AI is so bad at holding their nations.

[Reizo Icefield]

Onece I chose a home to stay in I'm permanently lodged in. There is no way to remove me. Yes aliens can try to take a cp or two but it's temporary.

Ai on the other hand, can quickly lose any meganation even if their population is one in mind with faction philosophy.

It always turn in to player thriving and
Ai drowning in their own failures,
No amount of uplifting from player can change that.

[Swat__Raptor]

Oh the servants don't have a issue keeping big nations.
I think a big factor is the AI probably doesn't prioritize enthrall defense and I don't know if they have any starting bonus against it.

[Reizo Icefield]

They even lose to other anti alien factions, so they have no defense at all.
I just saw a HF and Academy completely trade places. Where HF had almost nothing and in 5 months took away everything from Academy, including USA, Canada and Australia.

[debott]

The AI can't hold a candle to a player who knows how to play. I don't expect that to change soon.

I had one playthrough where Initiative held a 6 CP India in the late game and was so deeply locked in that it would have been a serious effort to push them out. I decided to leave them there in the end.

I think the AI is fine on Earth overall. It's much worse in space.

[Swat__Raptor]

You could some what easily give the AI a crackdown and enthrall def bonus vs other AI, and keep their balance vs the player the same.
that could balance out things a bit but the AI still won't act strategically, but that's nothing new to strategy gaming.

[debott]

Originally posted by Swat__Raptor:

You could some what easily give the AI a crackdown and enthrall def bonus vs other AI, and keep their balance vs the player the same.
that could balance out things a bit but the AI still won't act strategically, but that's nothing new to strategy gaming.

I wouldn't be surprised if something like that would make it into the game. It would likely lead to the other factions to stop their 'in-fighting' and focus on the player more, as the AI does take success chances of their rolls into account, I think.

So far, the devs have tried to avoid rule exceptions or unfair advantages for the AI as much as possible, but that philosophy already has some cracks by now.

[Ericus1]

I absolutely hate the "AI always gangs up on the player" as a solution to poor AI. I truly hope they never do that. A better diplomacy system geared with specific factions being taught to work more together, or at least less at odds (e.g. protectorate and servants), but as a blatant "kill the human" no.

[debott]

Originally posted by Ericus1:

A better diplomacy system geared with specific factions being taught to work more together, or at least less at odds (e.g. protectorate and servants), but as a blatant "kill the human" no.

Personally, I hope for a 'coalition system' where like-minded factions can pool their resources and coordinate their efforts. The player faction would always serve as 'coalition leader', of course, but would need to keep their partners happy by adhering to their rules and demands. At times it might be better to go solo, I imagine, but opponent coalitions could be quite the force.

[Swat__Raptor]

Originally posted by Ericus1:

I absolutely hate the "AI always gangs up on the player" as a solution to poor AI. I truly hope they never do that. A better diplomacy system geared with specific factions being taught to work more together, or at least less at odds (e.g. protectorate and servants), but as a blatant "kill the human" no.

Yea I wish there was more ways to work with other factions. Things like actually don't break a NAP. Loan MC as a way of balancing another factions "score jealousy" rating, pay to share enemy Intel.

[Ravenous]

I just wish other factions could be if not eliminated, at least suspended completely for some years. I know its impossible to destroy a movement, but, these are not just polical movements but highly efficient institutions, corporates and such. They can be destroyed. You cannot erase a thought, but you can its make its supporters poor and impotent resource wise.

[Ericus1]

Before they introduced the martyr/beloved traits, you could somewhat achieve this by assassinating all their councilors and minimizing their global opinion, so they had no influence income to replace their councilors and couldn't do anything.

But now, with the huge opinion boosts they get and the influence income that comes with it, it becomes largely impossible. At the very least, by the time in late game when you fold all the world into the 6 meganations their chances of actually being able to succeed on missions is so low it means they are basically an ignoreable, moot factor.

[g0815krieger]

The atrocity counting from killing beloved councilers is minor.
If you force them to use just one nuke vs you (preferable in their own country), they get more atrocity points than wiping out a complete council where all councilers have the beloved trait :)

What really hurts is Matyr kills, the REP boost from that (worldwide) is insane.
Sadly some AI factions don´t care and kill even the Matyrs of other factions.