Single Player Rant

[Aleph]

And I can still be regularly beaten by the AI on wrap around maps on the hardest difficulty, so luckily I'm bad enough that I can enjoy the game.

Edit - I like Fate's parallel game comment. I strongly believe that the nations of Dominions aren't balanced with each other... and I'm not sure they're even meant to be or should be. I appreciate the option to pick diversity of game experience over strict balancing, which is an option I enjoy by virtue of selecting SP. Or, I suppose, also an option I would enjoy by virtue of willingness to be obliterated in MP, but I find that less rewarding.

Edit II - I have noticed a trend on this forum (similar to the red sox/yankees competition) between SP/MP players. SP players seen to feel they have to prove their own enjoyment of the game as equally valid with the MP players, while MP players often don't care at all about the SP experience. If you're enjoying what you're doing with the game, good on you.

The more members both sides can be civil and make room for the other on the forum (and I'm not pointing any fingers, at either side), that will also render the discussion about the game enjoyable - and at least for me, forum discussion is an important aspect of enjoying a game, since very few in my immediate social circle like the kind of games I do.

[Fate]

I am a player who still loses to hard (not impossible, just hard) AI after a good number of games.

I have to say that I have seen many forums where gamers say that the AI is just too easy, and have almost never been able to consistently beat the AI myself.

I would like to say that I take NO offense when others can beat the AI easily. It is inevitable, especially on the forums, where most of the more advanced and dedicated players go, that this issue will appear. I even appreciate the fact the these players find ways to retain the enjoyment of SP (by giving the AI advantages).

I see it as no slander against the developers that the AI is beatable. In large games which sell millions of copies and have teams of 30+ the AI is still, consistently, easier than advanced MP.

The flip-side is that I think everyone should be treated equally (including the opinions of SP players, who should NOT -!NOT!- "shut up").

In Rise of Nations, one side (Russia) was very unbalanced for advanced players, but it was one of the strongest nations among new players. The developers chose to leave the nation unbalanced for advanced players because any more bonuses would make it too powerful for the new players.


In conclusion, I am OK with advanced player discussing the AI problems they have had, and how to "improve" the AI. I also will admit that many other people know the game better than me. What I do NOT appreciate is being told that ANYONE'S opinion is invalid.