11-06-2005 08:05									#1
	How to make AC harder? Remove this text

Hello everyone. I've been lurking for a while, and this is a problem that I have with AC/X (or pretty much any Civ game).

Basically, even on the higher difficulty levels, I'm finding the game too easy at times. The AI doesn't really know how to mount an attack, and has massive stumbling blocks when dealing with sea combat. It's getting to the point where the metagame involves a barely terraformed enemy landmass.

A few of the threads said that giving bonuses to the AI makes it more challenging, but are there any other methods?

	11-06-2005 08:40									#2
	Increase Your PM Length

Cal – try a couple of things to make the game more challenging:

· Accelerated start – gives the AI at least one SP, and means you can’t hog them all (or may lose one you really want). You also lose the critical turn advantage of the early game, and are saddled with the same idiotic terraforming the AI has to suffer with.
· Deny yourself items the AI can’t/doesn’t use – try a game without crawlers. I can guarantee it will be VERY different! And also no copters, and limited air power.
· Deny yourself unbalancing SPs – there are a few SPs that are really powerful. Of course, there is some disagreement, but here is my list: Hunter-Seeker Algorithm, Cloudbase Academy, PTS, Cyborg Factory. Once you get to nifty SPs like Cloning Vats the game is over anyway.
· Use random or semi-directed research – you’ll be surprised how much THIS changes the game! There are no tech b-lines, and you may have to work really hard to get those critical early techs. Semi-directed means you only choose a combo of Explore/Conquer/Discover/Build for a tech objective, and you are by no means guaranteed of getting the tech you want. Personally I play all my SP and MP games this way if I have a choice. Using Directed Research is for weenies!
· Limit SE games – play your faction’s SE choice the vast majority of the time and don’t play games like cheesy SE switches during diplomacy. Also, limit or have no pop booms. Or play a faction that can’t easily pop boom (Morgan, Cyborgs, Hive).
· Make your world friendlier to the AI as rainy and large landmasses – the AI is hopeless in amphib assaults, and merely pathetic at land assaults. So, increase the landmass in your world. I’ve seen the Spartans roll over the Gaians and PKs in SP when there are large landmasses, and the aliens and Hive can make an attempt at overwhelming an opponent, too. Likewise, dense cloudcover helps the AI with its stupid terraforming by giving it more rainy sectors. Yes, it helps you – but there are 6 AI factions so it helps them more!

What these do is make the game more level of the AI, which as you say is a tad limited.

Good luck!
Hydro

	11-06-2005 09:27									#3
	Tired of ads?

cal_01

Another way that some of us remain challenged is to play a "faction switch" game. Play one faction for 75 or 100 years, then look at the power graph, and click on the scenario editor and change factions to the weakest faction. Go back into the game and play that faction for 50 to 75 years, then repeat the process.

By the time you come to 2300 you should be starting your fourth faction - and now have 3 incredibly strong factions to deal with (the 3 that you built up)

Although the AI does some stupid things with your legacy (such as moving crawlers off 7-mineral tiles to go exploring!!!) you'll be surprised at how hard it becomes to outwit them (especially if two of your former factions then decide to gang up on you)

Try it - you'll be challenged

Googlie

	11-06-2005 13:22									#4
	Increase Your PM Length

Try playing some of the SP Challenges over at CGN. These should gtive you a run for your money.....

Also, tweaking the alpha(x).txt file so that the AI's wil then build probe cruisers upon discovering Doc: Init is another way to increase the AI's abilities. FYI and hope this helps!


D

	11-06-2005 15:45									#5
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

Pact submissive them all together and set them all to atrocity victims of yourself. Make the map size standard, pick the cult or miriam and get ready to fight for your life!

	12-06-2005 02:14									#6
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

Hey, guys. I tried Hydro's suggestion and made it cloudy and accelerated start. Also, I turned on random faction for myself to make it more interesting.

So here's what happened:

I ended up being the University faction.

...

And landed in the jungles.

... and next to the Usurpers/Caretakers.

Needless to say, the pop-booming was pretty much uncontrollable with the University extra drone penalty, and for some reason, the jungle had -rocky- areas. Anyhow, I tried beelining building up to Dem/FM/Wealth before the Usurpers took down the Drones. Soon, I ended up getting on top in tech, which wasn't surprising since everyone was too busy beating on each other. However, the Caretakers soon declared vendetta on the Angels and myself and started taking huge chunks of land. Ack.

Then the Usurpers vendettaed me too. And, that's when I gave up.

