How weak is the AI... really?

[Raiel]

I've been playing Dominions for about 4 years, now... and my preferred settings have always been:

Orania
Very Difficult Research
Maximum Number of AIs (Defensive)
All AIs Impossible

Now, I've been lurking for a few months and I understand that performance against the AI is not a good measure of multi-player skill. I consistently win against the above set-up with the following races:

EA:
Ulm
Sauromatia
Abysia
Caelum
Pangea
Agartha
Tir
Fomoria
Vans
Kailasa
Yomi

MA:
Pythium
Marignon
Pangea
Vans
Bandar Log
R'lyeh

And a couple from LA...

I am frequently beaten with any other race, though. Are these setting insane, or do I really have that much more to learn?

[Lingchih]

Well, the AI does not do things that real live players will do. There is really no comparison between AI games and MP games. The things that you have learned playing the AI are helpful, but in MP all that goes out the window.

[Jazzepi]

The AI is garbage. It doesn't manage its troops properly. It doesn't research properly. It doesn't have any concept of strategy beyond "attack province". Blood nations often times die because they can't feed their own domininon.

Their biggest weakness is the absolute inability to deal with SCs or thugs. But in general, almost nothing from SP translates into real MP.

Jazzepi

[Raiel]

I'm actully glad to hear that about MP... but that was the impression I had already.

My main concern is that there are nations with which I cannot fight off the hordes of garbage. As the vets you both are (Ling & Jazz), based on the nations I've "mastered" the AI with, what am I missing? Or are massed Impossible AIs just that (for some nations) whithout quick research?

[Lingchih]

Any nation can win the single player game. The AI is just too dumb. I can't really tell you what to do when you start playing MP, it is different for every nation. Just keep in mind that you need a Super Combatent or two. Blitzes are the best way to start. They are always available on the weekends on the IRC channel.

[MaxWilson]

It' true that AI != MP, as others have said. However, I think the AI is pretty good for SP games, in the sense that it's good at massing troops and providing a somewhat realistic opponent. No, it doesn't search for optimal strategies like a human player would, and spend a lot of time on the forums trying to refine those strategies, but from the roleplaying perspective that's fine. Look at real life--how many nations actually employ a national strategy (China) and how many enjoy the good life and flail around with one hand to try to keep the good life going (U.S. today)? The AI doesn't deal well with SCs and it tends to just throw magic items onto random commanders, but maybe those commanders don't *want* to give up their items for the "greater good." Human players ruthlessly ignore the commanders' wishes of course.

The AI is good at what it does, which is providing an opponent who tries to crush you thematically. I frequently (40%?) lose to at least one AI when I'm first starting off with a race. Part of that might be because I use Edi's Better Independents mod (some people say the AI performs better with it), but I still think it's pretty good for its purpose.

-Max

[NTJedi]

Raiel said:
Are these setting insane, or do I really have that much more to learn?

If you're looking for a new challenge, use the mapedit.pdf located in the Dominions\Docs directory. Here you can give your opponents smarter god builds and smarter scales.

You can also setup the AIs to be allied against you. And as mentioned earlier... don't play with water provinces unless using very specific nations where the AI can enter water provinces.