wminsing wrote:In general I agree that the game end-timing should better, but one advantage that an 'end game crisis' approach has as a game difficulty balancing mechanic is that it's somewhat asymmetric and it is harder for the player to prepare for. The other empires SHOULD provide a challenge, but a smart player is going to use every trick in the book from turn 1 to keep the power level of other empires down. Aggressive forward colonization, picking off the weakest enemy empire early on, etc. I've haven't seen a game yet where the AI hasn't needed straight-up bonuses to 'cheat' and keep up a player.l
Seven Empires. The first installment.
It was a real-time strategy but might have been turned into turn-based, doesn't realy make a difference. Sadly I do not know how they managed to put to AI together but it was capable both in:
1. Expansion
2. War
3. Diplomacy!
Though I cant see into the AI of that game, after hundreds of hours of game-time I can tell my assumption why it was possible to have a competent AI withouth bonuses:
- Game mechanics were simple yet offered a multitude of possibilities
- Diplomacy was simple, but logical (no trading BTW)
Now that I think abouth it, 7K was abouth the only game other then SiS that did food production right
The AI would constantly be forced to beg for food trade deals if it was involved in long wars as it needed to recruit most of its peasants (producing food) forthe war effort
So my takeway from that game is: Keep game mechanics as simple as possible (no segregated systems)
In case of SiS I can see that most of the AI issues spam from this: managing tactical combat and decisions on the strategic map at the same time, using mercs, or considering range of ships
BTW: Through all my years with that game I have only found 2 exploits to game the AI:
1. Early game rush (this was before starcraft) you could basically start by recruiting all your peasents to soldiers and then just rush all other kingdoms one-by-one. As soldiers won exp, and leveled up this force was unbeatable right of the bat and all other kingdoms would pay food and money so you do not attack them
2. Cannons in masses wiped the map clear of any fleshy human soldiers which the AI was sadly not aware of
But when not resulting to the above two, I have lost a lot of games against the AI fair and square withouth any bonuses to it