Best AI Nation in EA?
 

I've been trying to set up a sort of epic SP game on the Faerun map (I'm using a variation on the one that Hadrian edited for his MP game), and I've done that by having 3 nations in fixed starting points: myself as TC on the west end, Arco on the east side and Rlyeh down south. I then set Arco and Ryleh to AI Impossible, and add a bunch of random AI Difficult nations.

At least so far (maybe 20-25 turns into the game), I've been dissapointed in Arco's performance, as it is just in the middle of the pack. Of course what I'm looking to do is find the toughest AI so that I face off against a very strong nation in the end game. I would also prefer if this nation was not one where the AI tended to take death scales. I would likewise like to pick the ocean nation that tends to have the best performing AI.

Any suggestions?

Re: Best AI Nation in EA?
 

Sauromatia, helheim fare good by the AI. But it's a bit random mostly.

Re: Best AI Nation in EA?
 

Helheim and vanheim are both good ai nations. If you want challenging ai opponents you can either set them to impossible as you have done OR make their pretender for them and set them human(then ai in game). If you are going to make their god for them i suggest imprisoned(they suicide them), high dominion and good scales.

Re: Best AI Nation in EA?
 

Ive run long tests by setting the game to process every half hour and leaving it run for days. Mostly map size is a big factor but on really big maps with all the nations playing it tended to be:
Ermor up until about 50 turns
Oceania up until about 100 turns
Arcos after that

So the "winner" tends to depend on whether or not the game lets Oceania stay in long enough and then whether or not Arcos can stay in long enough. And alot of that depends on who ends up next door to who.

I havent run enough tests to break down the win/lose points on all of the other nations. Sometimes the "heims" do really well. The only other pattern Ive noticed is that Mictlan tends to fall out first. Sometimes so early that I dont think they met another nation (its hard to randomly create a good mictlan setup).

Re: Best AI Nation in EA?
 

Good suggestions, I think I'll do that, maybe even run 2-3 turns (enough to force choice of prophet) before handing over the AI.

So, would anyone care to speculate on whether the AI will suicide even imprisoned immortal pretenders?

Re: Best AI Nation in EA?
 

Excellent data, Gandalf. So it looks like my best choice would be Arcos after all. I was wondering if maybe I just hadn't played it long enough to see the advantages kick in.

Do you have experience on whether the standard, agressive or defensive AI performs best? I would have to guess that the agressive AI would perform better, given the advantage it has, but not having tested, I wonder...

Re: Best AI Nation in EA?
 

AI Yomi have done very well indeed in several of my games

Re: Best AI Nation in EA?
 

The best AI setting (defense, standard, aggressive) depends on the nations. It would be interesting to test that and graph it out. I suspect that Jotunhiem and Arcos do better on defense, Ermor and Ulm on Offense, Oceania on standard. But thats just guesswork based on the strengths of those nations.

Re: Best AI Nation in EA?
 

I have exactly the SP map you're looking to play... that is if you like a map with 700 provinces. The map has all the computer opponents allied and you'll have plenty of time to build your empire and perhaps conquer a few of the unique provinces I've setup. And the last computer opponent has been given some advantages and will be very very powerful.
I'm 90% finished with the map... just need to finish a few more errands on the map.

EDIT:
P.S.~ All computer opponents have been given strong growth scales to help prevent them from killing their lands and starving their troops.