31-10-2001 18:26									#1
	The AI Is No Pushover! Inflate your Upload Space

I don't claim to be an expert CIV2 player, but I used to be able to play at King level and win every time.

With CIV3, that's completely different.

The AI is very well done! I've been playing at Warlord level, and I'm having a hard time dominating. Most of the time, I stuggle just to keep up! The AI builds cities very quickly, usually faster than I can.

The AI seems a little passive at warlord because the Russians are the only civilization to declare war on me. When they did, they took over 3 of my 5 cities and I decided I had enough!

Played another game... this time I was next to the French, and they were very sweet. ...until I started building cities right next to theirs (as close as I could get) and I kept telling them to get off my land. They never declared war with me, even though I tried to pick a fight with them. I had a stronger military, so I guess I can't blame them. I declared war on them, and I took over my first city! Yay! The AI won't pick a fight with you unless it thinks it can win. Very cool! So, if the AI does declare war, watch out! They mean business!

I sued for peace after that because I knew that if I stayed in war mode, that I'd fall far behind.

	31-10-2001 19:17									#2
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That's good to hear!

If you are in Australia, how do you have a copy? BTW...

	31-10-2001 21:17									#3
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Australia? Where did you get that idea? I'm Canadian.

	31-10-2001 22:27									#4
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He thought your avatar is australian

	01-11-2001 13:42									#5
	Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by Jason Beaudoin Australia? Where did you get that idea? I'm Canadian.

Ah those silly, underprivilaged, uninformed non-Canadians...

Although, even I must admit to some ignorance as to your flag. I knew it was an eastern province but I wasn't sure which one. I thought it might be PEI or Ontario. After consulting the encyclopeadia I now know the truth.

As a fellow Canadian I have no excuse for my ignorance and so as penance I shall play my next game of hockey without my .....ahhh...ummm....protection....

	01-11-2001 14:57									#6
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quote: Originally posted by Simpleton Ah those silly, underprivilaged, uninformed non-Canadians... Although, even I must admit to some ignorance as to your flag. I knew it was an eastern province but I wasn't sure which one. I thought it might be PEI or Ontario. After consulting the encyclopeadia I now know the truth. As a fellow Canadian I have no excuse for my ignorance and so as penance I shall play my next game of hockey without my .....ahhh...ummm....protection....

Don't you think you're overreacting? It was only the Ontario flag, not an important one like Alberta or BC.

Kidding Jason... mostly.

	01-11-2001 16:09									#7
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Yes, I have been playing Civ3 and found the AI to be very impressive. Even on the lower levels. Now if you are a novice you probably want a slightly easier opponent though. Christ knows what it is going to be like on the higher levels

	01-11-2001 16:30									#8
	Re: The AI Is No Pushover! Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

quote: Originally posted by Jason Beaudoin I don't claim to be an expert CIV2 player, but I used to be able to play at King level and win every time. With CIV3, that's completely different. The AI is very well done! I've been playing at Warlord level, and I'm having a hard time dominating. Most of the time, I stuggle just to keep up! The AI builds cities very quickly, usually faster than I can... I kept telling them to get off my land.

I've had exactly the same experience with the AI.

By the way, how do you tell them to get off your land? I have yet to find that option, which is a big problem in dealing with India!!!

	01-11-2001 18:37									#9
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I agree about the AI. It seems that the other civs tend to keep up with you rather than just being a joke during the early ages. I was about par with everone else until the modern age where I reapt the benefit of high science spending and got two units up on everyone else. Then it was very reminiscent of civ2 and civ during the mop up time on an easy level.

	01-11-2001 18:56									#10
	Re: Re: The AI Is No Pushover! Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Originally posted by old dog I've had exactly the same experience with the AI. By the way, how do you tell them to get off your land? I have yet to find that option, which is a big problem in dealing with India!!!

During negotiations with that CIV (in the diplomatic/barganing table) you can tell them to get off of your land. It won't always be there, but hey... you have to deal.

I've been noticing that even if you tell them to get off, sometimes they don't until you give them an ultimatum. I think the only way to ensure that other civs stay off of your land is to actually build a wall of units. That may sound inpossible, but with fortresses, which allow for zones of control, you may be able to do it. I've noticed, however, that it takes a long time to build those, if you're not an industrious civilization.

Sometimes, when I've told the units to get off of my land, they would appear in some unused portion of land within my borders, so in a way, you can be worse off by telling them to get off.

	01-11-2001 19:01									#11
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BTW, my avatar is the Ontario Flag. I want to change it but for some reason, the ability to use custom avatars has been removed for me. I don't know why.

	01-11-2001 19:02									#12
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Yeah its really on a different level than both civ 2 and SMAC, the AI actually makes coordinated attacks, runs over my cities with horsemen Im yet to see the modern age AI but im sure its awesome, I heard someone say that they were going to play their first game on Deity, im sure theyre sorry now

	01-11-2001 19:05									#13
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quote: Originally posted by Milon I agree about the AI. It seems that the other civs tend to keep up with you rather than just being a joke during the early ages. I was about par with everone else until the modern age where I reapt the benefit of high science spending and got two units up on everyone else. Then it was very reminiscent of civ2 and civ during the mop up time on an easy level.

