I have to say, after 4 games played to mid/late game on patch h, not counting 4 or 5 where I was myself destroyed early by barbarians, my conclusion is I completely dislike the new AI behavior, to the point I've just reinstalled FFH with patch g.
What I expected :
- a civilization AI able to use spells and rituals and planning long term so good even in long games
- AI civilizations able to create a defense like the player when you play with enraged barbarians / barb world etc..
- really better AIs, able to compete even if they play with the same rules as the player, not cheating 10 times more
What I've seen :
- AIs summoning things but often not using them (ie : casting fireballs, then letting them disappear in the stack), spell use only improved for nations with evocation trait (imagining they summon a sufficient number of units to risk them before they disappear ; I've seen the sheaim I think using summons well)
- AIs still not using rituals and not taking abandoned items (and new things : not using any sea unit too and not competing on most wonders -don't know if it's due to the barbarian pressure making AIs only build soldiers, but I've only been beaten one time on a wonder in patch h, when I lose the race several times per game with patch g)
- most AIs civs completely outmatched by barbarians in long/big games and destroyed by them before I even reach them (the only civilization I've seen doing really well in all games were the doviellos, because they have the barbarians trait and relly on units the AI upgrades at discounted costs ; the clan is of course advantaged too in early game, but later probably gimped by the AI not making its best units)
- the only AI certainly really improved, is the barbarian one : they are really annoying and make the game really annoying as well, destroying its atmosphere (for me the new barbarians behavior reach the point of disbilieve : instead of acting as savages barbarians from different cities probably leaded by local warlords, they play as the elements of the same very organized big realm, coordinating their attacks ; not even speaking of orcs, lizardmen and the famous non suicidal undeads working together to ruin the life of civilized realms)
- AIs civs cheating even more (or in a more visible way at least), sustaining stacks of hundreds of units without bankrupcy and very early in the game, but unable to cleverly use these stacks (not even able to send them 3 tiles away, to their ex capitol I've just taken, only defended by my 2 or 3 weakened remaining attackers and when my other troops are too far to reinforce it)
- most AIs units / stacks of doom be them barbarians or civilized wandering randomly in circles, making turns very long if you want to see their moves, and as they continuously move losing the fortication bonus they can have (what's the point of this AI ADD ? if the goal is to wait and gather a big horde before attacking isn't it better to fortify the first units on a defensive terrain near your target ?)
- AI giving me copper for a mana when they are far to have the techs to use it (don't know if this problem is new, but I've just realised AIs seem to value mana more than anything and even if they have no knowledge of magic)
Sorry for what seem to be a rant, when it's true this patch as somewhat succeeded to make the (early) game more challenging with its painfull barbarians, and it may also be true that on some settings the new AI is better (I always play at slow speed, on big/huge maps and with raging barbs, it may be a worst case for AIs civs), but all I hope is to be able to get new versions or modmods without (or better with a different) new AI. Actually in all games where I survived past the early barbarians era I beat the AIs civs in everything (I've not finished a game so I can't say if I would have had a surprise in late game, but around year 400-500 I'm usually far above all (the few remaining) AIs but the ones with barbarian trait in score ; and I've only be beaten one time at this stage, by a doviello invasion with an unstoppable stack of 80 or so axemen - only time I've seen an AI finally really use their SoD).
Don't know if it's possible, but my dream would be to have AIs changes as options, so in example you can use the new AIs for nations (or better for the nations really improved by it, like the ones with the evocation trait) but not barbarians (or nations obviously gimped by the new production program).
![[to_xp]Gekko](https://civfanatics-data.community.forum/avatars/m/74/74677.jpg?1475248346){kind=avatar}
