How Much Difficulty Does aggressive AI Add?

[PimpyMicPimp]

I'm curious on other's opinions. Let's give difficulties a number system, and let's say Warlord is a 4, Noble is a 5, Prince is a 6, etc. If a Noble game is a 5 without aggressive AI would it be a 5.5 with it on? More, less? I've only played one game with it on, and that was when I was still playing on Warlord and didn't notice a big difference.

 

[rladngus]

didn't notice a big difference.

Then it's most likely that that's what it is. I could be wrong though

 

[Refar]

I played Agg AI up to monarch, and i do not have the feeling it makes the game more difficult at all. I am however rather aggressive myself, so i build lots of troops anyway...

Sure, the AI builds more units - perhaps it forced me to build a couple of units more, than i usually would, but i did not seen my infrastructure suffering because of this. On the other side the teching is a bit slower, and many Wonders fall much later than usual.

It might be that Agg AI stacks with the AI bonuses on Emperor+ i don't know, as i dont play those levels. But up to Monarch it just makes your game a bit different, not harder - unless you are a absolute Builder-addicct i guess...

 

[Sjaramei]

Depends how you play. If you have a bad habit of not building much military, Aggressive AI will punish you fast. If you do "ok" in that part and got some decent Diplomatic skills you shouldn't see much difference. (this is for peaceful wins) AI tech speed might even be slower

For domination/conquest games, it will get much harder to kill AI's, they will build decent stacks and use them somewhat well (the AI isn't very bright we all know that )

I don't think it "adds" a difficulty, your play style decides how it feels during the game more.

And sometimes one AI will get quite big from conquests (happens rarely for me but i see it in approx 1/10 games) and you will get a challenge keeping up both in tech and arms

(play unrestricted leaders and make Montezuma of Rome or something similar, always fun )

 

[CivCorpse]

If you are a warmonger by nature then the difference isn't as noticable. If you play a more peaceful (but not too peaceful) game it does add a challenge. It also depends on your neighbors. You get one of the loonies as a neighbor and the whole dynamic of the game can change. And diplomacy is a must. I am sure the expert players don't see much of a difference, but those of us in the average/slightly above average category get some interesting results.

 

[r_rolo1]

My experience with Monarch Agg AI makes me think that Agg Ai is, in fact ,easier than normal AI in Monarch....

I am a builder in heart, and normally I build not much of military until the gunpowder era ( in spite of being able of doing a competent early rush ). But I discovered that you don't necessarily need to have a big army to tacke Agg AI.... you need good defense. Agg AI really spams units and it can really be a PITA for the players that have 3 warriors defending their empire until they finish the Mids ( been there ,done that... ), but ,if you forget early wonders for a while and get a decent empire ( and playing defensively if you're dowed: forts and archery units shine in those circumstances ) the balance of power starts to tilt against the Agg AI: the armies start to be a heavy burden for the economy ( unless we have the above quoted case of a a civ that became a giant empire ) and, if you play your cards well , you can start to strike back with superior units later or simply turtle to space.

P.S Of course that in higher levels ,where AI can pay the big armies without compromising the research, things can get pretty diferent

 

[PimpyMicPimp]

Hmmm, I guess, like most things, I'll just have to play around with it and see what I think

 

[dankok8]

I agree with other that it is not the level of difficulty that is affected but the style of play of the AI's - aggressive AI will make you play a military minded game but will research at a slow pace so if you can weather their attacks until the midgame, you've pretty much won unless they all dogpile on you (I've had that happen to me once - I was able to survive but I was badly crippled as I lost a city and had 3/4 of my army wiped out). Normal AI researches faster but is easier to defeat in battle since it builds less troops.

Me personally, I prefer normal AI just because I often tend to get a crazy AI or 2 on my doorstep anyways like Monty or Shaka. Normal AI forms a nice blend of peace and war IMO.

 

[MrCynical]

It's questionable whether it adds any difficulty at all. True the AI is almost certain to hit you with a SoD in the early stages of the game, but that's not usually too hard to defend against. Given that they tend to burn out their economy on units and also fight amongst themselves in unproductive meatgrinder wars, it's actually a fair amount easier if you survive that first rush. The game's won if you get to Rifling in any decent state.

 

[Johan^^]

The few games i have played with aggressive AI has been easier then without, so stopped doing that

 

[lauralaura]

I find it somewhat easier (on Monarch level). I tend to fight a lot of wars and have a big military anyway, so stacks coming at me aren't that much of an additional challenge (and hey, free xp!). Plus, aggressive AIs tend to fight amongst themselves and handicap their research in the process, which is just fine with me.

 

[Dan Quale]

For me it makes things far far easier, its like fighting montezuma and we all know hes worthless. The last time I faced him he had over 700 units and still he got whiped out in around 30 turns.

Advanced units are far superior to any number of ancient crap hordes, and with that setting on nearly all the AI's stockpile stupid amounts of siege/drill fodder.

However if you arent the type of player who pays attention to the power graph this gametype could be a lesson in humility.

 

[nbcman]

If you keep your power up, the AggAI's slower teching makes for an easier game. If you dont keep your power up, it makes for a short game!

 

[Zanttu]

The AI doesn't become any better, it just starts playing different. For wonder-addicts it's surely harder, whereas for warmonger it can be even easier, because the AI techs slower.

 

[WTBCzero]

Do aggressive AIs build tons of units even when they are isolated, and so still tech slowly? And do AIs with unwarlike personalities (e.g both Indian leaders) become warlike?

 

[madscientist]

My opinion is that agressive AIs makes the games easier, except if you get a slow start. It's very easy to get AIs to fight amongst themselves while biding you time a teching to an advantage then slam them.

The normal setting offers a pretty balanced game.

 

[obsolete]

Do aggressive AIs build tons of units even when they are isolated, and so still tech slowly? And do AIs with unwarlike personalities (e.g both Indian leaders) become warlike?

I would not say Asoka does not have warlike personalities. He will and does attack quite often, but more so in the later stages.

Ghandi is the ultra pacifist, because his basepeace weight is 10. However, it is POSSIBLE to bribe Ghandi.

 

[obsolete]

P.S. Aggressive AI does NOT make the AI smarter in any way. The truth is, they are in fact dumber. As noted by their drop off in tech, etc.

However, by random chance, sometimes the aggressive route is the smarter route for them. But that had nothing to do with the AI's Skill.

 

[r_rolo1]

I would not say Asoka does not have warlike personalities. He will and does attack quite often, but more so in the later stages.

I remember reading in ori's article about LH personality that Asoka was a rather agressive leader ,but normally never builded enough units to enter in kill mode ( BTW ori, we need a BtS update of that ). I never encountered Asoka in Agg AI, but is possible that Agg AI pushes Asoka army to above the kill mode min level and he becames a ... well, a monty?

 

[Sjaramei]

Another fact that "may" make the game easier is that the peaceful AI's (like Gandhi, Hatty and Mansa) gets hammered very hard from the more aggressive AI's and suffers from that. These are usually the guys you are competing with in your space victory right?

On a big map (multiple opponents in the same continent), i've never seen Gandhi live through the middle ages, he gets preyed upon by the bully civs all the time , so make sure you aren't the sheep

I remember reading in ori's article about LH personality that Asoka was a rather agressive leader ,but normally never builded enough units to enter in kill mode ( BTW ori, we need a BtS update of that ). I never encountered Asoka in Agg AI, but is possible that Agg AI pushes Asoka army to above the kill mode min level and he becames a ... well, a monty?

Confirmed. Asoka declares on me sometimes and is usually quite powerful, my last game he put up the most fight too