I haven't been able to play CIV 3 much (because I have a wife ) so I've never been out of the ancient age yet, but in the game that I played recently, I was able to expand very well because I had a huge space of land with only one border to contend with. However, as I expanded, I noticed too late that I was neglecting my military, and the Americans let me know it by attacking me with a couple of horsemen.

Those bastards!

That really pissed me off because I was getting along with everyone up until that point. ...and apparently, the Russians and French betrayed me by allowing them a right of passage pact.

But... I got even... I was technologically more advanced than any other civ, so I traded Monarchy to the English, Russians and the French, in order to get them to side with me and declare war against the Americans. The Iroquois were allied with the yanks. ...figures.

	01-11-2001 19:09									#14
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I haven't had luck with the zone of control thing. I just tried to fortify by borders with manned fortresses every 2 squares (with zone of control, there should be no hole to move through), but the AI just sends units right through the square with no fortress. Looks like you have to fortify the entire border to really keep the AI out.

This looks a little buggy actually and defeats the purpose of having fortresses with ZOC in the first place.

	01-11-2001 19:26									#15
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The nice thing with the improved AI is that it requires new and better human strategies. I've found out the hard way that you cant overstretch your military campaign, you must choose a target and go for that, not letting other things distract you.

BTW, how effective is the fortress? I seem to forget building it all the time.

	01-11-2001 19:27									#16
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quote: Originally posted by Peterk I haven't had luck with the zone of control thing. I just tried to fortify by borders with manned fortresses every 2 squares (with zone of control, there should be no hole to move through), but the AI just sends units right through the square with no fortress. Looks like you have to fortify the entire border to really keep the AI out. This looks a little buggy actually and defeats the purpose of having fortresses with ZOC in the first place.

ZOC has been changed, seemingly. It no longer prevents units from passing, what it does is give you a free attack if it moves through your ZOC (and you're at war)

	01-11-2001 19:34									#17
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quote: Originally posted by Grunthex ZOC has been changed, seemingly. It no longer prevents units from passing, what it does is give you a free attack if it moves through your ZOC (and you're at war)

Oh.... I didn't know that! Humm... I guess I'll have to make that Maginot Line.

	01-11-2001 22:23									#18
	Full PM-box? Change here!

> ZOC has been changed, seemingly. It no longer prevents units > from passing, what it does is give you a free attack if it moves > through your ZOC (and you're at war)

Ahhh...so it does look like a solid line of fortresses is necessary to completely shut off a border.

I don't know if this is my imagination or not, but the AI's disdain for my border seems to be related to respect. Back when I was fairly close in influence to my neighbors I hardly ever noticed any of them violating the border, but now that I'm small fry I find that the AI just crosses over without a second thought. If this is true...it's quite cool.

	01-11-2001 23:59									#19
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

quote: Originally posted by Peterk > ZOC has been changed, seemingly. It no longer prevents units > from passing, what it does is give you a free attack if it moves > through your ZOC (and you're at war) Ahhh...so it does look like a solid line of fortresses is necessary to completely shut off a border. I don't know if this is my imagination or not, but the AI's disdain for my border seems to be related to respect. Back when I was fairly close in influence to my neighbors I hardly ever noticed any of them violating the border, but now that I'm small fry I find that the AI just crosses over without a second thought. If this is true...it's quite cool.

I definitely like this. In my game, Cleopatra and I are kind of intertwined in our empire, both of us have cities surrounded by the other. And while she's been quite polite, as I have to her, I can see her 20 or 30 war chariots roaming around, and so when she decides to wander through my territory... which she does quite often, I say nothing. I know she's trying to provoke a war without being the instigator. I'm turning the other cheek.

	02-11-2001 00:28									#20
	custom avatar Remove this text

quote: Originally posted by Jason Beaudoin BTW, my avatar is the Ontario Flag. I want to change it but for some reason, the ability to use custom avatars has been removed for me. I don't know why.

The criteria for being able to have a custom avatar have changed. Before you could either have so many posts or have been registered for a certain amount of time. Now it's just posts; you have to have 500. Which is a bummer for me. I found out when I tried to finally load a custom avatar... too late, now I have to wait till I get 500 posts.

	02-11-2001 00:53									#21
	Got spare money?

Speaking from my whopping 90 minutes' experience with CIV III, I concur with many of these comments. The lack of ZOC is definitely one of the most immediate differences that dramatically changes this game - it feels both familiar and brand new in that regard. I like being better and more directly informed as to the progress of terraforming, building, and advances - you could dig for the info in CIVII, here it pretty much hits you over the head. The game looks like it is going to change dramatically.