New Version - August 18th (8-18)

[CharacterZero]

Are Windows versions even in the realm of VP game differences?

 

[DoctorDuke]

Well, then your experience is far from what I've seen and had, and from what I see in this thread and on these forums, I definitely am not the only one.

Every game (and I've played tens on this patch) there's DoFs, ranging from "everyone" to "almost everyone". A warmonger civ happens, yeah - once in two-three-four games. Unless you count me that is, then every game has a warmonger. The Smurfy circles I've mentioned before are back, but this time even going full-on Gargamel doesn't make anyone really hostile or mad. I've conquered almost the entirety of my continent and the friends of the conquered want DoFs with me still as I obviously prepare to take them over.

The other AI's at most be passive aggressive and declare the +33% unit maintenance congress thing, but that often hurts them too because some AIs just make huge armies they don't use.

In VP right now the status is as follows:
Situation normal - all's Smurfed up. Smurfs are love, Smurfs are life.

If the AI is to remain as it is, just hardlock it out of ever taking Authority and beliefs like Orders/Hero Worship so they are more efficient. No point in having them take something they won't ever make an use of, especially Hero Worship/Authority, though Orders at least buffs your Defense while Hero Worship needs you to conquer cities to do anything and Authority is inferior to Progress in everything if you don't fight hard at least in Classical era. As it stands, Authority/Hero Worship should be pretty much Player exclusive, just forbid AI from taking them unless they plan to fight by Classical and all will be fine.

I'd say forbid them from taking God of War too, but I only saw AI take it once I think and it was so long ago, I can't say if they fought or not.

My experience as well, 11 games' worth since 8/18. Win 10, Prince-Warlord, Standard everything.
And the AI still eschews the valid settling point nearer to its territory in favor of a more remote tight wedge between my city and a mountain range on the far side of the map. This behavior is far more irritating and "de-immersifying" than the smurfiness.

 

[BiteInTheMark]

The AI is still too passiv in this patch. I´ve conquered half world after 260 turns in epic speed, its now 1100AD and the last 3 enemies, which are till yet untouched from me are still neutral or friendly.

The more annoying part of this patch is the dump puppet city AI. I have around 35 cities, 20-25 of them are puppets and 90% of them are only producing food or money. I picked the religion belief, that give me happines for every 2 cities i have, i have 20+ happiness, but fear it will drop in mid or lategame if i dont end it fast cause i will have giant but unproductive cities....

 

[Horvath Broncos]

The AI is still too passiv in this patch. I´ve conquered half world after 260 turns in epic speed, its now 1100AD and the last 3 enemies, which are till yet untouched from me are still neutral or friendly.

The more annoying part of this patch is the dump puppet city AI. I have around 35 cities, 20-25 of them are puppets and 90% of them are only producing food or money. I picked the religion belief, that give me happines for every 2 cities i have, i have 20+ happiness, but fear it will drop in mid or lategame if i dont end it fast cause i will have giant but unproductive cities....

I think having 20-25 puppets should mean that you will be unhappy very very easily and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[BiteInTheMark]

I am playing the aztecs, so it was no problem to found a religion as the first and spread it relative fast on the continent. The civilization placement was a bit weird, 5 were spread on a big continent, 2 others on a contintent around 60% of the size and another civ with a own continent around 30% of the size. 2 of my half beaten neighbours founded a religion, which i conquered and annihilated with an inquisitor. So all my cites have my religion, spending me 1 happiness for every 2 cities and authority also gives me 1 happiness for every garrisoned unit in a city. Additionally I have 3 monopolies with +5 to happiness.
Additionally, the last independent religion is founded by the sole civilization, which make no attempts to spread it to the continent with 2 other civs, which are still 80% pantheon believers (1100AD), even they only have to cross 8-12 coast tiles to reach these.

As you can see, I have no problem with unhappiness.

The problem is, I get more and more puppets with 10+ citizens, which have only 8-9 tiles to work, cause they only produce food or money but no culture buildings. And the culture bonus for a garrisioned unit (authority tree) is reduced from 2 to 1 due to the -25% penalty.

At the moment, puppet cities are uncontrollable cities, improving the research cost by 10% like every city, never produce research like these due to its -25% penalty. It doesnt increase the social policy cost, but it also do nothing to produce more culture (which would be also be reduced b 25%). Its like they only build a third of the available buildings and produce money, even you already generating more then 250+ gold per turn.
At the moment, all you get is population and some gold production and the ability to deny some place to settle for enemies......

 

[Enrico Swagolo]

I am playing the aztecs, so it was no problem to found a religion as the first and spread it relative fast on the continent. The civilization placement was a bit weird, 5 were spread on a big continent, 2 others on a contintent around 60% of the size and another civ with a own continent around 30% of the size. 2 of my half beaten neighbours founded a religion, which i conquered and annihilated with an inquisitor. So all my cites have my religion, spending me 1 happiness for every 2 cities and authority also gives me 1 happiness for every garrisoned unit in a city. Additionally I have 3 monopolies with +5 to happiness.
Additionally, the last independent religion is founded by the sole civilization, which make no attempts to spread it to the continent with 2 other civs, which are still 80% pantheon believers (1100AD), even they only have to cross 8-12 coast tiles to reach these.

As you can see, I have no problem with unhappiness.

The problem is, I get more and more puppets with 10+ citizens, which have only 8-9 tiles to work, cause they only produce food or money but no culture buildings. And the culture bonus for a garrisioned unit (authority tree) is reduced from 2 to 1 due to the -25% penalty.

At the moment, puppet cities are uncontrollable cities, improving the research cost by 10% like every city, never produce research like these due to its -25% penalty. It doesnt increase the social policy cost, but it also do nothing to produce more culture (which would be also be reduced b 25%). Its like they only build a third of the available buildings and produce money, even you already generating more then 250+ gold per turn.
At the moment, all you get is population and some gold production and the ability to deny some place to settle for enemies......

Yeah, Puppets are absolute trash, especially with the current bug making them stop producing buildings and go permanently into full food focus after making 3-4 buildings. Once they go into Food only, it's high time you change puppetry into occupation and build that neat Courthouse - unless you're Venice, in which case you're on your own.

But TBH I always instantly annex or raze, only puppet if I absolutely can't stand that short unhappiness hit (unhappiness is never a problem though if you get that Clean People event. Just choose 1 Happiness per city for -3 gold per baths, it's always worth it)