What is the difference between hard AI and hardest AI on skirmishes?

[James3157]

The reason why I am asking is because at least on most maps and not just arabia maps (besides water maps where AI starts on a small island where they are not smart enough to transport villagers to other islands) hard AI from AoE III: DE seems to be a lot harder than moderate AI with skirmishes where I can win moderate difficulty with relative ease that might sometimes seem like standard difficulty instead of moderate difficulty especially on 1v1 matches or free for all matches (meaning each AI player is on a different team such as for example 1v1v1v1). On extreme difficulty it is probably similar to AoE II: DE where the villagers act differently than they normally do and do not have a limit when it comes making villagers, but the differences between hard and hardest AI on this game I would like to this is less obvious than difference between hardest AI and extreme AI. I have never played against hardest AI on skirmishes, because I struggle even against hard AI contrary to AoE II: DE where AI seems to be noticeably easier on that game than this game on hard difficulty besides arabia maps when it comes to skirmishes.

[Elmer]

On the Carib map, the AI doesn't seem to have much trouble moving forces from its island to mine, or onto a piece of terrain with the trade routes. That's on standard difficulty. I generally play against five AI opponents but don't use AI allies and simply go solo. If I up the difficulty to moderate, I'm forced to pick up the pace in order to win. Too frenetic for me. I love building up my forces, locating, destroying, and blockading the enemies' port facilities, then conducting an amphibious landing on hostile terrain. I always get a big, final battle as I maneuver over their island. And I play the large map. This game does have its issues but I love it anyway. I've played the entire suite since the beginning except AOE4, which I'll buy when it becomes so cheap that I can't resist it. Dutch, Brits, and Russians are my favorite choices but play against a variety of AI opponents.

[James3157]

Originally posted by Elmer:

On the Carib map, the AI doesn't seem to have much trouble moving forces from its island to mine, or onto a piece of terrain with the trade routes. That's on standard difficulty. I generally play against five AI opponents but don't use AI allies and simply go solo. If I up the difficulty to moderate, I'm forced to pick up the pace in order to win. Too frenetic for me. I love building up my forces, locating, destroying, and blockading the enemies' port facilities, then conducting an amphibious landing on hostile terrain. I always get a big, final battle as I maneuver over their island. And I play the large map. This game does have its issues but I love it anyway. I've played the entire suite since the beginning except AOE4, which I'll buy when it becomes so cheap that I can't resist it. Dutch, Brits, and Russians are my favorite choices but play against a variety of AI opponents.

So you have never played against hard or hardest AI? Like I mentioned previously there is a big difference in difficulty for moderate vs. hard difficulty. Hard difficulty seems like it is nearly impossible for me to win on skirmishes with at least most maps, but moderate difficulty feels like it is too easy sometimes especially on 1v1, depending on what maps are being used, what civs I am playing against, and what civs I am playing as.

Hard for me to imagine what the difference is between hard vs hardest AI if I struggle even against hard AI. Also, if I am not mistaken free for all is limited to four players and not eight, because you are forced to play with teams contrary to AoE II: DE. There is for example no team 5, team 6, and etc...

[Elmer]

I have played on hard before but it was a long time ago and on AOE 3. I just didn't enjoy it. More about free time and being laid back for me. I've never played multi and never will. Because of the low difficulty level and response from the AI, I have to modify my offensive stance by not building on the trading route until opponents have built their trading posts on the sites. I'll attack those and build on them and the AI will respond with forces to take them back. Unfortunately, about a year ago, after an update, the AI became unable to load artillery onto any vessel - it tries but fails, and the ship or boat and the artillery are left pinned to the shore, trying over and over again to load. I've adapted to that by limiting my use of artillery until my final amphib operation on its island. Since many of the defects are not corrected by submitting a "ticket", I shrug and do a work around. I realize I'm a bit outside your thread here, but I did want to comment on the Carib map/AI play because it is different than the rest of the water maps. I would be interested in any experience you have in playing that map against multiple AI opponents at a higher level. And whether your enemies are able to load arty aboard ships and boats.

[James3157]

Nobody so far has told me what the differences are between hard AI and hardest AI on skirmishes and I am still under the impression there is a much bigger difference between moderate and hard AI than there is between hard AI and hardest AI.

Originally posted by Elmer:

I have played on hard before but it was a long time ago and on AOE 3. I just didn't enjoy it. More about free time and being laid back for me. I've never played multi and never will. Because of the low difficulty level and response from the AI, I have to modify my offensive stance by not building on the trading route until opponents have built their trading posts on the sites. I'll attack those and build on them and the AI will respond with forces to take them back. Unfortunately, about a year ago, after an update, the AI became unable to load artillery onto any vessel - it tries but fails, and the ship or boat and the artillery are left pinned to the shore, trying over and over again to load. I've adapted to that by limiting my use of artillery until my final amphib operation on its island. Since many of the defects are not corrected by submitting a "ticket", I shrug and do a work around. I realize I'm a bit outside your thread here, but I did want to comment on the Carib map/AI play because it is different than the rest of the water maps. I would be interested in any experience you have in playing that map against multiple AI opponents at a higher level. And whether your enemies are able to load arty aboard ships and boats.

I have played water maps before, but not a lot when it comes to civs starting on islands that are too small. I notice ships transporting military, but never when it comes to villagers at least on moderate difficulty. However, I do not remember transport ships not being able to load artillery where I was not aware of this being an issue until only recently when you mentioned this.

[Opdepov]

I believe hardest get a 20% resource boost. Hard get normal resources, anything below that gets resource penalties if I'm not mistaken. I havent noticed the AI being smarter on higher difficulties, just larger armies due to these resources.

[James3157]

Originally posted by Opdepov:

I believe hardest get a 20% resource boost. Hard get normal resources, anything below that gets resource penalties if I'm not mistaken. I havent noticed the AI being smarter on higher difficulties, just larger armies due to these resources.

Hard, Hardest, and extreme AI apparently got buffed at some point last I knew with skirmishes where the AI is more aggressive (but not necessarily smarter) and ages up noticeably faster, but hard difficulty seems to be a lot harder than moderate difficulty for some reason. I have figured out how to win on moderate difficulty but not hard difficulty with skirmishes. Thank you for that information and I believe that is at least mostly the answer to my question. Part of the problem with moderate difficulty at least on 1v1 matches is that it seems easier than moderate such as for example the AI never getting past the Commerce Age. With hard difficulty in contrast I struggle with both team games where I have one or more allies (but to be fair the AI as an ally can unfortunately be quite stupid and unreliable sometimes to help explain why team games can be potentially harder than 1v1) and even 1v1.