Ho-ly COW! I think the AI just UPGRADED!

Moraelin · December 27, 2001, 18:41

So I'm playing a relaxed game on Regent, large map, me and 7 civs on the same continent. Normally I don't pay too much attention to what the AI does, but this time there are 3 aztec cities on one of my coasts, in a small group separated from the rest of their empire. The Aztecs seem to be fighting the Germans, who at the same time are helping me (the Americans) retaliate against the Roman invaders. I have right of passage with everyone but the attacking Romans, since it seems to keep them from becoming TOO annoyed with me too soon. And this time there's so much movement of troops on my soil that I have to watch between turns, that I end up actually watching it, to pass the time away. There's not ony the Romans, Egyptians and Germans, but also 3 other nations helping me against the Romans, and moving dozens of troops around each. Plus a hundred or so workers of my own on automatic. You get the idea. I wait a quarter of an hour for each turn. Have to watch something.

And at some point I see a whole bunch of Aztec spearmen turning around and making a rush down my roads to those 3 cities. They disappear into the dark area... and lo and behold. Some 1 or 2 turns later, there are a few Riflemen coming from there.

I also notice that the Romans themselves don't have that much spearmen either. I did meet a few of them, no doubt, but most of its defense seems to be riflemen, with some musketmen and pikemen thrown into the mix. Then again, it's possible that they just used up their spearmen in the previous war, where me and Caesar wiped out England.

Now it could be that those Aztec Riflemen had been simply built in advance, or it could be that I just didn't watch it right. Heck, with watching so many troops moving by, I could well be hallucinating out of sheer boredom. Basically, I don't KNOW if it actually upgraded there, or what the hey happened.

OR it could be that I'm playing a modified game, and now a rifleman is a 8/16/1, while the spearman is a 1/2/1. Also the Aztecs have a whole bunch of gold this time, from various luxury and resource trades I did with them.

Could it be that the AI only upgrades if some arcane conditions are all met? Like get more than a certain bang-per-buck out of that upgrade, which is highly unlikely (if at all possible) with the shipped numbers?

Or did I simply mis-understand what happened there, and it still never upgrades?

Anyone else ever seen something similar?

notyoueither · December 28, 2001, 05:48

I can honestly say that I have never had the pleasure of squishing spearmen beneath the treads of my tanks. OK maybe 1 or 2, but they were by far the exception rather than the rule. Come to think of it, I can't recollect it happenning yet.

My obeservations run counter to many of the complaints on these boards. I only wish I could run into the AI that never upgrades and only builds it's Ancient UU. Woo Hoo.

My complaints about the AI would be many and varied, but it wouldn't be about which units it built and upgraded.

Salve