Anyhow, thanks for the suggestions everyone!

	12-06-2005 09:10									#7
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

I would second Googlie's suggestion. This is how I play most of the time. My goal is to reach that I play with all 7 factions (I always switch when I reach the top "Unsurpassed" and change to the weakest faction at the time) and win the game with the last. I have only managed to win by the 7th once so far. It often becomes impossible simply because one or two faction gets eliminated before you get to play them.

But if your are lucky, playing after 5-6 switches gets real hard.

	14-06-2005 13:32									#8
	Remove this text

You can always attempt the Ironman One City Challenge at the Transendent level.

	14-06-2005 14:19									#9
	Suffering from ads?

You could also try to play my Ultimate Builder Challenge scenario, you can get it from:

http://www.civ.org.pl/articles.php?...C&ArticleID=113

	14-06-2005 14:50									#10
	Full PM-box? Change here!

I want to make the game easier. I'm getting my ass kicked on Talent level. .

JK of course but you never find people asking this question.

	15-06-2005 09:45									#11
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Easiest way to make the game easier? Control your own formers. :P Automate former makes horrible terraforming choices.

Oh, and in squares that are moist aren't rolling or anything, plant forests. The growth hit isn't too severe, and the increase in minerals is more worthwhile.

	15-06-2005 12:01									#12
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

@cal_01: Even in arid squares a forest will take it from 0/0-1/0+ (depending on elevation, usually 1 for me since it's a low square and I'm in FM) into a 1/2/1 in the same time.

	15-06-2005 13:13									#13
	Put an end to popups!

Forest is the w00t!

	15-06-2005 21:10									#14
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Yeah, you have to put limits on yourself in order to make the game a challenge. I also like to roleplay, so if I'm PK I have to build applicable happiness facilities before building or homing more than one defender to the base, etc.

	15-06-2005 22:41									#15
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

I find playing the game without crawlers and pop-booming (as I used to do before I got an internet connection and learned of the powerful things that are possible) already makes it significantly harder...

	16-06-2005 02:58									#16
	Remove this text

quote: Originally posted by #endgame @cal_01: Even in arid squares a forest will take it from 0/0-1/0+ (depending on elevation, usually 1 for me since it's a low square and I'm in FM) into a 1/2/1 in the same time.

Yeah, I guess I should have mentioned arid squares too.

At first, I thought building infinite condensors and pop-booming early gave me a huge advantage, but I think the forest strategy fits my play style better, especially in the early game when I'm hurting for minerals. In fact, by the time I get tree farm/hybrid forest, I -never- use farms. Sure, I can pop-boom like crazy if I went the farm route, but the minerals sure are tasty.

	16-06-2005 03:33									#17
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

At the beginning of the game activate scenario editor and add the "Growth" priority to each faction's interest. Alter their personality and strategy to include lots of colony pods, lots of terraformers, not too aggressive or peaceful, add the "Build" priority and remove the "Conquer" priority at your discretion, play with the Hive/Uni/Drones/Morgan/Gaia/PKs/Cyborgs. I've had some quite good Builder CPUs with the above. The Hive and Drones are prone to going on mass aircraft rampages.

	19-06-2005 05:54									#18
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

These...aircraft rampages...they wouldn't happen to include PBs, now would they?

	20-06-2005 01:03									#19
	Full PM-box? Change here!

I've seen both the Hive and Believer strike first with planet busters. However, anyone struck with a planet buster will retaliate, even Morgan, even on a useless base that just happens to be in range.

	20-06-2005 05:13									#20
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

I can understand Morgan using a PB, he's a capitalist who wants an economical way out of war...most leaders would...

It's when people like Lal and Dierdre, who are opposed to atrocities, start bombing your cities that you start to wonder...

	20-06-2005 12:29									#21
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

I once had Deidre VD me from the very start of the game. She's supposed to be a pacifist!

Then again, I think the game bugged up, because whenever I tried to talk to her, I couldn't get any conversation lines up from the start of the game.

Sometimes, for other factions, it'd sometimes skip to "in time you'll regret your arrogance" or something like that and I didn't even select a conversation path. Oh well.

	21-06-2005 00:01									#22
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

That has happened to me before...also, sometimes a pop-up will appear three times in a row...even when you don't contact a leader...

	21-06-2005 00:19									#23
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

I disable PBs. They just snap my suspenders of disbelief. I also change Land improvement to (2 * *) as this helps the AI grow big bases more than it helps the human player. I also change armor values and costs to go up by twos, base defense to +50%.