Poll: Who is your runaway AI?

[chazzycat]

For me it seems to be Persia a lot, and lately Korea as well. Let's see if there are any patterns to this. DLC civs are included.

 

[qalsip1977]

Lately it seems like it is Russia for me. They are almost always in the top 3 score wise and they always expand like mad. I generally try to trade with them, DoF them, and sick them on other civs via bribes. I've seen Persia get big as well.

 

[Logan774]

For me it's Germany, Korea, and Persia, in that order. The exception is if I start next to Germany, in which case his inevitable warrior rush is nullified and his growth is stymied as a result.

 

[Noatz]

Germany and Persia are the two that spring to mind from my games. Persia seems to be playing wide rather a lot lately, which wasn't always the case.

Bismark on the other hand normally seems to get the better of whoever he starts next to and gets fat off his conquests.

Korea in my games usually seems to get stomped.

 

[peddroelm]

Mongolia dropping 6 cities in under 3 turns (slight exaggeration) to surround my only 1-2 cities while also chugging out a huge army in the same time a few games in a row comes to mind...

 

[Rpger29]

I picked Rome, but really for me it's any of the aggressive civs that aren't my immediate neighbor. Example:

Hiawatha is a really aggressive city spammer. However, if he is my neighbor, he'll be dead or crippled by mid game.

 

[civ4lyfe]

Siam. In a current game I'm playing, it was me at one end of pangea, and japan at the other end. Siam was the civ just west of Japan. He(Siam) destroyed bismarck, monty, and is well on his way to destroying Oda.

At my end, I have already took out the Arabs, Indians and Rome is down to 3 Cities, and paying me luxuries and gold per turn. Seems the next viable thing to do is wait until Siam destroys, then coast out and win scientifically or by culture or conquest, since I lead in all 3.

I just don't know If I can stand the longer turn times that come with late game though, so I'll probably lay down the hammer and mess some dudes up.

 

[NotSure]

Persia, Siam and Mongolia have all ran away in at least one game for me, but Hiawatha has done it a few times.

 

[jtb1127]

Songhai seems like wimps in all of my games. And it is the only civ that gives me that much stuff.

 

[CatGarfield]

Persia always grows huge, if it's not in the vicinity, ie. on another continent or on the other end of a pangaea. France gets big more often than not, but does sometimes actually lose wars against other AIs.

I've also seen Hiawatha and Suleiman spam cities like crazy, but they've usually been pretty close to me which has crippled them sooner rather than later.

So my vote goes to Persia.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Myself

xD

I have never lost (except in New World Scenario because 100 turns sucked but that's not the point)

And now twice I've been the underdog of the game and won my first Warlord victory as Isabella for cultural win while Harald was getting his spaceship ready

 

[Smokeybear]

Myself

xD

I have never lost (except in New World Scenario because 100 turns sucked but that's not the point)

And now twice I've been the underdog of the game and won my first Warlord victory as Isabella for cultural win while Harald was getting his spaceship ready

See? Moving up in difficulty can be rewarding, and definitely a more fun challenge. Instead of rolling over everyone like they were cheap dollar ho's, you gotta think a bit, plan, strategize... beyond simply deciding which hapless civ to crush next

My worst runaway, at least in the past month, has been Elizabeth. No matter how fast I crank up my civ, she is always outstripping me early and fast in the science and techs department, expanding quickly right into my face, and forcing me to divert valuable energies into defence that should be going into my own science and/or culture efforts. If I don't take her out early, she inevitably makes it right hard in the long run.

 

[Tabarnak]

Don't know why, but Greece is pretty annoying. Always on top.

 

[dexters]

Greece and Iroquois usually do very well consistently.

All AI have the potential to become a runaway given the right conditions, I think the ones who don't are the extra warmongers without a strong unit the AI can understand (Mongolia) and India, which has a pretty strong expansion penalty, so they usually build a tall empire and hang around.

 

[Sneaks]

Germany, Mongolia and Greece always live or die by early war. If the first conflict ends in defeat, they'll flounder for the rest of the game. Alternatively, if England or France stay pretty safe til Ren they tend to explode in points

 

[stealth82]

Persia. I think I kind of hate that guy. If I don't take care of Darius early enough, he' able to procure a lot of headaches for everybody later on.

I have to say though, that I never saw a Civilization able to ubiquitous carpet a continent like the Mongols do. I named Gengis' strategy: "the orange carpet of doom".

Last time I was trying to achieve a science victory at Immortal level with Harun when I started thinking I wouldn't be able to pull that off; I mean, how many chances do you think you have when you contemplate the entire left side of your map covered with orange? Fortunately Gengis was stupid enough to let himself be bribed by me and induced to fight - in order - Persia, Rome, Spain and India instead of coming for me. By the time I pulled off my victory only Spain was left on the field ​

 

[CultureManiac]

Persia has been annoying me so much that now I play them instead. Don't try to beat them, be them.

 

[JP1]

Siam and Iriquois are the most likely to make me groan when I first meet them and click on the 'Cities' in the trade screen. Turns out that with the massive bonuses the AI gets at high levels to remain competitive, "spam cities, make 500GPT" is a pretty good strategy. I wonder why Catherine doesn't seem to do as well, she certainly has the city spam down pat.

Iriquois is slightly more likely to be a runaway in my games, but Siam is a very close second.

 

[dexters]

Alexander's advantage is that even if he doesn't get a big empire early, his city state bonus and city state flavour/patronage flavour will almost gurantee a strong Greek prescene if they manage to survive.

Greece can stay mid-tier in the early game and then destroy their neighbours later on just from all the bonuses they are getting from city states.

 

[Steelyglint]

The Aztecs