Re: Rate the SP AI...
 

I forgot to add, suppose I wanted to play a theme, like Diabolical Faith, then what?

Re: Rate the SP AI...
 

Then take air or watermagic to create scubagear. Or a lot of watermagic to launch an immediate water expansion so you can stock up on Tritons quickly.

Re: Rate the SP AI...
 

What scuba gear items are there? How much do they cost? Path requirements? Their effects?

I thought that scuba gear items usually comes pretty late in a game with very difficult research.

Re: Rate the SP AI...
 

I find it difficult to rate the AI without discussing the purpose of it.

As a standalone single player experience its one rating.

As a prelude to MP its certainly another.

I also find that even when we talk about a better AI we might not talk about the same.
there is alot differense in wanting it to presure you more in the begining, be cheating, using different strategies or even be more MP like.

Re: Rate the SP AI...
 

First scuba gear appears at construction 2. Shamblers Skin (1w) and amulet of breathing (1a) One man gear but enough to send a group of competent commanders into the deep. At construction 4 the first group scuba gear appear. At 6 comes the submariners and at 8 the fabled "Orb of Atlantis" that essentially lets you take on water nations as an equal.

See Zens item reference sheet for information. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Illwinter/d2/6.htm

Re: Rate the SP AI...
 

Yeah... more specific, Wauthan?

Re: Rate the SP AI...
 

The A.I. is great for learning the game.

Since learning the game takes a long, long time time...well...i'd say the A.I. is fit for its purpose.

Particularly the concept that everyone is bound to declare war on you sooner rather than later, and all together.

One thing that I don't understand though - why do A.I. nations far away from you declare war on you, do a few distance spells (funny how they seem to know exactly where to launch those spells to target your armies even though they're not supposed to know where they are), and then nothing?

The only thing I really dislike is when they cast that unnatural aging global enchantment really early, and you see all your nice expensive leaders, prophets etc get afflictions and die http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif If only leaders could be immune to global enchantments...

Re: Rate the SP AI...
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">The AI is just as capable of sending scouts around as a normal player, so I expect this is where much of their knowledge comes from.

Re: Rate the SP AI...
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I dont think the AI declares war any mroe intelligently than anything else it does. It might just see you gaining provinces and army then decide you must be an enemy. Seems like that way. I think its all fluff anyway. It doesnt seem to make it more likely to attack even if it is next door.

As to Burden of Time that was turned down in the Last patch. The AI is supposed to be less fond of casting it.

Re: Rate the SP AI...
 

Hey... Cool So far we have the "Bell Shape Curve" going..... Throw out the highest vote and the lowest vote... Only 1 each so far....