Traps for the AI

[SirJava]

Nothing is like setting a trap for the computer and executing it perfectly.

I was playing pangea and, apart from the main continent, there was only one tiny island only big enough for two cities. I built two cities and the bottom one had mountains next to it. I filled the mountains with troops and left the bottom city empty. I had destroyers in the harbour of the other citie.

My plan (A) was to sink the computer transport before it landed to take the city. Plan (B) was to attack the stack of AI units when they landed.

Throughout many wars the computer fell for it countless times and was slaughtered by drowning or attack from the mountains if they landed.

Damnnv it I love Civ!!!!

 

[Zouave]

". . .Throughout many wars the computer fell for it countless times. . ."

This dumb AI never learns and falls for many traps "countless times". Leave an undefended worker or bombardment unit and it will go right for it. Then ambush it. And so on and so on.

You will tire of it quickly as you seem to be a creative person who likes a CHALLENGE.

 

[hr_oskar]

Personally I'd give the programmers a break in this matter. I mean seriously, I was astonished by the clear improvements of AI tactics since Civ1 and Civ2. In the previous games it was so horrendously stupid that I never considered much wether it would be wise for me to go to war or not, as long as I had any army at all - just through simple traps you could go on defeating hordes after hordes of the computer's armies.

In Civ3 I find that the AI has finally learnt to use terrain to its advantage and has got some clue of the importance of massing its units together for invasions. It's also learnt to use defensive units for escorting and nuisance. I was actually frustrated, to begin with, by this fact! - No more cheap, "why not?" wars of sapping the AI's strength

AI still has a long way to go, fair enough, but IMHO Civ3 is definitely a major improvement. And I'm enjoying it.

 

[Chieftess]

It's nice to use when there's a barb unit by one of your newly tight-built cities (2 tile spaces away). I had one spearmen in a city walk 3 spaces to the next city each time the barb unit (warrior on the mountains) would go near it. Once in that city, it would head for the previous one. I'd switch, and the cycle would repeat, enough for another unit to be built to deal with the barb unit.

 

[sabo]

Personally I'd give the programmers a break in this matter. I mean seriously, I was astonished by the clear improvements of AI tactics since Civ1 and Civ2

hahaha well explain to me then WHY the other day I was sitting next to a city with 15 panzers ready to take it the next turn and a battleship comes out of the city (I thought, no wonder the AI is thinking now) to bombard my panzers. I thought GREAT this is what I'd do, but then he sails RIGHT BACK INTO THE CITY..

Goodbye battleship...