Does 'Raging Barbarians' slow the AI?

[IkM]

Hello people of CFC!

Yesterday, first time, I activated this. There are really numberless barbarian units, they keep pillaging wherever they see and I realized something. AI is slow than ever before.

Normally, when I try to build an army, they were becoming more advanced but in my current game, they are not advanced at all. I have many decent units yet they were defending their home with just 'Warrior' and 'Archer'. Later, China used Composite Bowman but they were destroyed as well.

So, does 'Raging Barbarians' really slow the AI?

Btw, playing on Emperor.

 

[chuckh89]

Emperor is the perfect level for Raging Barbarians(IMHO), But much has to do with your skill level, and much has to do with your goals.

Do you want to "Just Win"?
Are you trying to "Win, in the lowest number of turns"
Trying for a "Highest Score"?
What Victory Type is your goal..? Are you Opening "Honor"?

In general, my experience is that the "Raging Barbarians" does slow down the AI, But it also slows you down...unless you are incredibly efficient.

The Elite players that Medal at Gauntlets rarely use "Raging Barbs" unless there is something specific where it would add to their advantage.

I love playing "Raging Barbs",..
Normally "Honor" is involved in the strategy, and for me the "Main" reason is to gain early culture, "Charge Up" CSs to Ally status, and Capture enemy workers and settlers.

Many times you can execute a better game, but it is also riskier, and all it takes is for one mistake to ruin a game.

If you can complete you game without going over you maintenance level, and have "Zero" pillages from barbs then you could say... "It was a wise decision"



-

 

[IkM]

Just playing for fun. I don't want to finish game with high score or in the lowest number of turns. So, just win.

I'm neither an expert player but nor a noob but all is going extremely well. Except, all AI civs hate me, because of my warmongering

I have many tradeable goods but noone buying They all want to buy luxuries with 3 golds per turn :/ So, my money usually going negative. But lately recruited a few caravans so, economy is stable. My main income is pillaging cities. So, I'm good with low income.

And yes, I did open Honor and those guys boost my culture really good because barbarians are numerous. I have 4 HA (as Huns) on war zone and a few back in my capital and cities around capital.

Those 4 HA on war-zone have 2 shot ability and 2 of them have +1 range (other 2 almost got +1 range as well) so, farming barbarian is really simple. Barbarian can't even come close to my tiles

 

[reddishrecue]

Hello people of CFC!

Yesterday, first time, I activated this. There are really numberless barbarian units, they keep pillaging wherever they see and I realized something. AI is slow than ever before.

Normally, when I try to build an army, they were becoming more advanced but in my current game, they are not advanced at all. I have many decent units yet they were defending their home with just 'Warrior' and 'Archer'. Later, China used Composite Bowman but they were destroyed as well.

So, is 'Raging Barbarians' really slows the AI?

Btw, playing on Emperor.

Yes, Raging barbs does slow the AI in emperor. I can tell from what you're telling me. Deity ais probably won't be that slow by raging barb AI.

 

[DocRock]

I thought they slow the AI down especially on deity, because it takes away the advantage of the free settler. But I could be wrong.

 

[Acken]

Not really. AI usually settle in 5 turns on Deity, not enough time for raging barbs to be a true nuisance.

But the AI will be slowed down by it yes, more pillages, can lose workers/settlers etc.

 

[stormtrooper412]

Early game barbs are definitely the most frustrating thing to have in the expansion phase. Raging barbs option gimps the player more than it does the AI

 

[LordBalkoth]

It gimps the player more than the AI on higher difficulties, at least.

 

[stormtrooper412]

Well yeah obviously, I kind of assumed that need not be explicitly stated

 

[LordBalkoth]

Well yeah obviously, I kind of assumed that need not be explicitly stated

Well, he was talking about Emperor...and at that point it may very well slow down the AI more than a reasonably competent human.

 

[DocRock]

Even if you go Honor - Commerce - Autocracy?

 

[reddishrecue]

Even if you go Honor - Commerce - Autocracy?

If you go honor,you can rank up on social policies quick particularly with raging barbarians. All you have to do is constantly keep healing your defending units since barbarian kills wont rank your units up after your unit reaches its second rank. Your units wont be able to heal either. On the other hand, if your unit keeps healing, it will stay the same, not get a new promotion and then still have the availability to heal forever. Exception, ranking up with non barbarian units, you can rank up a promotion and then heal or continue to rank up because experience from non barbarian units add up unlimited.

 

[Socratatus]

I believe it does slow the AI. they have to spend time fighting barbs and can often lose their workers to them. I`ve tested this many times. It does slow them down too.

 

[IkM]

Got an extremely easy DV. That was one of the easiest games I've ever played. 8 civs and destroyed all of them before adopting ideology. Raging Barbarians is really fun, btw.

Btw, even in the end of the game, I had some Horse Archers. Yes, they are weak in late game but taking cities with them really easy. 2 shoot, +1 range destroys any city. I had 6 of them and almost all of them had;

Accuracy III
Barrage III
Logistics (+1 shoot)
Range
March
Cover II

But if you get them catch by late era units (musketeer and later), they kill them easily.

 

[reddishrecue]

Got an extremely easy DV. That was one of the easiest games I've ever played. 8 civs and destroyed all of them before adopting ideology. Raging Barbarians is really fun, btw.

Btw, even in the end of the game, I had some Horse Archers. Yes, they are weak in late game but taking cities with them really easy. 2 shoot, +1 range destroys any city. I had 6 of them and almost all of them had;

Accuracy III
Barrage III
Logistics (+1 shoot)
Range
March
Cover II

But if you get them catch by late era units (musketeer and later), they kill them easily.

Were you able to rank up your units with barbarians?

 

[Acken]

Cant go beyond 2 levels with barbarians

 

[IkM]

Were you able to rank up your units with barbarians?

No, you can get only level 2 from barbarians. I used those HA's almost in all campaigns, so, they became monsters

 

[reddishrecue]

No, you can get only level 2 from barbarians. I used those HA's almost in all campaigns, so, they became monsters

Yeah, by the time you finished you mean. I understand, did you use honor?

 

[IkM]

Yeah, by the time you finished you mean. I understand, did you use honor?

Yes, I did. Completed Honor tree. Getting gold from killed enemy units boosts your economy really good cuz when you become warmonger, you usually can't trade with anyone. So, you must earn your money over war.

 

[tribefaninnc]

I think Raging Barbs + Honor open does help the player quite a bit in the King/Emperor levels on maps with a lot of land mass. That extra culture is really helpful. But I think if you do it, you have to do it first though (i.e. open Honor, then go Tradition/Liberty). So in that way it does slow down the typical Tradition, rush to NC open. I don't usually go all the way to finish Honor, but the gold for kills is nice too.

Raging Barbs does force you to get Archery and build at least an archer early also (maybe more), so that is a few extra turns you have to spend early on.