How's the ai using mercenaries?

from GalCiv3 Forums

I'm trying to keep an open mind and would like to hear from those who've played the release version what to expect as far as the ai's capabilities using mercenaries. My impression after reading a few comments around here is that the ai may hire some but treats them a bit like the precursor worlds, i.e. it fails to prioritize them and because of this it tends to fall way behind. If that is the case, I'd really like to know. Personally I would not see there being much point right now in picking up this expansion if, for example, all the ai players combined can muster only three mercenaries versus a dozen belonging to a human opponent. It would be great to hear otherwise.

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Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Just finished a few hours with merc's.  Yes, the AI will buy merc's,. I now have 2,, 1 AI has 2, a AIs have 1

Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Unless something has changed between the Beta version and release, it's a real problem.  On Godlike I have almost all of the mercenaries.  The AI does buy mercenaries but does it very, very slowly.  

For a human player, it's partly a symptom of diplomacy providing lots of disposable cash (and AI resources if you want) while the OP motivation line under Malevolant ideology supports fast expansion.  

For the AI, they sometimes seem to have the disposable cash given the Godlike bonuses, so prima facie should be more active buying them.

Stardock mentioned they will look into it.  But without this fixed, it's somewhat like the Precursor DLC again, which was released without giving the AI the capability of using the content.  Here, the AI CAN use the content but are extremely ineffective.  Either way human players can use them to dominate the AI very easily.

As for AI Survey Ships, they can now survey defended anomalies, but the last I saw in the Beta they could auto-defeat the defenders without having sufficient forces to do so.  If that remains the case, it's an AI cheat.  That said, I assume it was a placeholder and is sorted in the release version ... hopefully.

I'll give the release version a spin tonight, but if anybody has observations any material changes, it would be worth mentioning.

 

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Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Thanks, Icemania and aO152570. Greatly appreciate these replies.

 

Icemania, I am not sure if it's just a rumor but I read that SD are bringing in a new lead designer/programmer to take the reins of GC3. If it's true, I hope they will be more receptive to your detailed critiquing of the ai. At least that would be a big positive development going forward!

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting LongDeadFingers, reply 3

SD are bringing in a new lead designer/programmer to take the reins of GC3.
End of LongDeadFingers's quote

 

WHAT??  :waaaa: .  Where did you hear this?  Whats happening to Paul?

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top
Quoting a0152570, reply 4
Quoting LongDeadFingers,
reply 3

SD are bringing in a new lead designer/programmer to take the reins of GC3.


WHAT??  :waaaa: .  Where did you hear this?  Whats happening to Paul?

End of a0152570's quote

After 1.7 Brad is taking over. Paul will still be there.

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Rhonin_the_wizard, reply 5

After 1.7 Brad is taking over. Paul will still be there.
End of Rhonin_the_wizard's quote

Not that Paul hasn't done a good job (hope he does not get or think of it as a demotion :(O ) BUT i consider it fantastic if Brad takes the reigns. :thumbsup:

 

Not till AFTER 1.7?  Thats not till early '17 i think.

Reply #7 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

The expandalone will be released in 2017 but the I.7 patch, afaik, will be here in a month or so.

 

What I would like to know is if the expandalone will include Mercenaries and any of the existing dlc. Particularly if the ai isn't going to be re-worked to make effective use of mercenaries in this iteration of GC3, I'd probably skip the expansion and just hope things are given a major overhaul next year. 

 

Reply #8 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting LongDeadFingers, reply 7

What I would like to know is if the expandalone will include Mercenaries and any of the existing dlc. Particularly if the ai isn't going to be re-worked to make effective use of mercenaries in this iteration of GC3, I'd probably skip the expansion and just hope things are given a major overhaul next year. 
End of LongDeadFingers's quote

DLC will work both with the expandalone and the base game.

Reply #9 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Thanks, Rhonin_the_wizard. So I guess the way it works now with dlc is a little different from some years ago because the GC2 expandalones, iirc, included all of the features of the earlier versions, plus the new stuff? Sorry it's been so long, perhaps I'm wrong about that.

Reply #10 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting LongDeadFingers, reply 9

included all of the features of the earlier versions, plus the new stuff? Sorry it's been so long, perhaps I'm wrong about that.
End of LongDeadFingers's quote

Twighlight of Arnor for Galciv2 did not include Dark Avatar nor did Galciv2 have any paid DLCs.  After it was out for a while, similar to all games, they offered a bundled package with all expansions and base game.