Early game AI

[lordrune]

I'm in a habit of 'overloading' with about 20% more civs than the normal number for the map size, to compensate for this.
I'd add, I don't survive every start myself (sometimes I just take risks that don't work out) so this probably isn't such a drastic problem.

 

[Grey Fox]

I actually think that the only reason I can win on the higher levels is cause I am able to build, for example, warriors and then upgrade them to higher tiers. This simply means more units in less time. Which is what the AI gets cause of their production bonuses. Making the AI value warriors more might help them get an even bigger army, at least on the lower levels.

 

[MetalMilitia-]

first off...

Making the ai favor hillside city would be baaaaaaaaaaad. The ai allready sucks long sweaty onions at placing cities to increase yield. If you ask me the ai should be improved NOT to place on hills as preference and be taught to place properly!

Ihve noted this before in the balance thread, but the lack of decent defense in the AI cities is also leaving them very open to rush tactics, which would give warmonger civs easy pickings. 3 warriors is a MINIMUM in the world of Erebus.

teach it proper defense, it should be quite doable.

 

[Smakemupagus]

my impression was that the AI's biggest problem in the early game is overexpanding without stabilizing the economy

 

[Switchblock]

Well since it's checking for workers every turn I don't think that their economies could be in too bad of shape, but I do agree they seem to over-expand.

 

[lordrune]

Well since it's checking for workers every turn I don't think that their economies could be in too bad of shape, but I do agree they seem to over-expand.

I think the issue is that there are certain things you need to do to get a bit of commerce early in the game. You need education (requiring three techs) for cottages, or calendar resources (two techs and its situational), or gold, gem, or silver mines (same thing). Trade networks are good, but only marginal in the early game. Alternatively (or additionally) you need markets and elder councils. The latter needs at least two techs, the former needs even more. Optimally, you need to choose the techs that are most suited to your situation. Something the AI's not great at as a rule.

The particular problem the AI often has is that it will start building additional cities before its substantially improved its commerce base. That's probably okay for the first additional city, but after that maintenance becomes a burden, and simply makes it even more difficult for the AI to establish its economy. I often see AIs in the early mid-game stage that have four or more cities, and they haven't even got calendar, cartography, or education.

 

[Breunor]

I think it is important to remember that the AI was developed and tested for regular Civ and then for the expansions (Warlords and BtS). Despite constant complaints by players, this testing was pretty extensive.

In FfH, we have a wonderful game built on the Civ engine -- but we have to remember that the testing was done for a much more peaceful early game.

For instance, in BtS, many players say that, for instance, the human is better off under raging barbarians because, of course, the human knows he is playing raging barbarians and the AI has trouble adjusting. (Build the Great Wall! Build the Great Wall!)

So, the 'base' AI in FfH would have to 'learn' that it is dealing with a much more hostile world than originally conceived.

Best wishes,

Breunor