Slowing AI Expansion

[Acrux]

Is there a way to slow down enemy expansion (other than conquest)? The AI seems to create new bases extremely rapidly, and the entire map fills up with cities. I'm using "Infinite City Sprawl", and can't keep up with them. It seems to be causing my computer to crawl, especially in the later stages of the game.

 

[vmxa]

Why would you want to use ICS? There are places and times to use it, but in the main it just burns up settlers. How fast the AI can expand is largely a function of the level and your tactics.

Prior to DG, it is mostly you tactics. DG they get teh extra settler to start, so that changes things. The discount lets them get those lower shield counts sooner.

 

[dze27]

Acrux, what level and map size are you playing on?

I wouldn't recommend ICS either. Try CxxC or even spacing cities further apart if you just want to grab land to deny it to the AI.

 

[Brucha]

Raise the Barb's aggression level. I have found that more aggressive barbs can greatly slow the AI's ability to expand early in the game. Likewise, maps which allow for lots of area in the "Fog of War" gives rise to more barb villages during the first era. If civs start in close quarters, then the fog of war is not so extensive, so less barb villages. You could always raise the stats of barb units to make them stronger as well.

 

[Acrux]

Sorry, I am using CxxC - got my spreads confused. I'm playing on Kal-el's Earth map (180x180). I was playing as Rome, with Spain, France, Germany, Greece, Russia, and Japan. Interestingly, when I played again as America on the same map with the same enemies, I haven't noticed the same slowdown, and I can expand the entire Western hemisphere without problems. Strange.

 

[Ataxerxes]

Raise the Barb's aggression level. I have found that more aggressive barbs can greatly slow the AI's ability to expand early in the game. Likewise, maps which allow for lots of area in the "Fog of War" gives rise to more barb villages during the first era. If civs start in close quarters, then the fog of war is not so extensive, so less barb villages. You could always raise the stats of barb units to make them stronger as well.

This depends on the difficulty level. On lower levels, lots of barbs favors the humanoid. On higher levels, lots of barbs favors the AI. The amount of Fog is very important as well. IF you have fewer than the normal number of AI's, barbs are everywhere.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

Well, I have found that I don't much mind the AI expansion. Eventually, those cities will be mine, anyway.

Best way to counter AI expansion is rapid expansion of yourself, via use of settler factories. There is a great article in the war academy on opening moves, which talks about how to create them. Basically, with a granary and proper management, you can be creating a new settler every 4-6 turns in a city with enough food and shields.