Has anyone seen the AI complete the Mars space project?

[No-Man]

Been playing Deity for a while now, and I've never seen the AI start working on the final space project, even though they had all the tech requirements for quite a time, and had completed the satellite and moon landing projects.

I also haven't seen the AI getting any close to a cultural victory, even though they had an enormous amount of great works of every kind.

Finally, on the domination victory aspect, the AI has improved since the last patch, being able to capture cities of mine through early use of artillery and cavalry armies, taking advantage of their cultural supremacy.

Have you ever lost to science, culture or domination? Do you have any insights on these subjects?

 

[Siptah]

I have seen the AI winning a cultural victory. But only if I am not going for it. If I focus on tourism/culture, the AI has large problems winning in this field.
I haven't seen a science victory, because I can defend against those rather easily with spies.

 

[LethalLeigh]

YES and NO
YES - I am in the middle of a space race with Russia and Arabia. I am using all my spies to kill their space ports because I am like 30 turns behind them in a science victory. both have launched Satellites and Russia has launched a moon landing.
My spies are halting them for now. But as soon as fails and gets killed which will happen. I am on a count down clock to defeat. (they both have at least 3 Ports each.)

I am attempting to use Military Power to kill them both, but India Stands between me and them. India hates me and is dropping nukes on City-States, (for some reason) and I don't want to piss them off too much when I am already at war with Arabia and Russia. I wont be able to fight a nuke war with India and beat the other 2 who seem to be friends. even though they are both going for the same VC and are close.

NO - I haven't seen the AI launch the Mars project Because I am actively stopping them. and I don't want to see it, because it means I lose!

P.S. If the science VC is turned off I "believe" the furthest the AI will go is launch a Satellite to reveal the world map but there is no real point to waste production on the rest of Space because you are unable to win that win.

 

[No-Man]

Intense match you have right there. Sounds fun. Good luck and enjoy!

Cool info about science VC, but the only VC I ever turn off is the Time one.

 

[Siptah]

You can also start a "battle royale" and look at the outcome. There are mods around for that. But I think chances are high that you'll see a culture victory over a science one.

 

[No-Man]

Nice, maybe I'll try it.

In my experience so far, I've rarely used my spies for sabotaging the enemy's space ports. I suspect that some mechanism in the game makes the AI reluctant to start working on the final space project. Perhaps it's the fact that "there is no gain" to it, except winning, of course. What I mean is that the satellite project gives you the explored map, the moon landing gives you a lot of culture, and the mars projects gives you nothing.

Or maybe it's a way of facilitating deity games, since a snowballing or a science-focused AI can research the whole tree much faster than you do, which would make the science victory relatively easy for them and very challenging for the human player. But all this is just speculation.

I've still heard of no one losing to a AI's science victory.

 

[Tacgnol]

Yep, was going for a cultural victory on Deity, didn't really know what I was doing and took too long to expand so I lost and while it didn't explicitly tell me Norway had several spaceports and no one else was close.

 

[whyidie]

Pre-Australia patch there were some reports. Post Australia patch I just haven't played enough to see anyone launch.

See this thread for pre Oz patch comments :

https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/ai-victory-conditions.608420/

 

[LethalLeigh]

I have played a lot of games where it looks like a Civ might go for a Science Victory and then another Civ will win Via a Cultural Victory. It is why I Have started play with Cultural victory turned off.
Science, Domination and Religious are the only one I have on now due to the fact I like Long games on Large maps in Civs 5 I had a game that went for 1700 turns before I got bored and ended it with a Diplomacy win.

 

[No-Man]

I know what you mean Lethal, in Civ V I also liked longlasting matches. Emperor/Immortal, marathon, huge pangea/continents with about 30 civs. The diplomatic disputes where brutal! I miss the world congress... And the unhappiness brought on by having a government that your people didn't want. The government choosing time in Civ V was such a crucial moment! Gotta get those three coals for my factories ASAP!

 

[Eliminator_Sr]

Yes China just beat me by one turn on Deity completing before turn 300. They had 7 spaceports and I had triggered several production sprees with Australia by liberating city states and two +100% part production Great people in that city to try and outdo them and they still beat me to it. I had some sloppy play early on but I was highly efficient at the end and way ahead in score and science per turn and they got me. They had Ruhr Valley. I thought I had the win in the bag because I kept checking on the last part but they must have somehow rushed it to completion in a few turns.

 

[HF22]

There sometimes seems to be an issue with AIs floating between grand strategies. You will even get notifications occasionally (ie X has stopped pursuing a science victory, or words to that effect).

I often think locking AIs to a strategy, perhaps as an extra hidden agenda, might be better.

 

[Victoria]

Been eaten alive with science victories by not checking. When I have gone for science victories I see them happily buildong away but never seem to use GP... Maybe because I get them but other times recently I have checked and they are just sooo slow. I guess the intention is to give you some chance.
Like now they gather a few artifacts but not huge amounts and not fussed with theming. It allows us to swap more easily amd gives them some addition culture/tourism.

With both and with domination I'm getting more confident there is a lot of intentional manipulation in there.