AI difficulty levels

What they (don't) get?

from Sins Forums

Hi!

New here. I've played and won several games on normal, and am currently winning a medium map with 4 tough (unallied) AIs. To be fair I actually can't tell the difference. The only thing I've noticed is AIs tend to have bigger fleet, and that I'm actually losing  more smaller ships in battles.

I tried searching this forum and wiki, but couldn't find the real answer. The only one is for "unfair" AI, that it gets bonuses in resources. So please what's the difference among easy, normal and tough?

BR,  Iztok

technical
11,954 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
Yes I would love to know, as I am seeing the same thing, hard and normal seem no different at all.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
The only real difference between Easy/Medium/Hard is the complexity of AI routines. That is, they don't actually get any bonuses or anything, they're just "smarter" whether it be better economy efficiency, better build efficiency or what have you.

Unfair AI, on the other hand, gets a resource income bonus and is currently the only AI cheat/bonus in the game ;)
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
Hi!
So please what's the difference among easy, normal and hard?
End of quote

I just found the difference between normal and hard. Each time I've looked at end-game stats I've been wondering why my average credit income was the highest, but credit income from planets was significantly lower than that of AIs. So I started a game on normal, just played some 10 minutes and quit. Lo and behold, this time my credit income from planets was almost identical to these of AIs.

Conclusion: AIs at hard have about 25% bonus to credit income from planets.


BR, Iztok
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Hi!So please what's the difference among easy, normal and hard?I just found the difference between normal and hard. Each time I've looked at end-game stats I've been wondering why my average credit income was the highest, but credit income from planets was significantly lower than that of AIs. So I started a game on normal, just played some 10 minutes and quit. Lo and behold, this time my credit income from planets was almost identical to these of AIs.Conclusion: AIs at hard have about 25% bonus to credit income from planets.BR, Iztok
End of quote


not likely.
there are many reasons for the AI to have a bigger planet-income then you:

- more planets
- better planets with bonuses to population
- economy AI, upgrades worlds faster, research economy and upgrades of planets

in all my latest games i've always had a better economy vs. any hard AI.

the one thing I noticed is that in mid/late game the AI starts gathering credits and unless you're not starting a war it's simply not using the money for research / planet upgrades or better fleets.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
Hi!
not likely.
End of quote

Did you actually check? Just 5 minutes with a normal AI and 5 minutes with a hard AI? Nah, you didn't. Because if you would, you'd find out the difference in the third credits graph is not 25%, but 30%.

BR, Iztok
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
Hi!


Perhaps you should do this stats-based and not time-based to get an accurate result.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
uhm okay there is a small difference in the planet-income graph.

but I call that a visual or statistics bug.
did 2 games as vasari and tec vs. a hard economist vasari and tec.

both times my overall income rate was slightly higher or exactly than his.
since there is no other income rate in the first 5-10 minutes of a game it's just a bugged graph, nothing else.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Hi!
uhm okay there is a small difference in the planet-income graph.
End of quote

Umm, obviously I'm not clear enough. So please compare those two pictures below from my all-slow hard game.


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Credits income rate. Note my race is green Advent vs. blue Vasari. I've bought the fourth earh-planet upgrade, colonized an astroid, and upgraded it to level 1 pop.



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Credits income from planets. AI obviously got significantly more cash, despite I've been leading by raw credit income rate.

Thus AI either knows how to run "grey" economy, or it has about 30% credit income bonus at "hard". However if I run a game on "normal", are those two lines almost identical.

BR, Iztok
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
i think the AI is just much more aggressive in developing its ecconomy like it is with every other aspect of its empire building on hard.

And anyway if this bonus is true good use of trade ports should compensate in my opinion