22-03-2001 06:36									#1
	Civ2 Evolution and matters of AI Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

You probably know of the project of civ2 Evolution somwhere at http://www.steffengerlach.de

One of the high points of the game is that
1) AI doesnt cheat, has same interface to the game as player has
2) specifications are public, meaning you can write your own AI dll

These are excellent features and I think we at GGS should try a simmilar approach. I dont know how rest of the civ developers community think about this. I checked, and from what I see, there is by now only one alternative AI for C2E. Isnt this strange?

Once in civ3 forums someone said that they dont really want civ3 much, just civ2 with modifiable AI. Well c2E is exactly that, so where is the rush?

I imagine there are two reasons for this:

1) good AI is difficult to write
I know that. So where are the crap AIs?

2) programmers that are interested in civ genre are already "spent", ie since everyone has a civ project he works on, there are no free coders left.
Well, I dont really believe this

Also, if you check CTP2-AI forum you will not see much traffic there. If I understood correctly, CTP AI is pretty modifiable due to powerful SLIC language, etc.

So where is the catch? Is modifiable AI a myth? A wholy grale which lost its attraction once it is reached ... or has it simply not been reached yet?

	05-07-2001 16:11									#2
	Got spare money?

There are now 4 AIs including the default one.

	23-07-2001 03:11									#3
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

1. Everyone probably thinks that making an AI will take too much time.

2. The game needs better publicity here at Apolyton and elsewhere.

The author needs to advertise it more.

(note: I have the game and rate it * as a real game, **** as a freelance internet game! )

	23-08-2001 20:33									#4
	Put an end to popups!

c-evo 0.6.9 is good, i play it, but i agree, it was only chance i saw it on freeciv website and nowhere else had it.
it almost beats civII but no diplomacy and slow science havent been fixed

	27-10-2001 03:31									#5
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

yeah, I agree with you. in order for someone to really dedicate some time and effort to AI (or anything else) there has to be:
1) sufficient number of interested people, so that someone who knows how to do it can be among them
2) sufficient interest and stability, so that someone who is making AI or something simmilar feels like it will be accepted and he is not only doing it for himself or 10 fanatics.

we also had a short discussion here: http://www.apolyton.net/forums/show...&threadid=28809

as far as I am concerned, the quest for ultimate civ AI is still here. and it may take an effort to reach. when the water settles that is, when civ3 hype is over.