strategic ressources

[notyoueither]

I think the AI is 'aware' of hidden resources in its known (explored) area. This has been proven by Aeson (withOUT the 'multi' cheat). I have no problem with it. I 'rush' to settle Mountains and Desert myself because I 'know' what will be there later.

I think it is equally obvious that the AI has to explore the map, just like you do. Evidence of this is the explorers it sends around in the early game and the fact that it will pay massive amounts for your map if you are lucky or skillful enough to get Sea-faring Galleys from the Lighthouse.

As for other cheats, yes it is aware of the relative strength of your city garrisons. I think we can accept that as a given. Although if someone wants to debate it we could commence the posting of saves showing AI stacks swaning around the map as one city then another is given a zero garrison.

As for other AI 'cheats' beyond the handicaps at higher levels, some people are talking out of there hats. I have yet to see certain people ever post proof for their repetitive and ill formed complaints. Some things (like the honest politician) simply need to be patiently awaited.

[Txurce]

NYE seems to have covered the only non-production advantages the AI has over the humans, but I'll add a couple of more points:

1. If the AI already knows the entire map, it wouldn't send scouts out to explore. Period.

2. Settlers aren't 'teleported to magically open' spots. When complying with a "leave or declare war" warning, all units move to the nearest uncontested spot - which is not necessarily home turf. I periodically use this logical rule to move an army through enemy territory; if I get more than halfway through on the official move, complying with a warning will often take me the rest of the way to where I was going.

[Blue]

in my humble opinion stratigic resources should be a stockpileable and depleatable type thing. Should also have specific tile improvemnts to get at them.

eg i find an oil reserve and after ordering a worker to build a well it comes on line. In this particular site there are 4500 units of oil.
i decided to extract 40 units per turn . ( i could use 20 units per turn to support 20 tank units as these can now require not just cash support but resource support ( 1cash per turn one oil per turn) i could sell 10 units of oil per turn to the germans say for 4 cash per unit) and then place 10 units per turn in my stratigic reserves - just in case i go to war and the well gets wrecked or i need a sudden cash injection i could sell a lump sum of oil ) this system would add even more realism to the game .
if you were planning a war you could stockpile reources like we do in the real world. it would also solve the problem of realistic resource placement. You could put a small well (200units) somewhere like the north sea and a few larger ones (7000units) in the middle east . It would also lead to a much more realstic 21st century game where resources begin to run out.

just an idea ...not sure if it'd be practical but seems like a better idea than just one iron mine or one oil well supplying an entire empire

[Whoha]

"I think the AI is 'aware' of hidden resources in its known (explored) area. This has been proven by Aeson (withOUT the 'multi' cheat). I have no problem with it. I 'rush' to settle Mountains and Desert myself because I 'know' what will be there later. "

I dont have a problem with it either nye, i was just pointing out that Ethelred was dismissing a confirmed ai "cheat"

and ethelred, really, something decided on the milisecond the game starts can not be equated to any kind of skill, and I do know how to search for coal, but id prefer to keep the thread uncluttered of personal non confirmable stories like the one you so readily posted. And, as you must have glanced over in my post, theres quite a bit more to what I was doing with the save file then just cheating(ie I only placed resources in game once on a relaxing regent game that I played for fun).

[Ethelred]

Originally posted by Whoha
"I think the AI is 'aware' of hidden resources in its known (explored) area. This has been proven by Aeson (withOUT the 'multi' cheat). I have no problem with it. I 'rush' to settle Mountains and Desert myself because I 'know' what will be there later. "

I dont have a problem with it either nye, i was just pointing out that Ethelred was dismissing a confirmed ai "cheat"

I didn't dismiss that one. Its is known and I have mentioned it myself. Its the only confirmed cheat. Why the heck do you FALSELY claim I dismissed it?

and ethelred, really, something decided on the milisecond the game starts can not be equated to any kind of skill, and I do know how to search for coal, but id prefer to keep the thread uncluttered of personal non confirmable stories like the one you so readily posted.

If you don't like the truth thats just too bad. I will continue to give real example of real events that show how things happen in the game instead of relying on paranoia.

And, as you must have glanced over in my post, theres quite a bit more to what I was doing with the save file then just cheating(ie I only placed resources in game once on a relaxing regent game that I played for fun).

Still it was a cheat. You had to go outside the game to do it. It was no mere reload. I don't really care if you do that but it is a cheat. If that is more fun for you thats fine by me.

I changed the victory conditions in a GOTM on Yahoo once. However I didn't post it as an official result. I did post what I did however since the creator of the GOTM carefully neglected mention that he had disabled ALL victory conditions and I had played the game to get as early a space race victory as I could manage.


Oh dear I have posted another game anecdote that you can't check out. Will I be tied to your flogging post for this? How many lashes have I earned?

[Chronus]

In my current game, I had control of two med sized contenents but no oil. The Greeks had this tiny island on the other side of the world which contained oil. They declared war on me and I was off!

Fortunately, I did have uranium. I assembeld my army of cavalry and marines, loaded them onto three galleons (that's right, sail powered galleons, since transports require oil) and had them escorted by four nuclear powered submarines . . . it was quite a sight to behold!

Anyway, my troops landed and took the island along with its three Greek cities. Ta da . . . oil!

In my humble opinion, the strategic resource feature has increased the fun factor in the Civ series tenfold. The default distribution of resources is quite good actually. You really have to consider how you trade and how you diplomatically deal with the other civs to get what you want. (or, in this case, how you want to take it militarily )

[Simpleton]

Originally posted by Coracle
I can't believe anyone is still playing with the ridiculously low appearance rates Firaxis concocted.

The rates Firaxis threw together are totally non-historical and screw up the entire game forcing civs to constantly go to war to get that needed resource - which sometimes disappears soon after you get it. Iron and coal especially were never that rare.

Edit up the appearance rates for resources to make them rare but not absurdly rare. I have iron at 177 and coal at 170, for instance.

Who cares about realism! As long as it's fun.

As far as realism goes I think this makes the game more realistic. Most wars are not ideological they are over land or resources (i.e. WWII Germany and Russia).