Greasy Dave
Prince
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2010
- Messages
- 376
What i've noticed is that the game is different. I'm not sure if that means it's harder. It does mean I need to rethink the way I was playing.
Admittedly I play immortal and occasionally step up to Deity - but I'm not trying to be a snob about this, just some of the effects I notice may only be aspects of the harder difficulties. And I've only had time to play a couple of games, and I still haven't finished a Deity game post-patch.
That said, the AI builds more units - true, added difficulty - but once you know this is the way its going to work, you can adjust your play to accomodate this. MOre militarised doesn't necessarily mean, more aggressive. Play diplomatically, and try and keep the peace - it's still possible - think about the decisions you make and their knock on effect - ie if you settle close to that civ- they won't be happy, it will cause a diplo hit. IF you DOF with that civ, your neighbour hates him, and it could also lead to a diplo hit, that might give you a hostile neighbour. Do you want that neighbour hostile? IS the DOF worth it? Or you can build units yourself, take Holy Warrior, and take out the AI, concentrate on teching to get an offensive advantage. There are many strategies to deal with a more militarised AI especially at lower levels.
The AI seems a little more prickly diplomactically, which seems to be making DOF's and RA's harder to set up - and thus slows down teching, especially at higher difficulties. I'm still not sure where I stand on this, whether it's good or bad. I liked the initial diplo game after G and K, where I was able to play peaceful all game. Not sure how this one turns out in the long run. But TBH, this has only effected my deity game. At immortal it's still possible to be technologically out of sight of the AI by turn 120.
Countering the added difficulty of militarised AI's, I've noticed that now the AI doesn't have all that much cash to spend on CS's. You're not playing CS merry-go-round as much anymore. Which makes the game easier. This was brought home to me after I loaded up an old Deity save of a game which I started pre-patch and have not finished. In that game the AI has buckets of money still (left over from the pre-patch mechanics) and my CS's are changing alliances every turn. It's really annoying. i compare that with my first fulll game after the patch, immortal, where many, many CS's remained unallied right up until the end game. And my particular allies weren't robbed from me by AI cash, but by the AI using spies and rigging elections. It made the game much more interesting and rewarding and makes me actually consider playing for a diplomatic victory at some point soon. It also gives the player a significant option to helping counter the AI militarily.
So, yes, the AI is more militarised. but I think the tools are there to deal with it. It requires rethinking a little - ally with a military CS on your hostile neighbour's border, etc. BUild an army earlier. Don't antagonise the AI if you aren't wanting a war. If you're not sure how, then I'd advise looking at the strategy forum or following some of the let's play games. Some of those games blow my head away. Strategies that never occured to me suddenyl seem so blindingly obvious and make perfect sense.
definitely ally with CS's, do their quests, it's so much easier to hold on to them than it ever was before.
Admittedly I play immortal and occasionally step up to Deity - but I'm not trying to be a snob about this, just some of the effects I notice may only be aspects of the harder difficulties. And I've only had time to play a couple of games, and I still haven't finished a Deity game post-patch.
That said, the AI builds more units - true, added difficulty - but once you know this is the way its going to work, you can adjust your play to accomodate this. MOre militarised doesn't necessarily mean, more aggressive. Play diplomatically, and try and keep the peace - it's still possible - think about the decisions you make and their knock on effect - ie if you settle close to that civ- they won't be happy, it will cause a diplo hit. IF you DOF with that civ, your neighbour hates him, and it could also lead to a diplo hit, that might give you a hostile neighbour. Do you want that neighbour hostile? IS the DOF worth it? Or you can build units yourself, take Holy Warrior, and take out the AI, concentrate on teching to get an offensive advantage. There are many strategies to deal with a more militarised AI especially at lower levels.
The AI seems a little more prickly diplomactically, which seems to be making DOF's and RA's harder to set up - and thus slows down teching, especially at higher difficulties. I'm still not sure where I stand on this, whether it's good or bad. I liked the initial diplo game after G and K, where I was able to play peaceful all game. Not sure how this one turns out in the long run. But TBH, this has only effected my deity game. At immortal it's still possible to be technologically out of sight of the AI by turn 120.
Countering the added difficulty of militarised AI's, I've noticed that now the AI doesn't have all that much cash to spend on CS's. You're not playing CS merry-go-round as much anymore. Which makes the game easier. This was brought home to me after I loaded up an old Deity save of a game which I started pre-patch and have not finished. In that game the AI has buckets of money still (left over from the pre-patch mechanics) and my CS's are changing alliances every turn. It's really annoying. i compare that with my first fulll game after the patch, immortal, where many, many CS's remained unallied right up until the end game. And my particular allies weren't robbed from me by AI cash, but by the AI using spies and rigging elections. It made the game much more interesting and rewarding and makes me actually consider playing for a diplomatic victory at some point soon. It also gives the player a significant option to helping counter the AI militarily.
So, yes, the AI is more militarised. but I think the tools are there to deal with it. It requires rethinking a little - ally with a military CS on your hostile neighbour's border, etc. BUild an army earlier. Don't antagonise the AI if you aren't wanting a war. If you're not sure how, then I'd advise looking at the strategy forum or following some of the let's play games. Some of those games blow my head away. Strategies that never occured to me suddenyl seem so blindingly obvious and make perfect sense.
definitely ally with CS's, do their quests, it's so much easier to hold on to them than it ever was before.
like this. 
Pre-patch I won without a problem at immortal. And my first game post -patch at immortal wasn't anymore difficult than before (maybe I got lucky). But the step up to deity seems unattainable. I need an inbetween difficulty - something like the old Deity, which I had a chance at winning every fourth or fifth game.
