Difficulty

[pontrjagin]

Just reading from the difficulty section of the manual, "On levels higher than Prince, the AIs receive increasing bonuses in city growth, production,
and technology. They may also get additional starting units and free techs to boot."

I thought that the AI would just make smarter decisions, but I see that they still need the handicap to be challenging after all. So, really, how good is the AI?

[Black Gate of Mordor]

Just reading from the difficulty section of the manual, "On levels higher than Prince, the AIs receive increasing bonuses in city growth, production,
and technology. They may also get additional starting units and free techs to boot."

I thought that the AI would just make smarter decisions, but I see that they still need the handicap to be challenging after all. So, really, how good is the AI?

That's always been what civ is like. AI getting bonuses higher up, and you getting bonuses lower down.

[pontrjagin]

I know. I just thought this one would be different. Hopefully the manual is out of date or something.

In any case, there's always multiplayer on Steam for now. Only problem with MP for me is that the games are almost always very fast. I usually only get like 30 seconds per turn to think.

Can't wait for the Pitboss games to start up.

[polysyllabist]

Yeah... not cool. I want a challenge, but I hate the idea that the computer is getting a bonus. There was a lot of hype around the AI making smarter decisions on higher difficulty levels... I guess that was just part of it.
Hopefully there's a difficulty level where the computer gets all the smartest algorithms but none of the bonuses.

[Oberon Blade]

from what was being said in the 2 hr demo they recorded the AI gets more choices to pick from at a lower difficulty level, meaning it can make silly choices.

As the difficulty level goes up, the choices available for the AI are more restricted, so it seem to be making smarter choices. Like if there is 2 hostile units on a equal distance from the AI unit. At lower diff. level the AI might have choices to go for both of them as well as remain, or move back.

Higher diff. level and the choices for movement is that it have to move, and the path back is blocked, but forward to attack is available.

Thats the way I understood it from the explanation in the demo. Could be wrong tho, and the manual states the only bonus the AI get, or the manual is a bit outdated in that section.

[Arch Duke]

Yeah... not cool. I want a challenge, but I hate the idea that the computer is getting a bonus. There was a lot of hype around the AI making smarter decisions on higher difficulty levels... I guess that was just part of it.
Hopefully there's a difficulty level where the computer gets all the smartest algorithms but none of the bonuses.

^ This is what I'd like as well...
I believe that difficulty might just be prince though.

I hate the idea of handicaps in a strategy game.