So after a long while I decide to come back to GalcivII, and to kick thing off I bought the TA pack to enjoy the new goodies. And one thing has been bugging me: why the AI lag so bad in researching now? I play with Tough/Intelligent, the setting I have always played with DL and DA but I barely recognize their behavior anymore.
Usually, I can have a good lead in research for a while and I need really to pay attention to tech trading or mining Research resource to maintain a comfortable lead. Even then the AI weren't too far behind, my technology rating was usually 130-150. In fact, there were games I started off in unfavorable condition and the AI can even take me over in technology race.
Not any more in TA. Even without me doing any tech trading, or have research resource, I can easily stay at the lead postion "all the time". And not just by a small margin, my tech-rating is always around ... 300
. As a result this made all my games too easy. When I roll out a medium hull equiped with Hyberdrive + Plasma I + Barrier. The AIs only have small/tiny hull with Laser III + Advance Deflector + Impulsdrive MKII. And this is a prestige example, most of them still stuck with Ion Drive and Space Weapon. And it's not because I'm focusing either, my research is all over the place. I have Superior Miniturization, most of them don't even have basic. I have industrialize Sector, the best they have is Xeno Factory. I have Research Academy, they don't even have Advance Computer. I have all the diplomacy/Socail research, they have none. They don't have things I consider basic like Xeno Farm, Habitat Improvement ...etc... And I don't think they ever pass tier 2 for their trade/social/moral/production buildings. And this with them control most of the map resource
Despite the fact that I'm playing massive maps with 9AIs, I'm on my like ...9th game now because whenever I decide to go on offensive I lost any interest to continue
. It's like rolling out tanks against feudal knights on horse. For example there are one game the Torian, Knox, Altarian declair war on me. I sent out three medium hull and that's all it takes to completely wipe out their three fleets. (2 point in attack against 8 points in defense ... not gonna fly
). I give the AI credit, they still lead in influence and expansion, they set up their trade network faster then me, and the indicator show that they have better economy then me ... but that does not seem amount to anything. It's like they use all of their power and money to amass a bunch of useless fighters with 2Offense/2Defense and never advance beyond that.
So what's going on? Why the AI is so pathetic Is Tough/Intelligent the wrong setting to use? Is it changed with TA? The thing I respect about GalCivII is that the AI is challenging without them resorting to cheating. What is the highest AI level now before the AI start to cheat, and will it be any different then what I just descriped?
