ship.