Vox Populi Multiplayer AI

[Rauzer]

I had a question regarding the state of the AI, or more specifically, the state of multiplayer AI.

A friend and I used to play (way back to civ 2) multiplayer 'co-op', just us together with bunch of AI's around. Now the base civ 5 game completely screwed this over, since the AI isn't great in singleplayer, but multiplayer AI is even worse (for those that don't know, it's dumbed down and gutted, it's absolutely terrible)

For this purpose we used to play with JDH's active AI, which switched the multiplayer AI for a singleplayer one (a .dll swap afaik, back then it was with a special launcher for it)

Now i know how to play vox populi multiplayer, i have the modpack created properly, but i'm curious. We did a trial run like months back, and back then to me (who also played a lot of singleplayer vox populi) it felt like the AI wasn't playing on the same level as singleplayer. Making me wonder if vox populi multiplayer AI is actually still a dumbed down version of it?

Does anyone know if this is true? Or what the general state of vox populi multiplayer AI is. I know it's kinda a niche market, most players either play single player or only vs humans on multiplayer. But i'm just curious if someone knows the finer details. Especially with all the recent (this year) AI improvements having been done to vox populi.

 

[Rauzer]

I posted the same question on reddit, hoping to spread my chances of an answer.

Gazebo answered it there, just linking it here incase someone else is looking for this question/answer.

 

[azum4roll]

One thing is that if you have the Pitboss option checked (which you might want to if one of the human players frequently disconnects), all AIs lose their turn when you load a save.

They also can't give you diplomatic choices on their turns, which makes it a bit easier in the case of the "you have troops around my border" prompt. In fact, I don't think they can attack you on the turn they declare war on you either.

 

[Tekamthi]

In fact, I don't think they can attack you on the turn they declare war on you either.

this is a critical difference that I wish was not the case... in the local hotseat games I've played, an AI war declaration seems to take effect only (usually?) on the human's turn, giving first strike to human in (almost?) all conflicts. Going on memory alone, its possible that in obscure cases the AI takes advantage of a proper war declaration and attack on its own turn, though as best I recall this is not the case. Too much to ask for maybe, but would be nice if they could attack on their own turn

 

[azum4roll]

Just have a rule that you can't attack the AI the turn they declare war and it'll be fair.