Easy changes that will make the AI better

from GalCiv2 Forums
From what ive read the thing thats abused the most is the "attack-> peace treaty + goodies > attack ..." cheese so the easiest way to stop this is making a peace tready last minimum 10 or 15 rounds...
I played over 15 games and still the AI didnt reasearch Xeno Ethics, i mean arent drengin supposed to be mean ? torians good ? ethical alignment gaives a big bonus plus it when a played reaserches it it doest even make sense o paick anything besiedes neutral since most of the good or evil bonuses work with the same or opposite alignment ( and AI never have one )
The game also needs an option for only allies tech trading becouse AI tend to trade everythin beetwen themselves, and that why i always play with the tech trading off:D i dont think any of these changes are hard to add and they would make the AI much more "real"
10,386 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You want a strategy you can exploit? ally only tech trading? If you can't do well on them game with tech trading on, learn and don't just ask for an option you will prioritise that the AI won't. As of beta 4a the AI knows how many wars you have started, and registers that, so no need for minimum turns.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I seem to recall Brad discussing the "attack-> peace treaty + goodies > attack ..." cheese you mentioned, testing some new AI code for that. It may have gone into the latest (4A) beta, though I don't remember for sure.

Xeno Ethics: What level are you playing on? I assure you that the AI in my current game (started in with Beta 4 at tough) researched this tech itself, as I refuse to trade it. Also, the alignments do have advantages that work in most situations. Good get access to certain defensive technologies, Evil get access to certain rather nasty weapon technologies and they don't have to pay credits for starbase upgrades. I agree that I like Neutral the best, but that's just because of my play style. I can certainly see play styles that would benefit more from Evil. Not sure about Good, I haven't played Good in a very long time.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Xeno Ethics rarely gets researched by the AI because it only has an AI value of 3, which AFAIK is the lowest value of any tech. I know some people have modded the file to increase the AI value, and I'm thinking of doing the same.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The 4a beta does seem to have new AI code for this. I can now only yank out one planet/peace treaty, and after maybe 6 times they stop accepting peace treaties altogether even though I am way ahead in military rating.

I always saw it as a speedup tactic when you're winning already, so it didn't really matter much.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Evil get access to certain rather nasty weapon technologies and they don't have to pay credits for starbase upgrades.


And don't forget, evil races can build a structure that makes all invasion tactics free. I like that one. It's fun.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i play only on crippling and none of my 8 opponets have reseached xeno ethics
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
And don't forget, evil races can build a structure that makes all invasion tactics free. I like that one. It's fun.


Ah, yes, I forgot all about the temples (the Neutal one is the least impressive, so I tend to forget about them). Good gets a temple that increases the odds that someone will surrender to you, and a defensive wonder or superproject.

It's fun till the Fundamentalist comes and f***s you up.


True, the Fundamentalists are the one reason I don't play Evil any more. I have bad luck with them in GC2. If I'm evil, they WILL pop, and always at an inoportune time.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I liked the idea of ally only tech trading. Kind of a compromise between the far too easy diplomatic tech trading with everyone and the slow advancement and limitations of having tech trading off. I almost always play with tech trades off since it is far to easy with it on. I hate having to check for new techs every turn to grab anyway.

Just a side note though, you might want to try the ideological war scenario. It auto allies you with 2 civs for a 3v3v3 for the galaxy. In this way it makes it basically ally only tech trading as the cost of trading with civs you are constantly at war with is very prohibitive. On the downside, the AI sees all those enemies and neglects research and of course your alliances are static and unbreakable. (team) It would have made for a much more interesting game had any of the AI's bothered to do some research, instead I out paced them all by leagues and swept them all up pretty fast.

As far as the war thing goes, I'm glad it will differentiate between wars started and wars having been involved in. This one game the Terrans attacked me out of the blue due to very very close borders and when I beat them down they refused peace because they didn't trust me. I wasn't about to pay off a 3 planet owning civ to stop warring with me, so I eventaully finished them off. Try to show some mercy, but nooooo... (Actually their remaining systems were just too far away and too small for me to bother at the time.)
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Can someone tell me who the Fundamentalist is? Is that like a random event that can only happen if you are evil?
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Fundamentalists is a random event where a bunch of your planets deiced "@#$% IT! WE'RE LEAVING!" And become a minor race. I think. I don't get it because i play good. The main point is, the fundamentalists make you lose a bunch of planets.
You don't need ally tech trading only because you get a bonus to diplomacy with your allies. So it'll be easier to trade for that Doom Ray tech, or habitat improvement if they're your ally.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If you have "minor races disabled", does that prevent the Fundamentalists from appearing?
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I've only played on normal, so I don't know if this is an isolated incident.
The AI doesn't use its planet bonuses; e.g. it will stick a stock market on
a research bonus when there are plenty of other squares to place it. I'd
like to see the ai use more intelligent planet builds, even at normal.
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Alliance only trading is a bad idea.

In my games I am by far the first one to research Alliances, then I have to trade/sell it or give it away. Also I have to build up my relations to make the trades which takes time. Trading with a race boosts my relations. Hoever for those evil or less social races it would be crippling.

If everyone gets Alliances for free then it may be ok, but as you can see there's lots to balance for diplomacy to work with the change.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I've only played on normal, so I don't know if this is an isolated incident.
The AI doesn't use its planet bonuses; e.g. it will stick a stock market on
a research bonus when there are plenty of other squares to place it. I'd
like to see the ai use more intelligent planet builds, even at normal.


No, play tough. The entire point of normal is that a lot of AI is turned off. At tough it uses them.