Pirates Scenario: Which would be the "hardest" difficulty?

[Arithmion]

We all knew that the AI would have trouble playing this scenario. I wasn't expecting it to perform at the level it does in the main game, but I still only wanted to play single player. That's why, even though I'm an emperor level loser player, I decided to set everything to deity. on the setup screen.

All the other factions died by turn 30, whereas I was never even the slightest bit concerned about my survival, despite attacking every ship in sight. Now, I know I'm not that great at this game. My questions are: Did I do something wrong when setting everything on the setup screen to deity? Should I have been set at deity, and everybody else at settler? The other way around? How exactly would I create the "hardest" possible difficulty in a single player match?

 

[Dotsworthy]

Played a few games of pirates on diety with a friend and every time AI factions died very quickly.

To be fair it is very easy to get completely destroyed by the non-pirate AI if you are careless at the start, which seems to be the problem with the AI. I don't think there is much you can do other than try your hand at some online games.

 

[Uberfrog]

Setting each AI’s difficulty to Deity is how this is supposed to work in ordinary multiplayer games, yes. However, as you’ve seen, it isn't going to have much effect. Deity doesn’t make the AI play smarter, it gives them various bonuses. Bonuses that are all (except the combat bonus and barb camp gold) designed around starting units and tech/civic costs... which don’t apply in the Pirates scenario.

The fundamental problem is that a game of Pirates has a very different ruleset to the base game, and the AI hasn’t been taught to play it. Regardless of the difficulty, it just doesn’t understand how to play.

 

[cain3456]

The problem I've found is that the AI has not been programmed with any sense of self-preservation. Once I recruited in Santa Marta and nearly got trapped. I was the Swashbucklers so I was able to use my tacking ability to get out of Dodge. The AI have no concept of this.

 

[Dotsworthy]

The problem I've found is that the AI has not been programmed with any sense of self-preservation. Once I recruited in Santa Marta and nearly got trapped. I was the Swashbucklers so I was able to use my tacking ability to get out of Dodge. The AI have no concept of this.

This. Sometimes there are 4 boats in a single formation that can wreck a player who wanders into them aimlessly. I'm pretty sure the non-pirate AI has a bigger sight range too.

 

[Equilin]

I'm pretty sure the non-pirate AI has a bigger sight range too.

Pretty sure they don't. Pirates actually got better sight than colonial powers (+3), regardless of player or AI.
The problem is that AI always move from one point to the end point, while humans can move tile by tile. Therefore AI is much more likely to get stuck in ZoC of cities or other ships, then other ships of the same colonial powers gang up on them.

 

[Arithmion]

Pretty sure they don't. Pirates actually got better sight than colonial powers (+3), regardless of player or AI.
The problem is that AI always move from one point to the end point, while humans can move tile by tile. Therefore AI is much more likely to get stuck in ZoC of cities or other ships, then other ships of the same colonial powers gang up on them.

I didn't think there was any zone of control in this scenario? Also Uberfrog, in that case, does my setting absolutely every setting to deity make that the hardest possible scenario? If so, I guess it is effectively multiplayer only.

 

[Equilin]

I didn't think there was any zone of control in this scenario? Also Uberfrog, in that case, does my setting absolutely every setting to deity make that the hardest possible scenario? If so, I guess it is effectively multiplayer only.

Cities and Brigantines exert ZoC. Sloops don't, not sure about Galleons.

Setting everything to Deity would give: +4 CS to all AIs, and massive Deity boosts to Colonial AI (production, on top of other things that could matter). This means in the late game (turn 40+) you will face massive fleets of ships and can get overwhelmed, while Pirates AI face the aforementioned difficulties and die off quickly so you're alone (unlike in multiplayer where there will be more human dealing with these colonials).

 

[Pfeffersack]

Cities and Brigantines exert ZoC. Sloops don't, not sure about Galleons.

Setting everything to Deity would give: +4 CS to all AIs, and massive Deity boosts to Colonial AI (production, on top of other things that could matter). This means in the late game (turn 40+) you will face massive fleets of ships and can get overwhelmed, while Pirates AI face the aforementioned difficulties and die off quickly so you're alone (unlike in multiplayer where there will be more human dealing with these colonials).

Then the "best"* setting is probably Deity for the other pirates and Prince (or even lower) for the Colonial Powers.

* Not that it helps the Pirates AI enough, though - even when the colonial powers are set to Settler they die pretty fast

 

[Laurana Kanan]

I didn't think there was any zone of control in this scenario? Also Uberfrog, in that case, does my setting absolutely every setting to deity make that the hardest possible scenario? If so, I guess it is effectively multiplayer only.

Then the "best"* setting is probably Deity for the other pirates and Prince (or even lower) for the Colonial Powers.

Brigantines, Galleons, & Shore Crews all have ZoC. Setting everything to Deity will be the hardest, but have little effect on AI Pirate factions as they don't have the necessary programming to be effective, regardless of the Colonials' setting. (Even at Settler they lose quickly.) So basically it comes down to how difficult you want the challenge for you against the Colonials. Deity is just insane with ship production, but I've found Emperor to be manageable while maintaining some fun. The challenge for me is to see how many cities I can conquer to create my own little Pirate Kingdom.

 

[Arithmion]

Brigantines, Galleons, & Shore Crews all have ZoC. Setting everything to Deity will be the hardest, but have little effect on AI Pirate factions as they don't have the necessary programming to be effective, regardless of the Colonials' setting. (Even at Settler they lose quickly.) So basically it comes down to how difficult you want the challenge for you against the Colonials. Deity is just insane with ship production, but I've found Emperor to be manageable while maintaining some fun. The challenge for me is to see how many cities I can conquer to create my own little Pirate Kingdom.

Interesting. Thanks, all. I was under the impression that capturing cities was a bug. I feel like the real challenge in this scenario is getting the privateer achievement for your patron's fleet being super huge.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

I was under the impression that capturing cities was a bug.

It is, but it's inadvertently about the only fun/challenging aspect of the scenario if you're playing solo. And, it gives some limited replay value. If FXS revisits it, I hope they expand on the mechanic.

I feel like the real challenge in this scenario is getting the privateer achievement for your patron's fleet being super huge.

I don't care at all about achievements so I wouldn't know.

 

[AsH2]

Brigantines, Galleons, & Shore Crews all have ZoC. Setting everything to Deity will be the hardest, but have little effect on AI Pirate factions as they don't have the necessary programming to be effective, regardless of the Colonials' setting. (Even at Settler they lose quickly.) So basically it comes down to how difficult you want the challenge for you against the Colonials. Deity is just insane with ship production, but I've found Emperor to be manageable while maintaining some fun. The challenge for me is to see how many cities I can conquer to create my own little Pirate Kingdom.

How about making a "Passive Aggressive Pirate faction" (using a combinition of all passive pirate traits and no active skill) and letting AI Pirate factions start with additional ships if Emperor/Immortal/Diety?