Cheating AI makes for a bad experience

[MrGowdy]

Simply put, the blatant cheating even in the very first era for the AI is just beyond stupid. I'm sure some people are used to this in similar games (I've seen it as well), this game is by far the worst I've played in memory.

I have a save right now where I found an AI player in Era 1. Sent ALL my units to their one settlement. Started to raze it, and within 1 turn an enemy AI unit was in combat with me. Did manual battle, defend, and won easily. I now have 4 other units nearby and poof, next turn another unit with full health in combat with me. I win again. And again. And again. The settlement is down to 10 hp, next turn they have a stack of 4 show up, with full health, show up. I had killed or severely wounded 4 or 5 units by now. How do they have another stack of 4 with full health already?

How are they instantly within range of their one settlement to constantly attack every single turn?

Others have reported cheating AI's in reviews but this is just sad.

[The Former]

You got unlucky. All I'm gonna say, I'll never convince you that's all it was. But I've been playing this game a long time, so I'm very aware that this was bad luck.

[Joshypoo]

I wish they would make the city states optional, they are such a pain early game and can even defeat you pretty easily.

[Damedius]

You can't kill the AI in the Neolithic Era so I would avoid them and try to get to the next era as quickly as possible.

This usually means putting your scouts on auto explore since they will beeline for goody huts or restarting until you get lucky just wandering around yourself.

[Razorblade]

That's not actually a benefit exclusive to the AI. If you lose all of your units during the Neolithic Era, you get between 1 and 4 units the next turn. It's a mechanic that presumably exists to prevent exactly what you're trying to do, which is wipe out an empire before it even gets started. There's even an achievement for losing all of your units during the Neolithic Era, if you want to see this mechanic at work for yourself.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

The AI's cheats seem like the biggest problem in the game at this point, aside from some glaring balance issues between the various cultures.

[djheat]

The AI is atrociously stupid, sorry you had a bad start

[Zyhgar The Phoenix]

This has happened to me in all my attempts it's constantly giving me bad starts and placing the moguls near me

[[GRVTS]Fat Bastard]

A.I cheats are horrible, and despite the cheating I'm still winning a two way war against this unfair nonsense. I hate the fact that I have to actually be lucky to have a good chance at getting ahead!

Never ever play against expert A.Is let me tell you! They got the big buffs like +50 stability for example. I put charmer on my A.I persona, and ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ to I wish I could also use it.

[Oksennus Oliver]

Yup the AI cheats and has crazy bonuses, Amplitude games aren't known for their good AI tbh. The harder difficulties' combat bonuses are bad design for a game that has tactical combat.
The yield and stability bonuses are basically what other strategy games do also.

[MrGowdy]

Long since uninstalled so don't need to follow this. I'm sure some people love this copy+paste release that mimics their other games with seemingly limited changes.

However I wanted to give it a fair shake until I noticed the AI cheating left and right. Uninstalled, refunded, no thumbs down, moving on.

[Nats]

I've been attacked by the AI and managed to churn out several units very quickly and they can move pretty far using rivers and roads. Not necessarily any evidence of them cheating at all. Just play the game and enjoy, stop looking for reasons to judge it against Civ which is actually just as bad, if not worse.

[Spiffy]

So AI can't buy units like a player would under attack? I've on more than one occasion bought an entire army on the spot when I needed it too or shifted production to be able to churn out units on every turn. I often get it wrong where to expect an attack and with much of my army elsewhere this is my solution, to keep a healthy treasury and check my borders while at war.

I've yet to witness the AI "cheat" and I've no clue how they help it on different difficulty settings... Assume it to be bonus ressources of all kinds because AI is trash at these kinds of games. If you consider that cheating just lower difficulty til you're able to enjoy the game.

You can't eliminate players in the first era, sorry if nobody told you, I've never been in a position to try myself but it's futile with hunting parties, just remember and move on to warriors before you start swinging.

[Gerd]

AI cheats but despite this it is still moronic

[skyrimemailtest]

Does the AI know where every single independent city is? And can they use that to become patrons of those cities even though they have no units to it?

[Spetsnaz]

man the AI send me 12X1 unit on my 4 units army...i left the game