Monkeyfinger
Deity
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2006
- Messages
- 2,002
I posted it in another thread but it belongs in this one.
I really think that the AI bonus rebalancing on the high difficulties - less freebies at the start in exchange for free experience for all their units throughout the game - turned out badly.
Early on it doesn't change much. The AI gets stronger units but less of them, meaning early warfare goes much like it would without the changes. (The new barbs make early rushes by either humans or AI pretty much nonexistent, unless the barbarian trait is thrown in the mix. No one else can spare the units to wage a real war.)
As borders start coming together and religions start getting founded the differences become notable. With the AI armies all getting what amounts to a +40% boost in strength (60 for charismatic on deity) and their production catching up to old levels as they get all the basic worker techs, winning a conventional war is just about impossible. You need anti-stack measures which don't result in sacrificing the unit like fireballs, ritualists, Chalid, Rathas, etc. And it's much easier to win a tech race to these things, having them way before the AI can have them themselves, because they lost so much of their early tech advantage, and even if they aggressively expand it takes a while for their conquered land to turn productive.
Before, it was debatable what the best approach to warfare was. There were lots of different ways to approach the issue, with a religion based strategy fitting in as powerful but risky because there was a chance that the AI would beat you to founding the religions that grant those powerful anti-army spells. Now, getting these things is both guaranteed and necessary (unless you're the dwarves or illians, who can do it with UUs.)
In short, switch the bonuses back. Lost freebies make the AI crap at winning tech races, while extra XP seriously limits your strategic options during war.
Even if you don't take away the XP immediately it really should be done when the AI is taught how to fight more effectively, and they stop needing the crutch.
I really think that the AI bonus rebalancing on the high difficulties - less freebies at the start in exchange for free experience for all their units throughout the game - turned out badly.
Early on it doesn't change much. The AI gets stronger units but less of them, meaning early warfare goes much like it would without the changes. (The new barbs make early rushes by either humans or AI pretty much nonexistent, unless the barbarian trait is thrown in the mix. No one else can spare the units to wage a real war.)
As borders start coming together and religions start getting founded the differences become notable. With the AI armies all getting what amounts to a +40% boost in strength (60 for charismatic on deity) and their production catching up to old levels as they get all the basic worker techs, winning a conventional war is just about impossible. You need anti-stack measures which don't result in sacrificing the unit like fireballs, ritualists, Chalid, Rathas, etc. And it's much easier to win a tech race to these things, having them way before the AI can have them themselves, because they lost so much of their early tech advantage, and even if they aggressively expand it takes a while for their conquered land to turn productive.
Before, it was debatable what the best approach to warfare was. There were lots of different ways to approach the issue, with a religion based strategy fitting in as powerful but risky because there was a chance that the AI would beat you to founding the religions that grant those powerful anti-army spells. Now, getting these things is both guaranteed and necessary (unless you're the dwarves or illians, who can do it with UUs.)
In short, switch the bonuses back. Lost freebies make the AI crap at winning tech races, while extra XP seriously limits your strategic options during war.
Even if you don't take away the XP immediately it really should be done when the AI is taught how to fight more effectively, and they stop needing the crutch.