AI Difficulty Level Question

[Raleigh]

Does increasing the difficulty level simply give the AI more cheats or does it make it act more intelligents and/or aggressively. I've seen diff answers to this question. Does anyone actually know?

I ask because I hate the "cheats" the computer gets, but I want more aggressive intelligent opponents.

Thanks!

[David Murray]

It cheats on the two highest difficulty levels, quite heavily too.

[Daymare]

Well it depends on how you define 'cheats'
The AI ALWAYS has the ability to know your weakest city for example, as well as all the other built in 'cheats' the computer has.

On Regent the computer gets no production or science bonuses.
On Chieften and Warlord it gets production and science penalties and on Monarch, Emperor and Diety it gets production and science bonuses.

So if you want the computer to be playing at it's best without 'cheating' as much as possible play on Regent where it gets no penalties or reductions.

[Raleigh]

Thanks for the info!

Do you know whether the computer actually plays better or more aggressively on the higher levels (Irrespective of the cheating bonuses for a moment)? For instance, I read somewhere else on these boards that the computer will break more treaties when it is advantageous to do so on higher levels of difficulty.