I know that despite the massive barb bonus, the barbs often cripple the AI more than the human player. How does this work? Does the AI just not shoot the barbarians or something? It's not like war strategy, all you need to do is dispose of a couple units.
Why is the AI so bad against Barbarians?
- Thread starter arand86
- Start date
Canadian Bluebeer
King
Dunno, but that's why I always use raging barbs. Helps slow down the AI a bit. (and in some cases, stop them cold for a while)
this is so damn hilarious Sir Parker II
Warlord
I like that they lose units, especially civilians, so that I can either save the day and get some free diplomatic benefits from them, or, you know, free settlers.
Smokeybear
Emperor
Yeah, raging barbs is great for slowing down some of those settler-spamming civs a bit, early on. But while they may lose a lot of settlers and workers, their military units are almost impervious to being killed by barbs. A lot of times I've found like 3-4 AI scouts or warriors just hunkered down around a lone barb archer or axe thrower, not fighting it, just letting it pummel them for dozens of turns so they can level up for free. They can do that because they get such a huge damage-reduction cheat against barb attacks, and they can heal up faster than the barb can kill them. Very frustrating to watch that crap. While your units would get killed in a jiffy, AI units just sit there and smile with 500 arrows sticking out of them, while they level up for free.
But since the beta, they are better about forming up hunter-killer teams to go eliminate nearby barb camps, than they were before.
But since the beta, they are better about forming up hunter-killer teams to go eliminate nearby barb camps, than they were before.
Nah, neither the player nor the AI get any combat bonuses vs. barbarians.*
* Not in my personal mod, they don't.
* Not in my personal mod, they don't.
Smokeybear
Emperor
Nah, neither the player nor the AI get any combat bonuses vs. barbarians.*
* Not in my personal mod, they don't.
Heh. So how often do the AI civs in your modded games get completely shut down, or nullified for whole eras, just because the barbs wipe out all of their units? On my games at King or higher, with raging barbs, I could see that happening a lot.
Since BNW I've not played with raging barbs. Usually did beforehand. Just Prince difficulty, large continents or hemispheres.
The AI haven't had much problem, though they aren't very aggressive with destroying barb camps. Lose a few workers/settlers, but not many.
MKDELTA3
Warlord
Regular AIs don't appear to have been scripted to protect their civilian units and trade routes. AI's like to send off settler without escorts and don't sit military units on workers. What is really grimly hilarious is that the barb AI is really good and diligent at protecting their captured civilian units.
orasis
Prince
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2006
- Messages
- 441
I think it's because the A.I figures it's better to let you weaken your military doing it rather than wasting their units.
I've always noticed on continents maps that when I discover the other side of the world the Barbs are for all intents and purposes no longer in existence but there are still a few camps on my side.
So, I think that's the strategy - get the player to eliminate them, weaken his army and as an added benefit slow his scouting.
I've always noticed on continents maps that when I discover the other side of the world the Barbs are for all intents and purposes no longer in existence but there are still a few camps on my side.
So, I think that's the strategy - get the player to eliminate them, weaken his army and as an added benefit slow his scouting.
