Stacked combat: will it be beyond the ai

January 22, 2001, 01:03

Having seen CTP II, my greatest fear is that the AI for civ 3 will be unable to wage war effectively utilising stacked combat. I hope someone can put my mind at rest on this because we have seen in civ 1 and 2 that the ai is incapable of loading a carrier.

If I was on the civ 3 design team I would pay close attention to this - the ai must be able to stack and deploy units, hopefully make different stacks for attack and defence, and attack one out with specials like diplos. IMO the ai was more effective in civ 1 than civ 2 because all it did was make the most effective units and send them full boar at your cities, in great numbers too. Crude but effective. If the ai in civ 3 can make effective stacks and fire them at you in numbers I will be very happy. If it could defend with appropriate units using the terrain, that would be a bonus.

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Chaos, panic and disorder - My work here is done.
[This message has been edited by Alexander's Horse (edited January 22, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Alexander's Horse (edited January 22, 2001).]

Seeker · January 22, 2001, 03:21

Yes, I can never get over the cheapness of having to give the AI the 'special ability' to never land its air units because they couldn't get it to use a carrier.

I want to see an AI that can use an aircraft carrier. That will be my standard of a 'decent' AI.

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You wouldn't like it
: You wouldn't like it here
: There ain't no entertainment
: And the judgments are severe

Deathwalker · January 22, 2001, 04:49

In short I want an AI does know how to play and not with special abiltieis. Also one that is a challenge not CTP II crap easy AI.

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I have walked since the dawn of time and were ever I walk, death is sure to follow

Sean · January 22, 2001, 05:29

Stacked combat?! Aren't we jumping the gun a bit here?
We should not assume it is in civ III without more evidence.

That the AI comments a very true, none the less.

January 22, 2001, 05:48

I hope Firaxis adds stacked combat to Civ3. The two great improvements made by Activision were public works and stacked combat. I always hated that in Civ2 you could throw 10 tanks at 2 mech-inf and lose the whole stack because the mech-infs behind a wall could withstand 1 tank at a time without losing much health until all ten tanks were push daisies and both mech-inf were only in the yellow. Actually, SMAC annoyed me by continuing this tradition (among others). As for an AI competently using a carrier, well I won't hold my breath so they better leave in unlimited fuel for AI players.

Lancer · January 22, 2001, 09:58

In Empire Deluxe, the AI is fairly dumb, but it does load it's carriers. That game came out in '91? I believe...