Is it just me?

[bigvic]

The more I post and read other posts, the more it seems there are differences that I suppose could be perfectly explainable to a rational mind by simple probabilities between different people's game experiences. Now w/ 1.21, things seem to have changed subtlely.

OK, things that I have experienced that may just be chance...
1. French seem to get hit hard by early barbarians and lose warriors w/ alarming frequency.

2. Every AI that does not get its butts kissed by the Iroqois tries to screw them over early.

3. The Egyptians are always the AI's darling.

4. Japanese always sneak attack. So do Aztecs. (both mil/rel )

5. Early offers to exchange maps often mean you are about to be attacked.

6. The only way the AI likes Germany is if its kicking @$$. Seems to like plopping them in resourse poor regions, too.

7. Aztecs tend to blow their wad early, get big then get smashed.

8. Greeks and Egyptians seem especially prone to "settler diarrhrea", plopping down the most irritatingly intrusive cities on the board, next to me, that is. At least Ido it for a good reason though - to get a crucial resource or luxury.

9. Can't think of more right now

[DrSpike]

Yeah, it's just you.

[H Tower]

paranoid delusional

[Cookie Monster]

Well wait a minute. Some of your points are valid.

I tend to see Germany placed in resource poor areas quite often. They rarely evovle into a superpower in my experience.

Not sure about your other statements however my experiences with AI Aztecs is that they grow big and powerful in 50% of the games I play.

[redstar1]

Same here. Germany always seems to get overrun early. England too I have found.

[DrSpike]

More serious answer:

1) That's just you
2) Again
3) Perhaps because they aren't that warlike. Maybe just you.
4) Both these civs are aggressive.
5) This has always been true.
6) IMO Germany often don't survive to be a superpower because they attack too much, even when it isn't in their favour to do so.
7) Aztecs do often seem to do well early, probably because of their UU. Sometimes it seems they are too aggressive later though.
8) This is, and always has been, true of all civs.

[ALPHA WOLF 64]

I think he hit the nail on the head with his Egyptians/Greek fixation with settlers. They pump them out way faster than any other civ, and both seem to expand only towards the human player. In a recent game, both civs expanded directly towards me even tho there was more and better land in other directions. Both seemed to plop new cities every 3 tiles so they'd be connected to their empires. And they were spitting out new settlers at a pace that I could come no where near.

[bigvic]

OK - someone try a frenchy game, or 2, restarting. Put 16 civs (use mod screen to make this possible on smaller maps if you want). Choose raging hordes of barbs. Play a few turns. I know w/ raging hordes one is likely to end up on "barbarianland". that part of the map that spits out barb hordes in endless streams. I swear, frenchy warriors drop like flies and it seems barb hordes are all over you. I've done the frenchy thing several times since I got the game, lost a couple of promising ones to crashes, patch probs, mod probs, etc. Playing on monarch now, standard world, 16 civs, doing fine - no hordes at all, but....

Another civ I've seen have barb horde probs is the Americans, though not as much as frenchy.

Yeah, AI germans get killed early in my exp. They do make stupid attacks.

And by the way, just because someone is paranoid, it doesn't mean "they" are not out to get you.

[bigvic]

Originally posted by Haupt. Dietrich
Well wait a minute. Some of your points are valid.

I tend to see Germany placed in resource poor areas quite often. They rarely evovle into a superpower in my experience.

Not sure about your other statements however my experiences with AI Aztecs is that they grow big and powerful in 50% of the games I play.

Before I modded my game, I tried germany like 6+ times trying to get some freakin' iron near me. Even then I got screwed later when rubber was found to be no nearer than the other side of the globe.

Aztecs tend to be flaming, bullying @$$holes the whole game, esp. at first when they have an advantage. Fun to play, though.

"Ghandi is a known liar and cheat. I don't think we should trust him." Amen, curtain wearing diplomacy dude. Gotta watch out for that shriveled up old prune.

Catherine the great is a twit. I've noticed the russkies often grow big early, no suprise, expansionist and all. If they don't get big, they get snuffed early (often by me, as I make sure to get 'em before cossacks). They tend to make unwise attacks too.

Alexander is slippery, reminds me of Ghandi. Greeks are almost always a tough, slippery opponant. 3 defence hoplites early in the game? Brutal.

HMMM....

[Sava]

1. I haven't noticed
2. Maybe, I don't know
3. True, the Egyptians always attack me with 20-30 war chariots
4. Haven't had it happen. I've had the Americans sneak attack me.
5. Nope
6. Yes, this point you are correct!
7. Yes again!
8. All the AI does this.

[bigvic]

Correction to #5. When the AI wants to exchange maps early, esp. if two or three come to you in one turn.

