AI nation skills

[NTJedi]

One of the greatest benefits an AI can receive is an order_3 and productivity_3. It's gold income increases per difficulty level and an order_3 can really make it powerful. I've seen and felt the difference.

To better understand which AI nations are the strongest each would have to be given identical scales with identical pretenders of small size on the most balanced map which can be found. The human player can provide himself two separate provinces with no neighbors, high astral mage pretender at start to cast eyes of god. Rotate starting positions and record results after 100 turns.
**Water nations should be tested separately since most AI land nations lack the knowledge for attacking water provinces.**

Chaos_3 and Unluck_3 really make a weak AI, Death_3 weakens the AI long term.

[Meglobob]

Its probably not worth having EA or LA Mictlan in a SP game. It usually dies of dominion death because the AI does not use the perform blood sacrifice order.

MA Mictlan does not have this problem as the Lawgiver banned blood magic in MA.

When you can defeat impossible level there are various things you can do to increase the challenge even more, but MP is where the real challenge is.

[Ming]

Meglobob?

I don't have time for MP. How can one increase the challenge beyond impossible AI in a sensible way ie. still fun to play? Thank in advance.

[Edratman]

Ming said:
Meglobob?

I don't have time for MP. How can one increase the challenge beyond impossible AI in a sensible way ie. still fun to play? Thank in advance.

There are 2 ways to do this that I know:

1. Create pretenders for the AI and start game with all factions human. One thing to watch in this is bless pretenders, because the AI does not use bless well. Better to use good scales and rainbow pretenders. Immobile AI pretenders might be the best choice, but that is subject to debate.
2. Edit a map file. This takes longer, but has definite advantages. You would place each AI in a province, and make AI pretenders and scales that are much more positive for the AI than the game allows. Make sure you than select "Cheat detection off". You can even give the AI fully outfitted SC pretenders. Also set all AI nations as allies so they will only attack you. If you do this and play on "impossible", you will have to be a top notch superior player to win. (I have found that I am not.)

3. Set indy strength to 3 or less. This will let the AI expand very quickly with the obvious benefits.

[Ming]

Thanks Edratman. Presumable on 1. all other human fractions resign on turn 1 and the AI take over. Is that correct?

[Edratman]

Ming said:
Thanks Edratman. Presumable on 1. all other human fractions resign on turn 1 and the AI take over. Is that correct?

That is correct.

That is the only way I know how to select the pretender and scales for the AI without editing.

[Humakty]

To the very weak nations I would add Abysia, because seeing fully fire resistant armies without any fire mages in support is really funny, I usually kill them wihout having to wistand any fireballs(or fire clouds).
The same thing is probably true to all mage reliant factions.

[Edratman]

I just had a thought. Would it be possible to have on the menu screen (the one where you set indy strength) an option to make all AI allies in the next patch? I have no idea if the coding would be managable or not. The default should be non-allied if it is doable.