Dumb Wars started by the AI

you know what I'm talking about.. when the AI launches an offensive that is utterly pointless and strategically foolish.

Like one time the Romans landed a transport that had 1 rifleman and about 5 warriors, right next to one of my cities that had a ton of units defending it, and declared war on me. It's like.... "dude.. wtf?"


Why does the AI do this? Very rarely have I experienced a good invasion by the AI, especially one by sea; and I've never had the AI take two of my cities at once or even attempt to do so. Maybe this is just because I've only played on Regent or lower?


When I start wars I go for as many cities as possible and try to maximize my chances for success by using up-to-date units; it seems the AI does the exact opposite..


you all know what I'm talking about right?

discuss

 

I've only played a few games higher then regent. In my minimal experience at the higher lvl's the computer does these stupid attacks, but when the AI wants to invade... it will. It was 2020AD it was just me(persians) and the romans left in a small map. Both of us where half way through modern age.. i went for tanks ( huge mistake i found out later) and the romans went for destroyers. Lets just say by 2040 i had no coastal defenses left and the Romans landed some 20 units at my weakest point. I just retired at that point as they where going to split my empire in 1 turn and there was no way i could stop it.

 

I get a lot of the opposite experiences. AI land troups close to a city of mine in nowhere land (surrounded by snow, ice and maybe one food source .. cr~p city, why they want that?). Sure, they kill the city because I didn't expect that and I didn't have the city defended like it should of been (my fault) .. I usually get it right back in no time. Ai does surprise me sometimes.

I admit, ai does some dumb things. I'm trying to take advantage of that, having a heck of a time with this game sometimes.

It's not as predictable as smax or earlier games (smax, I usually always knew where they were going to attack, so predictable).

 

yeah sometimes the AI can be so dumb one time I was the Indians and had riflemen defending all my cities and the Chinese (to the north of me) declared war on me for no reason at all by attacking one of my northern cities with a puny rider. I don't think my rifleman lost any HP before making the rider retreat.

 

I've just developed motorized transport, and just finished crushing the Chinese with mostly cavalry (so I have a big army).

The English on the other side of the continent have NOT developed tanks AND are at war with the Germans, albeit across the ocean.

I try to plant a spy. It fails, of course, and the Annoyed English DECLARE WAR on me.

Great. I quickly convert the cavalry to tanks, and attack. The stupid English keep[ sending five cavalry units next to a city of mine, perhaps trying to get at some resources beyond. No infantry support; no artillery.

They did that five turns in a row, and the garrison of five tanks in that city destroyed them each time. Now, if the English had held back those units for one mass attack after I was stretched out and damaged, they might have been irritating.

As it was, it was no contest.

The AI really doesn't seem much smarter than the one in Civ 2, and in some ways dumber.

 

How did you convert Calvary to tanks without moding (ie; cheating?)

 

No way in hell. Civ3 AI is absolutely superior to that of Civ2. Sure, it's got it's flaws, but surely you are exaggerating. I've tried, but there is just no going back to Civ2. Seriously, name one area where Civ2 AI is smarter than that of Civ3?

 

Modding is NOT cheating. Sure, modding COULD be cheating if you give yourself outrageous advantages, but in general modding is trying to improve certain aspects of the game. Cavalry upgrading to Tanks is not a cheat because the AI can upgrade its cavalry too.

 

They attacked seven of my mechanized infantry with about fifty IMPI warriors. They survived only 20 turns.

 

The Germans once initiated a war with me by sending a single regular warrior against a city with infantry fortified in it

Should I mention I was GIVING them a luxury at the time?

 

Maybe its because on the lower levels the computer cannot cope with wars across the sea. If they start a land war then they can quickly use alot more units from surrounding cities as soon as they declare war. However in an ocean war they may have just built one transport and then attack but the rest of the units cannot follow up. So usually their attempts fail...

 

Something like that happend to me aswell. I playing as the Chinese on Chieftan (Yes, I'm a weenie ) and the Japanese were to the north of me. I had a mediumish empire but was technologically advanced, with infantry and artillery at each city. The Japs decided to launch a surprise attack with nothing but samuri and riflement. Needless to say the only casualty on my side was one rifleman. Eventually I made peace with them.................after taking 5 of their 9 cities!! HAHAHHA

The reason the AI makes such stupid assaults against others is because it's view of military strength is "Quantity over quality"..If you had 15 mech infantry and the AI had 30 immortals, it'd still think it would win. Goes to show you that the AI does need a few cheats to help itself.

 

Zulu: score = 100
Me: score = 2304

Zule: 1 city, size 2
me: 77 cities

I deal the Zulu 1200 Gold / turn and 4 lux for 1 lux since I have to counter war weariness.

after two turns, they demand Literatur from me (I was already building the spaceship). I decline, they declare war. I use an obsolete Army of 3 Swordsmen to kill their only Impi.

Stupid??? I guess sometimes the AI wants a 'retire' option, too!