[bigvic]

Maybe Sid hates the Germans.

[Fitz]

2. Yep, the Iriqoui seem to love being slaughtered.

3. Cleo hands out "party favors" Seriously, I too have found if you mess with her, you make a lot of enemies.

6 & 7. Interesting comments about Germany. If they are in a game adn I don't fight/kill them, they usually dominate the world. So do the Aztecs. The most interesting game I had involved being really peaceful until just before the modern era, then stomping on all the civs but these two giants. Then I stayed out as much as possible and watched them go at it until I could win. Lots of ebb and flow to the battle, but never a clear victor.

9. Obviously your confusion arises from spending the last week playing CivIII at nights instead of sleeping.

[Cookie Monster]

Originally posted by bigvic
Maybe Sid hates the Germans.

That's probably it right there. If so, not surprising...............

[spy14]

Someone asking for territority map seems to mean your'e being sized up, but so far ive found the egyptians get their ass kicked by the AI civs more often than not... especially when i start bribing them

[planetfall]

Egypt doesn't always just expand towards human. It definitely has strong settler diaheria. I blocked its Nothern expansion in last game and Egypt plopped 3 cities out by their lonesome on the other side of the continent.

Germany bad starting position. I don't think it is any worst than rest. The human is always resource challenged if not expanding or conquering. Maybe German AI would change if edited the preferences. It does tend to self destruct by attacking before it has any strength. Normally Germany is just a nation of barbarians. Tells you how ignorant the designers were of Germany. But it's a game. They had to make some mistakes. Just for spite I play Germany often. It is hard though because the UU comes late in the game. Rome is so much easier.

My games take forever, so these are about the only things I have noticed so far.

[Jaybe]

Originally posted by planetfall
... My games take forever, so these are about the only things I have noticed so far.

6-12+ weeks?
My current (1.17) Regent/Huge/Large Continents/16 civs game began on March 3rd. At 1918, there are still 5 major powers and 3-4 minor states, with no clear win in sight (I built UN an NO WAY am I going to allow a vote).

[Jethro83]

Originally posted by bigvic

1. French seem to get hit hard by early barbarians and lose warriors w/ alarming frequency.

Never noticed.

2. Every AI that does not get its butts kissed by the Iroqois tries to screw them over early.

I've found the Iroquois to be quite a superpower early on. They seem to expand the most, and have a powerful UU.

3. The Egyptians are always the AI's darling.

I agree. But towards the player, Cleo is such a b!tch. Maybe I'm overreacting because of that arrogant look on her face as well.

4. Japanese always sneak attack. So do Aztecs. (both mil/rel )

One would've though the Japanese to be more honourable (since honour is a high priority in their traditions), but this is right. But them and the aztecs aren't the only ones. I've found that every civ has sneak attacked me before (even the French).

5. Early offers to exchange maps often mean you are about to be attacked.

Looking for the best invasion route. Seems like one of the AI's higher points. I know that I'd be grabbing a map of their regions before attacking them.

6. The only way the AI likes Germany is if its kicking @$$. Seems to like plopping them in resourse poor regions, too.

From what I've seen, Germany has always been at odds with everyone. As was mentioned above, they sneak attack even if it isn't in their best interests. The Zulu seem to be the same.

7. Aztecs tend to blow their wad early, get big then get smashed.

Perhaps its the early UU, combined with their militaristic attribute, and high aggression. Other civs likely to do this include Babylon, Persia, and Zululand, though they don't always end up getting smashed big time (in fact I've seen them annihilate everyone in their path).

8. Greeks and Egyptians seem especially prone to "settler diarrhrea", plopping down the most irritatingly intrusive cities on the board, next to me, that is. At least Ido it for a good reason though - to get a crucial resource or luxury.

The worst cases I've seen of Settler diorrhea were the Americans and Iroquois. But everyone does it (though I hardly see many settlers coming out of Babylon by comparison to others).

[Zylka]

I voted yes

[bigvic]

Originally posted by Zylka
I voted yes

Huh?

[Coracle]

Originally posted by LordAzreal

. . .The worst cases I've seen of Settler diorrhea were the Americans and Iroquois. But everyone does it (though I hardly see many settlers coming out of Babylon by comparison to others).

Settler Diarrhea. Perhaps the single most annoying asinine part of Civ 3.

[Jethro83]

Originally posted by Coracle


Settler Diarrhea. Perhaps the single most annoying asinine part of Civ 3.

Correct. It would be nice if a bit more thought went into the AI's deployment of settlers and construction of cities. It can't be too hard to prevent the AI from building cities that overlap so much, and cities deep in that useless patch of tundra on the other side of your empire (even when there's no oil there anyway).

Ah well, burn 'em all I say.