Newb Question II: original gods?

[Cainehill]

What you can do is create the pretender you want the AI to use for a nation, and start the game with that nation as Human. Turn 1, set those nations to AI, at which point the computer is using the pretender you setup.

This can be done either to make things easier, or more difficult, or simply to help keep the AI from doing incredibly stupid / incredibly irritating things. More difficult by giving it a solid design; easier by giving that magicless crone. Keeping it from doing stupid things : doesn't seem to matter the nation, if the AI can cast a global spell, it will - say Man's pretender has enough death magic, once it gets the gems and research, it will cast Burden of Time, never mind that it hurts the nation that just cast it at least as much as anyone else.