Does the AI factor in nukes before attacking?

[hardcore_gamer]

I know the AI factors in enemy units before it attacks a civ, but are nukes factored in differently than other units? Like if you have lots of nukes will it be more afraid of you even if your overall army is small?

 

[joncnunn]

The AI just adds up what it thinks your military strength is and compares it to its own to determine the ratio.
When these ratios are close then the AI aggressiveness flavors will come thru.

 

[hardcore_gamer]

The AI just adds up what it thinks your military strength is and compares it to its own to determine the ratio.
When these ratios are close then the AI aggressiveness flavors will come thru.

Are all units weighted the same, or are there factors which influence the rating like the tech tier of the unit or it's power?

 

[joncnunn]

Are all units weighted the same, or are there factors which influence the rating like the tech tier of the unit or it's power?

Melee strength is the primary factor, but number of promotions is as well. City defense structures are also a factor. There's also a "cash reserve" factor.

 

[hardcore_gamer]

Melee strength is the primary factor, but number of promotions is as well. City defense structures are also a factor. There's also a "cash reserve" factor.

Do mods like info addict take this into account also? In the world factbook it says it compares "army size" but that's not really the same as army power.

 

[phillipwyllie]

The AI doesn't get access to the info infoaddict provides so all it looks at is the demographics screen which only shows relative military strength. Nukes just add to this score.

There is a side effect of building nukes and that the game uses this fact when determining each civs stance towards you. If a civ doesn't have nukes then they will be 'afraid' or worse 'guarded', even if they were 'friendly' beforehand. If they do have nukes it seems not to have an effect.

I find the best way to increase ones military might is to build XCOM squads. That way you can be first in military strength with only a few units and not suffer the diplomatic consequences.

 

[hardcore_gamer]

The AI doesn't get access to the info infoaddict provides so all it looks at is the demographics screen which only shows relative military strength. Nukes just add to this score.

There is a side effect of building nukes and that the game uses this fact when determining each civs stance towards you. If a civ doesn't have nukes then they will be 'afraid' or worse 'guarded', even if they were 'friendly' beforehand. If they do have nukes it seems not to have an effect.

I find the best way to increase ones military might is to build XCOM squads. That way you can be first in military strength with only a few units and not suffer the diplomatic consequences.

I wonder how hard it is to defeat an army much larger than yourself. In civ 4 it was all about numbers but because of 1UPT tactics are possible. I am currently in a game where 2 AI factions outnumber me like 4-1 and are almost 2 eras ahead of me!

 

[LoneRebel]

I wonder how hard it is to defeat an army much later that yourself. In civ 4 it was all about numbers but because of 1UPT tactics are possible. I am currently in a game where 2 AI factions outnumber me like 4-1 and are almost 2 eras ahead of me!

I don't have much experience to make a judgment, but I think a more numerous opponent would be easier to deal with than a more advanced opponent. Put another way, a more advanced enemy army would cause me to worry significantly more than a larger one.

 

[hardcore_gamer]

I don't have much experience to make a judgment, but I think a more numerous opponent would be easier to deal with than a more advanced opponent. Put another way, a more advanced enemy army would cause me to worry significantly more than a larger one.

But in my case the other 2 AI's (note that they aren't yet at war with me, but I can see where things are going...) are both more numerous AND more advanced...

I just recently build my first 4 iron clads and they have aircraft carriers and battleships

My only real advantage that I am aware of is that most of my cities are on another continent so they probably can't just streamroll me in a massive land invasion. I wonder if that might save me or give me some kind of advantage.

 

[LoneRebel]

Try paying one of them to go to war with the other, see if they are amenable to that.

 

[phillipwyllie]

I wonder how hard it is to defeat an army much larger than yourself....

Be several era ahead in tech. GWB make mincemeat out of musket-men and those before.

...In civ 4 it was all about numbers but because of 1UPT tactics are possible....

Numbers are important in civ5 but since you can't match the AI's ability to support many more units than you it's important to be several eras ahead.

...I am currently in a game where 2 AI factions outnumber me like 4-1 and are almost 2 eras ahead of me!

