Suggestion: Change bonusses for AI on higher difficulty

[theis81]

I see two major problems with how bonusses to the AI on higher difficulty is designed.
1) Initial bonusses makes it a catch up game.
2) Poor combat AI makes aggressive play the best way to victory.

1)
As it is now the AI gets bonusesses from start (tech, worker etc.) and some buffs that last for the game. The initial bonusses makes it a catch up game and as soon as you have catched up you have pretty much won.

I suggest removing the initial bonusses and increasing the long term buffs.

2)
As it is now the AI sucks at combat, so to win at higher levels aggression is nescessary.

The best solution would be to fix the AI, but that seems to be a difficult task. So I suggest giving the AI combat bonusses base don difficult level.

-------------------------------------------------------------
1) and 2) combined would make high difficult level strategy much more interesting.

 

[woodshadows]

i think it works okay as it is. generally ai units on higher levels are already super buffed out, with barracks and all the other promotion giving buildings having created great units, plus honour tree completely filled out and unlimited great generals, so it almost works out to being a military buff already. 'catching up' often isn't that easy either, my deity or immortal games my population almost never catches up to the ai's, no matter how large i become.

 

[Olleus]

Considering that at higher difficulties the AI spams units but they die easily, readdressing the balance slightly away from qualitity and towards quality might be a good idea. I don't think a flat combat/strength bonus would work as it would feel too much like cheating. Extra free experience would be good though. Maybe have it scale with era too (like most of the bonuses do).