Mid-Game boost for AI

[sonicandfffan]

Just a thought I had, but the difficulty of Civ seems to be derived from the headstart the AI gets. In particular, by the time ideologies come around if a human player has taken the lead they will nearly always retain that lead and win. It can make the endgame pretty dull by comparison.

So why not create that difficulty again? Perhaps reduce the starting bonuses for all difficulties, since that headstart is supposed to last all game and instead provide a mid-game boost for AI Civs.

For example, when the world enters the industrial era (as defined by the change in world congress structure), all AI civs receive something like:

-A great engineer.
-A free factory in their capital
-Two free techs (or more if they're further behind)
-A free settler

etc. Obviously the number of bonuses could be increased based on difficulty.

It would certainly spice up the end game and create more difficulty. After all, if the difficulty is coming from artificial boosts the AI receives, why does that boost only have to be at the start of the game? It'd make sense to give them another boost mid game, especially as the end game can become a button clicking exercise after you take a huge lead.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Yeah, I've always wondered why it's a one time thing. Smaller boosts throughoutwould make the beginning fairer without sacrificing competitiveness throughout.

 

[BSPollux]

Something like the rubberband mechanic from old racing games maybe? Everything gets cheaper if you are behind, so you can catch up?
could be optional, under advanced settings

 

[Louis XXIV]

That wouldn't be bad, but it would probably be boring because they would start to be the same. I was thinking a set tech, social policy, gold and unit boost at fixed turns.

 

[evilcat]

Yes i have similar idea to just spread the initial boost on all eras.
The current mechanic is not particulary fun, since we cant do much early game, and late game is like "next turn" to our game changing technology.

There is this "mod per era" which is like -5 for deity i suppose, but we can pimp it up. ;-)
Also some option is to slow human technology progression. Like making it 10% longer.
A piece of code which gives AI 2 free tech each era would very valuable

 

[Louis XXIV]

I thought about per era, but at set turn numbers make more sense to me. You don't want an AI that isn't progressing technologically to be stuck while a runaway that needs no help gets it's free techs even sooner.

 

[rodrigoq]

They already get this on diety. I watched Morroco magically give itself 750 gold for a research agreement. (diety, marathon) He had 35 gpt, and 120 gold, next turn, he has 900 gold, and signs a tech agreement with spain... who also had no money and about 20 gpt income. I'm pretty sure they gift themselves all sorts of wonderful crap as the game progresses.

Like how does the shoshone, beaten from #1 to last place,place a new city in a snowy hell, and manage to pop out a watermill and a granary in 5 turns? They founded the city with negative 50 gpt income.

"Aliens"

I don't care though, I expect it. Though I wish the AI would come to me for research agreements when they gift themselves money.

 

[joncnunn]

OP, The Community Expansion mods are all about giving the AI ongoing bonuses instead of a big advantage early on; so you might want to try those out.