Make it your goal in this game not to go to war with those 2 civs. Assuming they have upgraded their vast armies you won't last long otherwise.

You didn't mention what level you are playing on but you should never be 2 eras behind, in fact it's you that should be in the tech lead. Every VC starts with science and that starts with growth, except an early domination where one strategy is to just beeline Dynamite.

There's another thing I've noticed is that AI seems to take overall score into consideration when deciding to DOW or not. The tech level of your units affects military score so a few XCOM squads outranks many musket-men.

 

[beetle]

Melee strength is the primary factor, but number of promotions is as well.

Can you provide some background or support for this? That certain does fit with my experience, and I don't recall reading before. I actually thought that one of the AI weakness was equating veteran units to raw recruits.

City defense structures are also a factor. There's also a "cash reserve" factor.

Agreed.

There's another thing I've noticed is that AI seems to take overall score into consideration when deciding to DOW or not.

Yes, but the score also reflects military strength, so I am not sure which is cause and which is effect.

The tech level of your units affects military score so a few XCOM squads outranks many musket-men.

Do you have any formulas? The same-era calculations seem particular weak. I know it is not unusual for me to be get an early DOW when the AI has, as an extreme example, a dozen warriors and I have 4 composite bowmen. You get the idea. Several turns later, my few CBs are well promoted and marching towards the AIs now defenseless cities.

I think the algorithm ranks raw count higher than it should.

Coming back to OT, nukes seem to be worth quite a lot!

 

[Aristos]

I know the AI factors in enemy units before it attacks a civ, but are nukes factored in differently than other units? Like if you have lots of nukes will it be more afraid of you even if your overall army is small?

If a civ has nukes and the specific AI has none, then there is a very high chance that this AI will go to approach stance AFRAID, and when they are there, they do not attack. Notice that from the DLL formula, only one nuke is enough (if they have zero) to trigger this stance.

 

[beetle]

Notice that from the DLL formula...

Wait, what formula?

 

[tzaari]

But in my case the other 2 AI's (note that they aren't yet at war with me, but I can see where things are going...) are both more numerous AND more advanced...

I just recently build my first 4 iron clads and they have aircraft carriers and battleships

My only real advantage that I am aware of is that most of my cities are on another continent so they probably can't just streamroll me in a massive land invasion. I wonder if that might save me or give me some kind of advantage.

AI is not very good naval warfare and even less in amphibious assaults. I have seen it to take a city with massive battleship bombardment and a destroyer though. If you want to protect those cities, your best defense is probably to build a 5-6 of submarines and upgrade most of them with wolfpack upgrades. Just be sure to sink enemy destroyers first, so they can't see your subs. Later you can upgrade them to nuclear submarines and never need to worry about any AI fleets anymore.

 

[ThorHammerz]

My only real advantage that I am aware of is that most of my cities are on another continent so they probably can't just streamroll me in a massive land invasion. I wonder if that might save me or give me some kind of advantage.

You have absolutely nothing to fear then: because barring a complete lack of a navy, you should have absolutely no trouble intercepting any "invasion" the AI might incur upon you - it is absolutely garbage at naval operations, much less an amphibious assault (that must in turn be supported by temporary naval superiority).

 

[reddishrecue]

If the ai has nukes it will use them against you when your units aren't in its land. Ais usually nuke cities that are closer to its civilization.

 

[Aristos]

Wait, what formula?

Inside CvDiplomacyAI.cpp is a code block that deals with nukes. Interesting read.

 

[hardcore_gamer]

You have absolutely nothing to fear then: because barring a complete lack of a navy, you should have absolutely no trouble intercepting any "invasion" the AI might incur upon you - it is absolutely garbage at naval operations, much less an amphibious assault (that must in turn be supported by temporary naval superiority).

But in my current game I saw the AI invade another civ on another continent by sea and it did pretty well, using combined arm tactics with ground units, battleships and aircraft carriers. It took over many cities.

 

[wearecity]

I like the way sometimes a civ will approach with several units, see yours and retreat.

I had Korea come over to me once with a big naval force, but full of old era units and I only had a couple of subs.Amazing how you can wipe out whole naval fleets with just a couple of subs.