[Freeciv-Dev] AI

[Charles Esson <charlese@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I have just played 1.12.0 very nice. 

When I want to waste time I beat up the AI players in freeciv and
civilization. I play them both on hard so they both cheat.

The civilization AI is harder to beat because.

1) There is a limit on the number of cities you can have before you
start suffering unhappiness  under different types of government. In
civilization you have to move from republic to corporate democracy
to pick up all AI players cities without getting revolts all over 
the place. As a result you have to keep science ticking along
until you get corporate democracy. This is very close to the 
end of the science tree. 

2) Civilization science moves you to better playing units after
steal so you can not abandon science at steal as you can in freeciv..


Freeciv pretty much ends when you get to steal. There is nothing
worth getting after that. As science brings no rewards you are best
taxing and building a lot of diplomats and buying your win. 

You need the cruisers to get the capitals. If you play a little
slow you need to get battle ships, but even at science set to 2
you normally have battle ships by the time cruisers start failing to
beat the AI players piece.


There is only two points where the AI players are in the game. 

1) At the start you risk losing a city, or worse lose if the AI
player gets a hut with a legion.

2) The AI players get the ironclad early. I think this is
 because the research limits do not apply to the AI
players. This is however manageable with diplomats. After 
the AI has captured and you have recaptured a city one or two times
the  science lead has pretty much gone


When I finally get Ironclad I will go around and destroy all the AI
players transport. The AI payers can't invade with ironclads. The ai
player don't seem to under stand. They let you sail up with your boat
load of diplomats and take the city even though a cruiser is available
to bring you to a sticky end.

Regards Charles Esson