I thought it might be nice to get a thread together listing games with solid AI competition. I’ll start:
Civilization 4
Age of Wonders 3
Galactic Civilizations 3
Any of these games should provide enjoyable competition with comparatively minimal AI cheating.
Add your favorites below!
I’d add
to the mix.
Thanks, Brian!
I’d like to add that mods that improve or fix AI are good for this thread too, just please include their full name.
I will add Europa Universalis IV
Warlords 3 RoH and DLR both had solid AIs which would gladly teach you which moves were stupid (like leaving a fortification undermanned).
Ashes of the Singularity
Xcom 1 and 2 (Firaxis)
Settlers 7
Gal Civ II (still great alongside III)
The Unity of Command AI loves to point out when you’ve left your critical supply lines insufficiently guarded. The AI isn’t playing the same game as you, of course, unlike in a 4X.
Well, it is still playing the same game, right? It just has an assymetric starting area and force composition, and maybe a different reinforcement schedule? For my purposes, that’s good enough to rock and roll.
Battle Brothers.
How about Go?
Strategic Command WWII: War in Europe
The rules it follows are the same as yours. Its objectives and strategic situation aren’t in the least. This is not a criticism of either the game or the AI, just a comment that its tactical competence can’t be directly compared to the requirements for a 4X AI.
Maybe Firaxis looked at this sort of thing and assumed they could therefore write a competent tactical AI. Or maybe they just don’t care any more.
EU4 has kind of ruined a lot of 4X games for me due to the AI, so my vote is for that title.
Fair enough, although for the purposes of the people reading this thread, I think it would probably be worthy of inclusion.
These games had pretty good AI for comp-stomp purposes where friends could play co-op against some good computer opponents:
I am very pleased with the Campaign and Battle AI for Total War Warhammer 1 and 2. I’m often impressed that the AI seems to be playing by the same rules I am and often doing just as well as me, or right around. I always feel challenged, and rarely feel like I’m seeing any cheating (like seeing through the fog of war) going on.
No way. Campaign AI absolutely cheats FOW (it will always beeline unwalled cities in the fog) and combined with abusing the crap out march stance in campaign (staying just out of reach of your armies) is super annoying.
Tactical battle AI is also super easy to abuse.
Same. Which is both a vote for EU IV, and a vote against Civilization.
How does Stellaris rate these days? I haven’t played since Utopia, but I remember finding the AI challenging and fair, from what I could tell.
Maybe on higher difficulty levels, but that’s never been my experience on Normal.
I tend to play games “they way they are intended” so I never naturally find many ways to abuse AI, and Warhammer is one of them. If they exist, I guess I won’t be surprised, but I haven’t been prone do relying on any such myself. That I know of.