Burden of TIme --- does it affect computer players?
 

So I was playing this solo game against a bunch of AI's and one cast Burden of Time.

It was pretty early in the game ( turn 23 )and I did not have access to astral gems ( Vanhiem ).

So I watch in horror as my ( extensive ) empire basically shrivles and dies. But what really facinates me is that on the income graphs ( and all other graphs, really ) I can easily notice where BoT was cast as my income steadly goes down from that point. However I notice that none of the other 12 or so computers seem to be affected.

Is this intentional? Is it a bug? Or perhaps they are doing something to defend themselves from BoT ( I thought that there was no defence other than dispelling it or killing the guy that cast it ).

Re: Burden of TIme --- does it affect computer players?
 

BoT does cause your population to die but at slow rate so it shouldn't affect your income greatly over time (at least not at the rate you are describing it). What does affect your income is unrest it produces. You should use patrollers or reduce taxes to fight unrest in all your provinces. AI usually reduces taxes so when BoT is cast it shows significant drop in income for all non-death players, but it gets steady afterwards.

Re: Burden of TIme --- does it affect computer players?
 

You could always alchemize to astral gems...

Re: Burden of TIme --- does it affect computer players?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Perhaps that is it. I did not do that ( I did not actually notice the effect of BoT on my economy until about 20 or so turns after it had been cast when I noticed that my upkeep and my income were quite close, I then looked at the history chart and was amazed to see the decline ).

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">AND find an astral 3 mage AND get enchantment 5. Yes indeedy. No wait. No. Or get an astral 2 mage and get construction 6 and forge a starshine helmet. Easy. No wait. Hard.

Still no big deal. I'm not saying that the spell is overpowered ( it really is, hence in multiplayer anyone who casts it get crushed ) but it is pretty powerful and early.

But really my main question was if the computer players were equally affected by it. And it seems that they may be and that they simply reduce their tax rates to offset the unrest.

Re: Burden of TIme --- does it affect computer players?
 

I am pretty sure the AIs are affected just the same as human players, which makes me question the wisdom of the Jotun mage that casted BoT & Foul Air in my still going Orania SP game.

Playing as Last of Tuatha, I have very limited access to Astral mages or gems. So I had to live with BoT for... ~60 turns or so, while battling with Vanheim, Marignon, Pythium, Atlantis, and few others. In the end, I didn't dispel the BoT, rather I casted GoH to offset it in my dominion, when BoT had been in effect for 40+ turns... The BoT was finally dispelled, probably because Ermor or some other killed the casting mage.

For me, BoT wasn't as nasty as Foul Air, considering I was engaging in multiple fronts http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif Now I just need to wipe out the two big powers, Ermor & Ulm, and the lesser power Ctis to finally win this game (Turn 140+ already)

-Gateway103

Re: Burden of TIme --- does it affect computer players?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I've seen the Jotun's cast Foul Air as well, inexplicably, considering how they are probably impacted by it a lot worse than races with cheaper, less survivable units are.

I think the latest patch was supposed to have a change making the AI "less fond" of BoT. It seems to me that should be made the case for Foul Air as well.