Is the single player rigged or something?

[Smugass Braixen-Chan]

At first I thought I was just crap but now I'm starting to wonder if the computer is a cheating ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ or something. I've spent several hours in the game now, so I know what I need to do, but even when I constantly pause the game I cannot for the life of me beat the AI on moderate.

One issue I have is that my forces just melt against the enemy even when I have the upper hand. Just now I zoomed into a mirror match between several chinese spearmen supported by two supply carts and medieval chinese gunmen (Firelancers I think they're called) against a single unit of spearmen. The other team won. WTF? It's an old game so I wouldn't be surprised if they were dealing 2-3 times more damage or something.

[Kaks]

i would like to play against you sir :D

[DerEider]

Originally posted by Pinkamena Diane Pyro:

At first I thought I was just crap but now I'm starting to wonder if the computer is a cheating ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ or something. I've spent several hours in the game now, so I know what I need to do, but even when I constantly pause the game I cannot for the life of me beat the AI on moderate.

One issue I have is that my forces just melt against the enemy even when I have the upper hand. Just now I zoomed into a mirror match between several chinese spearmen supported by two supply carts and medieval chinese gunmen (Firelancers I think they're called) against a single unit of spearmen. The other team won. WTF? It's an old game so I wouldn't be surprised if they were dealing 2-3 times more damage or something.

In RoN, Player cannot simply put together an Army, send it out against the AI and hope everything goes well. At least during the early and mid-game the AI can be formidable. To some extent, Player must micromanage the troops at the Front. Don't just let them engage in random melee. Know the strengths of each of the Unit types and the corresponding weaknesses of the vile AI enemy. The hints are there in the descriptions for each Unit. To my knowledge, the AI doesn't "cheat" but it does make good use its resources. At higher difficulties, the AI may get some extra resources, though I'm not positive.

Keep using that Pause. You'll need it to keep up with all the necessary Researches, Buildings, Wonders, Upgrades, new Cities, etc. Player must keep up with all those details every cycle. The AI does it all instantly without a "Pause".

It just takes some practice to get used to it. At least up to "Tougher", the AI can be had. I haven't gone to that last level, yet.

[Milly <3]

Sounds like another learn to play issue sorry!

[Wishlist Elevator Music!]

The AI is not cheating, it's just pretty good.

[HazardHawk]

Microsoft never allowed fudging an AI for any game they published and actually set the standard for scripted reaction in games. Yes, higher difficulty settings give the AI resource bonus' and lower give you the same bonus. If you are playing a heads up base to base fight, trying to rush at the very start is a fast way to die. Allow time for development, manage your map not by starting cities near one another, but spread them out to envelope the map. the more territory you cut off, the the less the enemy has available to gather resources. Do not mass your troops, but rather set up several armies and then a couple of mini armies for probing and to pull enemy troops to defend where you do not plan to attack. Once you attack, attack from multiple directions. If there are few defending troops, concentrate fire on the city center to convert it for you and then defend it while it is converting even if this means you take some losses in the doing. If you try to play heads up without actually thinking and using strategy this game will beat you on any level of difficulty.

[Shaped]

the ai's are not cheating untill you put them on tougher or toughest. I ususally just play 5 way ffa with tough ais and most of the time as long as i survive the early phase i win the game.

[Wishlist Elevator Music!]

The AIs don't cheat but we have had several people compliment us on this game's AI both internally and externally. It's pretty solid.

[DerEider]

Originally posted by ♥HelenAngel♥:

The AIs don't cheat but we have had several people compliment us on this game's AI both internally and externally. It's pretty solid.

I sure agree with that. The RoN AI's are the toughest I've run into this century. They do, however, tend to peter out in the end-game. Maybe I just need to take that fearsome step up to "Toughest".

[Smugass Braixen-Chan]

It's not that I don't know what I'm doing (I am a Total War vet', I've got most of what I need to do worked out and the rest is just muscle memory) but when I throw a whole lot spearmen at a whole lot of horses and my spearmen all die while the horsemen don't suffer a single casualty I just can't help but call ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.

[Smugass Braixen-Chan]

Originally posted by 110011:

What sucks is that the enemy sinks my destroyers easily, with submarines.
EDIT: Even if I put up a fleet of em, they get sunk easily by the subs.

Strawmaning much?

[Llanicus]

Destroyers and missile cruisers are the counter to subs

[King LBJ]

AI is pretty fair

[Boldy]

First of all: I have been playing RoN for more, than 10 ys. Sorry, but this is the point, where i have to say you guys: You all are wrong!
The AI is cheating on hardest dif. You can check it anytime on an Arena size map.

[The Selfish Meme]

In my games with AI it's vital to set several building to infinite unit production (when you set jp the economy). Then it's enough to push the AI around.

[Stevepunk]

Originally posted by ♥HelenAngel♥ #NotAMiddleman:

The AIs don't cheat but we have had several people compliment us on this game's AI both internally and externally. It's pretty solid.

The AI's get bonuses to resources that the players don't have.
They definitely cheat by getting things that players can't get.

Only way for players to get these is to hack the game, so yes it's cheating.