Does anybody use Random Leader Personalities?

[Grimus]

Does anybody use Random Leader Personalities?

I'm curious to try this out to "spice up" my games, but I'm not exactly sure how it works.

Does it choose the personality of each leader out of the pool of existing ones, like Montezuma receives Ghandi's personality... Isabella receives Boudica's personality... etc.

Or, does it create unique new personalities that may not exist among the default ones? In that case, it would be rolling random values for each attribute an AI leader has in it's programming. (I doubt it works this way and it's most likely the first way).

Also, does it hamper the AI's ability to play effectively since it's traits and such are unaffected or is it not really an issue? Like Boudica pursuing a cultural victory or something with her new personality.

I know I try alternative ways of pursuing a victory sometimes, no matter which leader I randomly choose, while still taking advantage of their traits and unique units/buildings, but I'm not so sure how the AI can handle it.

Perhaps their random personality already gives them an edge or advantage that makes up for it.

Please, share your thoughts and experiences!

 

[apenpaap]

I used random personalities once... When I reached the "new world" (on a continents map) All civs there had been conquered by Mansa Musa. After that scary experience, I'll never use that option again.

 

[Dagta]

Yes, I use them all the time. It makes the game more of an adventure if I don't know what I'm going to expect. Much like being on a new world with new civilizations...

 

[PieceOfMind]

Does anybody use Random Leader Personalities?

I'm curious to try this out to "spice up" my games, but I'm not exactly sure how it works.

Does it choose the personality of each leader out of the pool of existing ones, like Montezuma receives Ghandi's personality... Isabella receives Boudica's personality... etc.

Or, does it create unique new personalities that may not exist among the default ones? In that case, it would be rolling random values for each attribute an AI leader has in it's programming. (I doubt it works this way and it's most likely the first way).

Also, does it hamper the AI's ability to play effectively since it's traits and such are unaffected or is it not really an issue? Like Boudica pursuing a cultural victory or something with her new personality.

I know I try alternative ways of pursuing a victory sometimes, no matter which leader I randomly choose, while still taking advantage of their traits and unique units/buildings, but I'm not so sure how the AI can handle it.

Perhaps their random personality already gives them an edge or advantage that makes up for it.

Please, share your thoughts and experiences!

Those are some questions which I've wondered too. I don't usually use random personalities but I would like to know how it works though. Then I would most likely use it more.

My guess is that it doesn't just randomize the pool of personalities but actually creates unique ones each game. I can't confirm this however.

 

[Duuk]

I love random personalities.

Never knowing if Gandhi has an aggressive, war-mongering AI makes for a scary game.

 

[unclethrill]

I hear that Boudica's Praetorians are the best!!

 

[Duuk]

I hear that Boudica's Praetorians are the best!!

Not random leaders. Random personalities.

You're confusing the two options.

Random Leaders is just whack.

Random personalities means that the AI files for likes/dislikes/moods are randomly assigned. You can get a free-religion Isabella, an open trading Tokugawa, or a peaceful Montezuma.

It's evil. Especially because you can never tell who got the Gandhi AI versus who got the Catherine AI and just hasn't backstabbed you yet.

 

[PieceOfMind]

Random personalities means that the AI files for likes/dislikes/moods are randomly assigned.

Do you know for a fact that this is exactly how it works? If it is then you've answered the OP's question.

 

[Duuk]

Do you know for a fact that this is exactly how it works? If it is then you've answered the OP's question.

Yes.

And specifically, the various AI files (montezuma, gandhi, etc) are assigned to random leaders.

IE: It might *say* Catherine of Russia and have her traits, but she might be *thinking* like Napoleon. ( :ffear: )

 

[holiday_hawk]

I don't think i could do it, i would be building up my troops on Ragnar's side and then have Gandhi attack me, it would drive me crazy

 

[Aristos]

with all due respect, I think Random Personalities is for true civers. What joy is there knowing how each leader will behave in your game?

Random Personalities ads a layer of unknown. Couple that with higher difs, and perhaps No tech Trading, and you have a hell of a game.

I always use it. Period.

 

[PieceOfMind]

with all due respect, I think Random Personalities is for true civers. What joy is there knowing how each leader will behave in your game?

Random Personalities ads a layer of unknown. Couple that with higher difs, and perhaps No tech Trading, and you have a hell of a game.

I always use it. Period.

Don't forget Agg AI - the most important one!

 

[Aristos]

Don't forget Agg AI - the most important one!

Agg AI + Tech Trading = OK

No Tech Trading + AggAI = AIs fall behind = no challenge

If you go No Tech Trading to make it harder for yourself to keep up with the AIs in higher difs, then AggAI is a NO-NO because it makes the AI use too much resources in units that can be handled by you with your tech lead (remember that in a "normal" game the AI makes up for this with techwhoring, as you do).

 

[PieceOfMind]

I'm not sure I agree with you. I've seen AggAI AIs with no tech trading on get techs just fine. I've seen Hathseput go for cultural victory too, and she fell way behind in power. I think it really depends on the situation. As long as the AIs have a decent amount of land they'll get cottages down and they'll have a respectable research rate.

I suspect with the new change in the 3.17 patch, that AIs will consider the amount of time a plot has been worked in deciding what plots to work, will also hep them to avoid going over all their towns with workshops. This is probably the main cause for AggAIs (or any AI for that matter) falling behind and hence needing to trade more techs.

If I could pick only one out of AggAI or No Tech Trading I'd take AggAI any day. Otherwise the game is too easy (for the way I prefer to play anyway).

 

[Jimmyballz]

I voted no, but someday will be playing random I'm sure

 

[spur390]

I always play with this option; having to psychoanalyze nearby AIs for backstabbyness keeps me on my toes. Unfortunately some leader traits aren't used to their full potential; I am wishing for a more adaptive AI which takes into account the start to choose which AI would work best but oh well.

Do you guys ever notice a relationship between the greeting message and the AI personality with random personalities? I'm talking about the "Minions! Prepare a feast between our two empires!" and "There is no way to peace, peace is the way." Would a gandhitype have minions? Would a leader with the heart of Catherine always say "good, now lets attack someone else!"

 

[RIcs]

YES ! , turn it on as always.

Afterall, it wasn't that hard to figure who's your monty in this game.
Learn to figure your foe or friend by observation, not prejudice.

 

[Scoottr]

I often use it. But I can understand those who don't.

I can see where you want to win the game vs the persons from history, but then it is a greater challenge to do that with complete strangers.

Honestly, how much would any of these leaders know about each others personalities had they all lived at the same time. Probably very little, so would be feeling it out instead of building armies on the border with Shaka and Ragnar because you just expect it.

 

[King Flevance]

I won't play a game without this option turned on. Montezuma is alot less of a threat when you know he is homocidal. He is alot more of a threat when he is disguised as Shaka.

Agg AI + No Tech Brokering.

 

[ICNP]

I tried it once. Mostly because I was doing Unrestricted and Random leaders. Problem was I haven't played enough to know the difference between the AI's. Although even though JC was in India I still felt that he was a Warmonger but Qin of Aztecs just Unit Spammed! So I don't know what to think. Luckily I didn't have to think because I was Darius of HRE.