House Rules against the AI

[rdonj]

The AI uses its money to buy anything and everything it can afford. Increasing the income *would* help the AI, but it would help you just as much. If you're trying to boost it that way, taking poor scales to compensate for the increased money would be necessary to avoid negating the advantage to the AI. It will recruit even more chaff that way though.

[Gandalf Parker]

There are also no-independent maps which forces the AI to spend money on elite troops and mages at castles instead of cheap independents all over the map.

Personally I consider those abit extreme altho a fun game variant. I prefer the partial NI maps where something like 1 out of 10 provinces is left with whatever random recruitables the game gives it. Thats the same effect of forcing the AI to better spending but it still allows for the joy of exploration, finding, and securing prime locations

[Knai]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

There are also no-independent maps which forces the AI to spend money on elite troops and mages at castles instead of cheap independents all over the map.

Personally I consider those abit extreme altho a fun game variant. I prefer the partial NI maps where something like 1 out of 10 provinces is left with whatever random recruitables the game gives it. Thats the same effect of forcing the AI to better spending but it still allows for the joy of exploration, finding, and securing prime locations

There is also the no-indpendant, special sites that give recruits option. Basically, a bunch of new sites are modded in, and finding them gives access to some amount of independents, often including multiple troop types.

[JonBrave]

Originally Posted by Rookierookie

By the way, how does the AI use its gold? I was wondering if increasing the income would help the AI, since I rarely if ever feel in need of money in SP.

If the AI earns enough money, it will actually buy itself an ice cream

Not sure what level you are playing it, and we've all claimed we can beat the AI anyway, but I would not say I am not "in need" of cash in SP. It is true that later on you seem to get more than you can want, but in the earlier stages I do not have the money to buy mages at every castle plus all troops each turn. If you truly have money to burn, don't forget that filling your homeland with temples never does any harm.

[Rookierookie]

I don't pretend to play optimally or even try to. It suits me perfectly fine that the income scale benefits me early and the AI late.

[Makinus]

Originally Posted by rdonj

If you're trying to boost it that way, taking poor scales to compensate for the increased money would be necessary to avoid negating the advantage to the AI. It will recruit even more chaff that way though.

Good idea.... but what would be considered "poor" scales in that situation? If i get Trumoil3 instead of Order3 would i really be handicapping myself or, in a game with plentiful money, it would be irrelevant?

[Knai]

Originally Posted by Makinus

Good idea.... but what would be considered "poor" scales in that situation? If i get Trumoil3 instead of Order3 would i really be handicapping myself or, in a game with plentiful money, it would be irrelevant?

Take the wrong temperature scales, don't use the extra points. The most blatant method is Heat 3 Niefleheim or EA Caelum, or Cold 3 Abyssia, but you can always get at least 3 away from ideal. Take Misfortune and Drain, don't use the extra points. So on and so forth.

[rdonj]

Let's say you take turmoil 3 and heat/cold 3. That's 33% less gold that you get. And if the AI has just order 3 and nothing negative, it's more like a 55% difference. With double money that's huge, and will make things a fair bit more challenging, especially in the early game.

[BewareTheBarnacleGoose]

Taking the wrong temperature also gives your units encumbrance from "severe heat/ Cold", I think it's +2 enc. Makes life especially difficult for nations that use high enc units/thugs.

[Rick L]

The AI can be terrifying at the beginning of a single player game, a patsy in mid game, and boring, why bother, in late game. To make the late game more challenging, play two strong units as human. When you get to the lat game, turn whichever is stronger over to the AI (the become computer controlled command in the options menu).

I just did this playing Helheim and Hinnom. I avoided all the "Hinnom eats everything" units by not taking any luck and managed to do okay against the AI. When I turned it over to the Ai, I had all the Lords of Civilization summoned. It made for a pretty challenging late game. Nethgul was the key to victory.

When playing the AI I also try not to give my commanders any gems, which does make it harder in late game as the AI does do that at least.