SP Challenge

[WraithLord]

I recall reading some suggestions in different threads on how to make SP game more challenging. I did some quick search and couldn't find them.

What I'm looking for are ideas on how to spice up SP game to make it more challenging. I'm less into self imposed rules like I'm not allowed research above lvl 4, or I'm not allowed bless etc. Rather I'm more interested in things like specifically designed maps that give advantage to AI players.

Any tips on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

[Meglobob]

Use the NI maps, they are in the map forums. I have at least 4. Edi made a mod as well to use with any map.

Ban yorself from using mercenaries.

Use Ballbarians randomiser v2.03.

Design the AI's gods.

Play the 1st 5 turns or so for the AI, then turn it AI.

You can use all those together.

[WraithLord]

Meglobob said:
Use the NI maps, they are in the map forums. I have at least 4. Edi made a mod as well to use with any map.

Ahmm, what are the NI maps?- More important, how do I locate them in the map forums?

Meglobob said:
Ban yorself from using mercenaries.

Maybe I can do that in conjunction with your last suggestion and give the mercs. to the AI.

Meglobob said:
Use Ballbarians randomiser v2.03.

What does it do to increase SP challenge?

Meglobob said:
Design the AI's gods.
Play the 1st 5 turns or so for the AI, then turn it AI.

Sounds like an excellent idea if albeit somewhat time consuming. I think I'll adopt that for Faerun or some such. Thanks!

[Meglobob]

Link to NI's maps:-

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...=&fpart=1&vc=1

Look for Sombres post on page 2, he bundled 4 maps into a attachment. Also Edi's mod is at the bottom of his posts.

There are more maps in this thread as well.

I am glad I looked, just found Velusions maps for download as well, cool.

Read through the thread for ballbarions semirandomiser, it allows you to design a AI god from the start and still have the AI on impossible difficulty. Which is very cool.

Also the unique provinces add alot of interest, very much like Edi's Faerun map but on any map you want.

[Shovah32]

NI maps are no indy maps. They stop the AI spending silly amounts of gold on independant troops by removing them from the game(they can still be recruited from special sites) and gets the AI to purchase more of their generally superior national troops.
Designing the AI gods and playing a little for them can help - particularly to stop them from making incredibly silly choices such as death3 and a nation full of old mages or very positive scales with LA Ermor but, IIRC, setting a nation to AI makes them default to normal level AI so they may not be as much of a challenge as, for example, an impossible AI.
Making a game on a no indys map, giving the AI a nation with powerful national troops(the heims/abysia ect) and either setting them to impossible or giving them order3, growth3, prod3 and then setting them AI gives them something they can work pretty well with(basic units and lots of gold/resources).

[Ironhawk]

Wraith - I am currently working on a mod that gives the AI some pre-packed thugs/SCs. I'm still developing it but if you'd like to try it out I'd love your feedback. Definitely gives the AI some punch!

[Hadrian_II]

I think to make the AI a challenge you should abstain from scripting your mages (then your mages use the same routines as the AI mages do), as i think the major weakness of the AI is that she is completely unable to use magic.

Also the AI has no real tactic in using her armies, she just throws lots of material on the same chokepoints, so to provide a challenge you should also consider not to use PD.

NI maps might be also interesting.

[PvK]

I generally turn up the supply multiplier to help the AI not starve its large armies.

I also roleplay my nation, which limits my choices, especially when playing Ulm.

I think it may also help to have a large number of AI opponents. Then the ones that have bad luck don't really matter, and the ones with good luck can really get large and powerful, and you can end up at war with several of them at once.

Hard research and low magic sites are also probably in the AI's favor, maybe higher resources and gold as well, since the main way players outclass the AI is their ability to concentrate on the most effective magics and use them well.

[Gandalf Parker]

I think you were looking for this thread...
http://tinyurl.com/3dgkbn

You might also try the Tower map. Its only wide enough for one nation at a time but its tall enough to hold all of the nations with lots of wilderness between. On the good side, you cant get swarmed by everyone at once, on the bad side by the time you reach some of them they are VERY powerful.
Tower_1.zip

And a Dom3 version of my popular Dom2 map altho I dont have it re-randomizing a daily version yet. It scatters surprises into every province.
Poke in the Eye map

So far only one other chaotic craziness map and it has 1500 provinces. It crashes some peoples machines and takes so long to create a game that some people think its crashed. Thats why I shifted my attentions to the programs which modify the maps with pre-written provinces.
MegaMap zip

There are also some mods which add nations that are new and challenging AI opponents. Look for the ones that are NOT balanced for human players.

[Morkilus]

Your mileage may vary...

But I found that -in combination with NI maps - turning gold, resources, and supply to max and Indy Strength to 2 sure gets the AI geared up and rolling pretty quickly. It's not going to train you for MP gaming, but when you're having to deal with 300+ good troops early in the game, you don't have time to sit back and craft SC's to trash the AI. You'll most likely have to start building tons of castles, and the AI has no problem building castles, either.