Option for peaceful AI

[vsipinen]

I am generally quite peaceful player - perhaps too peaceful. When I started to play the game with the latest Beyond the Sword expansion I have regularly been sneak attacked and invaded by rivals that seem to have far superior army. I see that I should build more military units, but even as I have tried to change my playing style to that direction, nothing seems to be enough. Anyway I would still like continue to play in a peaceful manner and to concentrate building city improvements and some wonders, but that seems to be very difficult or even impossible.

If I remember correctly there is an option for aggressive AI. I would like to suggest a new peaceful AI option for a players like me, who usually don't like to concentrate so much to military. Some of you probably think that it would make game too easy, and perhaps it would at least for some people. However I would like to have at least an option to play a peaceful game.

Also I don't mean that the peaceful AI option should prevent all aggressions of the AI, but it should at least greatly decrease all unprovoked sneak attacks. Perhaps it should also greatly increase all disadvantages caused by war declarations performed by human player in order to prevent unfair advantages for human player. It could also increase maintenance costs of military units.

 

[FoxURA]

That sounds like a good idea that would allow for more emphasis on politics instead of dealing with an AI that is secretly plotting for your civilization to be wiped out even when they are "pleased" with you. As far as increasing the support of military units... I don't think that would work out too well as the maintenance cost for units already seems to be a bit too much.

 

[vsipinen]

That sounds like a good idea that would allow for more emphasis on politics instead of dealing with an AI that is secretly plotting for your civilization to be wiped out even when they are "pleased" with you. As far as increasing the support of military units... I don't think that would work out too well as the maintenance cost for units already seems to be a bit too much.

Well, the increasing the support of military units is not a main issue of my suggestion. That was just one idea to prevent possible unfair advantage for human player. I was mainly thinking that, if the AI is "forced" to play peacefully, perhaps something similar should be done to human player. For me that would not be necessary, because I would play rather peacefully anyway.

 

[GenocideBringer]

Use the Always Peace option

 

[vsipinen]

Use the Always Peace option

I think that might be little too extreme option - although perhaps I should try it some time. Anyway as there is "aggressive AI" option, which could perhaps be considered a kind of milder version of "always war" option (isn't there that kind of option ?), why couldn't there be similarly "peaceful AI" for milder version of "always peace" option ?

 

[GenocideBringer]

Because the default AI is extremely peaceful.

 

[vsipinen]

Because the default AI is extremely peaceful.

According to my experience that does not seem to be true. Perhaps it is caused by my playing style, but it has been almost guaranteed that one or two AI civilizations attacks my civilization - and that can happen several times during one game. I would not say that extremely peaceful. I know that I should probably build more military units, but I would like to have option which would allow me to concentrate to other things (but not as extreme as always peace option).

 

[Nelgirith]

Most civs that don't have the Aggressive trait are quite peaceful. If you make sure that you don't have any as opponent, most of your games should end without any war.

Put 1 aggressive civ in game and there will always be wars somewhere in the game (maybe not with you directly) and you'll also have a higher chance of some civs backstabbing you or attacking you because you didn't choose their camp (by refusing to go to war or to cancel trades, etc...)

I had one funny game last week as Elizabeth on a Big & Small map. There was one huge island with Shaka, Alexander and Gengis all together and during the whole game they were just fighting each other. During the whole game, there was a spamming of Great Generals
Meanwhile, on the other sub-continent, all the other civs were living peacefully together, gladly trading their religions and techs

 

[GenocideBringer]

.

According to my experience that does not seem to be true. Perhaps it is caused by my playing style, but it has been almost guaranteed that one or two AI civilizations attacks my civilization - and that can happen several times during one game. I would not say that extremely peaceful. I know that I should probably build more military units, but I would like to have option which would allow me to concentrate to other things (but not as extreme as always peace option).

The AI is going to attack you if you have a pathetic military force, that's the way it works. If you want to concentrate on other things then, again, use Always Peace.


What would this Peaceful AI entail then? Explain to me how they could make the AI more peaceful without disabling war altogether? When do you think the AI should declare war if not when there's a fat juicy undefended empire sitting right next to them?

 

[vsipinen]

.

The AI is going to attack you if you have a pathetic military force, that's the way it works. If you want to concentrate on other things then, again, use Always Peace.


What would this Peaceful AI entail then? Explain to me how they could make the AI more peaceful without disabling war altogether? When do you think the AI should declare war if not when there's a fat juicy undefended empire sitting right next to them?

First I want to mention that I have never left my civilization completely undefended, and recently I have tried to build more military units. The problem is that I never seem to manage to build enough of them (when playing Beyond the Sword) - and certainly not as much as most AI civilizations. One thing that the peaceful AI option could do would be to make AI to build less military units.

I think that main point of the peaceful AI option could be to dramatically reduce the amount of unprovoked attacks - or perhaps even completely prevent them. However the AI could be able to declare war, if you refuse to give them tribute etc. Or if your spy fails. If that is not sufficient, perhaps an AI civilization which is "furious" with you could be allowed to start war without such cause, but especially "pleased" or "friendly" civilizations should never do that with the peaceful AI option.

 

[CivFan87]

the default ai IS "peaceful AI". but you must remember that if you want peace you must prepare for war(unless you have 'always peace' )