Difficulty Levels

[cxado]

So this is a problem I've had for a while with Civ 5. Basically, I want to play on a higher difficulty so that I'm challenged by the AI, in such a way that I will actually feel threatened by them if I make the wrong choices, or I want the game to be very challenging to succeed in.
My problem however, is that on higher difficulty levels, the AI isn't actually smarter or more tactical, they are simply given more starting units or gold etc, and I strongly feel like this is a terrible way to create a harder AI. The result doesn't feel more challenging than the previous difficulty level, it feels unfairly outmatched because they've just been given more to play with. What I'm looking for is a difficulty level where the AI is actually smarter about it's decisions and where if I am smart enough about my own, I'll have a good chance at succeeding.

Basically I'm asking if anyone knows of a mod that changes the difficulty system in the ways I talk about above, so that AI is actually smarter as opposed to richer and with more starting units.

[Swayster]

There is a mod out there I believe still in beta that is trying to make the AI smarter... but yeah I am in the same boat as you. Although I did finish a game on Emperor difficulty and I think you only feel unfairly outmatched in the beginning when they have all these starting bonuses, but once you are medieval and afterwards, it at least "feels" less unfairly outmatched more just generally tactically challenging.

But I'd say don't worry about what is actually technically in the difficulty settings and just go try a game on a more difficult setting and see how it feels.

[cxado]

Originally posted by Swayster:

.But I'd say don't worry about what is actually technically in the difficulty settings and just go try a game on a more difficult setting and see how it feels.

Yeah I think I might do that, to see how it feels. What was the name of that mod you talk about?

[Swayster]

[BNW] Smart AI
by ninakoru

[Acken]

Smart AI is really outdated. People should try Artificial Unintelligence instead.

I also recently released a balance mod which is integrating part of artificial unintelligence on top of balance changes (and more of AuI will be integrated in the future). You may give it a try as I think it should be harder on all difficulties. It's way harder on Deity at least so maybe Emperor will also feel harder but it's hard for me to say since normal Emperor is just a faceroll for me. Name is Acken's Minimalistic Balance.

[CaptGasworthy]

level 6 has that if not 7 but you'll notice on 7 the gap

[Enzo Gorlami]

bump

[BY AZURA BY AZURA BY AZURA]

I tried the "smart AI" mod, but could not get it to download:( must be because its in beta.

I am in the same boat as you. I tried a game on deity once. It was pretty challenging; but the fact that the AI started with free stuff disappointed me; and is why I refuse to play above King unless I just really want that kind of a game. A game on Deity is not challenging in the sense of a "smarter AI" ; its harder because tha AI gets free stuff that gives them an unfair boost in the game.

I understand that even the most advanced AI in current existence could not provide us with what we wish; but surely there must be better ways to make the game challenging than letting the AI cheat.

[LSD]

The top 2 difficulties can be pretty unfair (7 and 8) in terms of what the AI gets, but honestly, no amount of AI alterations and improvements can make up for what the player gets: a brain. The AI needs some extra resources, solely because it's never gonna be able to work out things like build orders in the same way a player can.
6 is about right in terms of what bonuses the AI gets, in that it's enough to stop them losing the game in the first 20 turns, but not enough to make you forsake major gameplay elements (like wonders).

The AI definitely is pitiful, though. Settling in barren wastelands, marching on cities piecemeal...it's hilariously bad.

[Acken]

Originally posted by Sucks-At-Video-Games:

I tried the "smart AI" mod, but could not get it to download:( must be because its in beta.

I am in the same boat as you. I tried a game on deity once. It was pretty challenging; but the fact that the AI started with free stuff disappointed me; and is why I refuse to play above King unless I just really want that kind of a game. A game on Deity is not challenging in the sense of a "smarter AI" ; its harder because tha AI gets free stuff that gives them an unfair boost in the game.

I understand that even the most advanced AI in current existence could not provide us with what we wish; but surely there must be better ways to make the game challenging than letting the AI cheat.

Like I said to the other person you can give my mod a try. It will also soon (1-2 weeks) be updated to beta 3 which massively work on AI behavior if you're not convinced.
Granted it is not a pure AI mod but a balance+AI mod. The reason is that I'm a firm believer creating a bigger challenge has to come from also having a balanced game.

The AI doesn't understand poor balance. It cannot evaluate poor options. If the developer said: if you like religion pick Piety, then the AI will just do that regardless of how bad the tree is. Or if the dev ask the AI to settle very slowly for arbitrary reason then it will also do that while it's a bad move. It cannot understand that 4cities NC is better than beelining to its Ironworking UU or that you should race for renaissance to open Rationalism. This is why you have two options when trying to make a bigger challenge:
Option 1: You force optimal options down the throat of the AI. It's very easy to do. Force the AI to take rationalism to beeline education etc. Like a player.
Option 2: You try to make sure flavorful choices are meaningful choices. You diminish the impact of human knowledge over what is good and what is bad.

I'm hard at work on option 2.
Thread for discussions:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=550671

[cxado]

I'd completely forgotten about this post, but I'm definately gonna give your mod a try particularly when you release that next beta.
I sort of reached such a supreme level of pissed off-ness with bad elements of the game that I've since been preparing for an ultimately awesome experience, by collecting an overwhelmingly vast amount of mods that in my opinion will make the game better, along with an obscene amount of custom civs to choose from. At the moment I'm building my own map to play on, which is larger than the maximum generation size of 'Huge'.

I'm doing this because out of everything I hate in this world, civilization 5 map generation short of the KKK probably tops the list. I'm designing it to be unique in that it clearly isn't generated and in such a way that every single corner of the map is designed to be aesthetically perfect to the eye, i.e. no ugly allowed. Pretty start locations, pretty everywhere locations, with a very Earth-Like feel, etc. It probably wouldn't geolocially make sense, and I'm no scientist, but I'm gonna take after George R. R. Martin in the argument that "weird ♥♥♥♥ made this planet cool".

[tiguilherman]

AI goes so far, sorry. What you want is a brain.
That's what the multiplayer option is there for. Just find a player your level.