[Freeciv-Dev] Re: more ai levels

[Thue Janus Kristensen <thue105@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Make a more 'conservative' AI, that prefers to build improvements rather
> than always settlers, and sometimes builds roads and irrigation rather than
> new cities.
> 
> On of the flaws (IMO) in the whole freeciv game mechanic is how
> phenomenonally powerful it is to have many, many cities.  Enough that if you
> expand circa 20% faster than everyone else, you will surely win... but
> anyhow, the AI is fairly good at expanding fast (not as good as a human
> player, and it is very bad at expanding over sea).
> 
> Incidentally, once I'd figured out how to beat the easy AI (expand ASAP), I
> didn't actually find the hard AI that much harder -- I just used the same
> strat...  It's my hope that barbarians will help to alleviate this (if
> they're common enough that you'll certainly meet them, you can't afford to
> leave your cities undefended, which I currently do if there are no enemies
> around).
> 
> Jules

You could also make improvements more powerfull. In Sid Meiers Alpha Centauri
this is done by multiplying the benefits recieved from fx money buildings
instad of adding. So a bank and markedplace would give:
1.5*1.5=2.25
ie a 125% increase instead of just 50%+50%=100% . It gets even better as
you get stock exchange too, 237% versus 150%. This effect makes it more
attractive to really build up your cities. Not much, but a step in the right
direction.

I have attached a very simple patch that does just that.

-Thue

multiply_science_and_gold.diff
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