AI is always the same? Aggressiveness slider.

from GalCiv2 Forums
I was playing in a tiny galaxy in suicidal mode (just messing around) as the Yor. I was obviously lagging behind in military and tech but doing OK in economics when all three other civs declared war (Altarians, Humans and Torian). All right, I thought, they all hate the "evil" Yor. But wait, they all started the war at the same time without having any relations beside trade? hmmm...

So I started a new game (same setting: Tiny, Suicidal) as a custom, neutral race, put all civs having close relations to me and by the same time (turn 30-40) they all got hostile to me because my military was weak and all three races (same ones) declared war again, Altarians and Torians in the same turn, Terrans some turns later. This time saying they wanted my planets. Started another game, same thing. And it happened again in another game.

Why is the AI always making the same decisions at roughly the same time? If the Altarians are supposed to be good why they are acting just like the Drengin? It seems that the ethics alignment doesn't apply to the AI. And the fact that they made the same decision at the same time is worrying. Notice that the 3 civs weren't in a alliance.

Looking at this problem I guess that it is not possible to make a good mod of Star Trek, as an example, if the Federation starts acting like the Borg, assimilating every weaker civ out there. So I sugest as a future update to put an agressiveness slider in the AI to make possible to have more variety in the AI behavior. They all are by now just as bloodthirsty as each other and they're unable to keep character because they all act in the same greedy way. In MOO2 I never saw the alkari, silicoids and psilons getting out of character. The game is great IMO but this aspect can get much better.
9,714 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think they declare war on the same time because with another player already warring with you, then its easier if theirs 2, because you have to go for 2 people now, not just one. It makes for an easier war. Thats probably why they all declare war on you at around the same time.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Not sure they are acting out of character. They want to expand and they see you as the best way to do it. There is sort of a built in agressiveness slider already. It is the level at which you put the game when begining. Try a lower level and see if you see any difference.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Remember, the AI is designed to act similarly to humans. A good player would take advantage of a war on a weak side. Especially on tiny galaxy where each planet is precious. Each side really can't afford one of their opponets to pick up all your planets. The higher difficulty level requires a better defense to stave off aggression. There is a tech, if you arn't prone to military buildup, which makes your fleets in orbit look several times more powerful than they are. It wont save you in war, but discourages the kind of aggresiveness you experienced.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Played another game. Same settings but this time everyone was set as allies to me and alliance victory turned off. None of the three AIs broke the alliance or declared war and I was trading techs and doing well in economics until being culturally defeated by the Terrans. Seems the way to not have a war against another civ is to ally with them from the start.

If the AIs are supposed to play like human players in a multiplayer game, as said in the posts above, the war declarations make sense. But still it would be nice to have more options to individualize the gameplay or to play a game where the backstory of the game and ethical alignment of the races are followed. By now I can only change the stance of the AI to me and not to each other.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Actually, I have to agree. The "peaceful" empires sometimes tend to gang up on you even more than the "evil" ones. But since I'm mostly a diplomat, I manage to straight things out

But really, Stardock, after you nail all the bugs, consider adding an "aggressiveness bar". I don't want to swim in blood every game that I'm not playing with a great bonus to diplomacy. Thanks
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Were these all on tiny maps?You have to consider that on a larger map you are probably less of a threat.Would be interesting if someone did a comparison of map size to aggression.If your playing on suicidal also you probably get to a position of seming weak faster since the aI gets an economic benefit which gives it faster growth out of the starting gate.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
All tests on tiny maps. I will try to see what happens in different settings specially bigger maps during the week.