[Freeciv-Dev] Re: AI

[Reinier Post <rp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, Jan 13, 2002 at 11:16:52PM +1100, Charles Esson wrote:
> 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.

This limit exists in Freeciv, too; you can even change it at runtime:

  /set cityfactor <number>

The factor is modified for type of government.

> 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.

This depends on your game.  Land units become much more powerful
after steel: armor and artillery are very useful if your enemy's
cities are mainly inland.  But I have to agree: you rarely have to
make any sacrifices to get them; getting them before your enemies
isn't likely to decide the game, because they take more effort to deploy.

> As science brings no rewards you are best
> taxing and building a lot of diplomats and buying your win. 

This doesn't work against a Democracy.
 
> 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.

Well, the problem with the AI is that its code doesn't know anything
beyond the Republic+Navigation+Trade stage.  After that, it only uses
the quantitative differences (stronger and faster units), but none of
the qualitative ones.  There are patches in the works to make it aware
of what railroads can do, and what flight can do, and long ago there
was a patch to make it use Democracy, but as far as I know, nothing is
in the code for spies, airports, helicopters, or missiles of any kind.

> 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.

Or they are simply too close.  Increase the landmass and decrease the
map size / # AI players and you don't stand a chance.

> 2) The AI players get the ironclad early.

That doesn't happen: with standard settings, humans can outperform them
by the time they turn Republic, so if you survive until them you should
be able to outperform your neighbours soon after, and have an economic
boom that no AI can match, which should give you ironclads long before
them.  I think this remains true with higher landmass and higher player
densities.
 
> because the research limits do not apply to the AI players.

As soon as you turn Republic, the difference is no longer important.

> 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

Yes.  If the AI coordinated its actions better, it could capitalize
on technological advancement.  It is too passive now.

> 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.

Yes, this is another result of lack of coordination between units, I think.
 
> Regards Charles Esson

-- 
Reinier