Game mechanics

[Nelphine]

As a note, even on master, I'm seeing arcanus AI regularly getting a node before turn 40 now - and not 1 AI, but most of them.

On lunatic, I've seen an AI with multiple nodes before turn 40.

Which means I'd expect them to be getting a large number of cheap lairs too - I'd certainly expect large piles of mana caches, probably from expert and higher. Maybe advanced with the right AI.

[Seravy]

o_O

Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Doomstack building + ensuring there are enough "weak" lairs the human player can attack in the first 50-100 turns = more for the AI to get.
This is entirely random though and not controllable. (unless we want to hard-restrict the AI to ignore them until a certain turn but that might slow them down so much that we need to raise their advantage to compensate.)

...that actually isn't a bad idea, making the AI not attack lairs and nodes until turn X but instead let them start with an extra idk, 1000 gold and mana. or 500, or whatever amount needed. Except, it really is a bad idea. If the player can be 100% sure no AI can "kill steal" a node from them, they have a way easier job of getting them through multiple attacks.

[Nelphine]

What I'd be interested in is to run 40 games on each level, for the first 40 turns, just to see how many lairs/nodes each AI gets. Also as a note, I dont think it is that random - arcanus virtually always has several weak nodes around. So my guess is there is an expected average we can assume, in order to plan strength if AI. Yes it will vary, and occasionally it will vary immensely (chaos AI on island with no nodes...)

This may also be why arcanus AI are regularly ahead of myrran AI - much weaker nodes lead to a much more reliable snowball.

[Seravy]

The problem with that is, it's not even between the 3 Arcanus AI. If one gets all of them, difficulty will skyrocket. If each gets one, no big deal. At this is up to pure chance and AI realms, races and geography.


Overall, Sorcery has a large advantage here (Nagas are inexpensive, fast and intercontinental while having a decent strategic power due to poison). Nature and Death do ok (water walking/wraith form on bears and ghouls. Sprites are too weak to clear nodes usually.). Life starts slow but in the midgame it can ramp up and take lead (Stream of Life and 9 stacks carried by ships reaching other nodes on other continents). Chaos, if pushing for gargoyles, is probably about as good at nodes as life, otherwise it's far behind. If the continent size is larger, Sorcery will lose its advantage and Nature/Death probably takes the top spots. Also if it's on their home continent, pretty much every realm can clear them reliably (Life has buffs, chaos has Flame Blade and hounds aren't THAT bad, they are ok fillers if there are some better units leading them, like halberdiers or mercenaries.)

Also, some nodes are really easy for AI -aside from what's easy for anyone, the AI can beat Air Elementals, Demons and Sprites as well.

[Nelphine]

Yup it's almost always sorcery nodes that I see getting picked up early. Sometimes nature ones, presumably with sprites.

[Arnuz]

Trying dwarves, I think I'm in love.

Should magic immune stuff be subject to ability doom damage? (chaos spawn vs golem)

[Seravy]

Trying dwarves, I think I'm in love.

Should magic immune stuff be subject to ability doom damage? (chaos spawn vs golem)

Yes.

[Arnuz]

Shouldn't steam cannon get 2 moves too, eventually losing mountaineering? (their speed worked like the rest of dwarves')

Really enjoying smashing nagas left and right. The golems have deceptively low strategic strength, the AI attacks like there's no tomorrow. Master, 4L/1N:



Master. I haven't conquered any AI city (but I have 2 neutral dark elves) and I haven't cleared any node, just 1 easy lair. I understand why you didn't move to the nodes, it's quite difficult to protect it all and go in attack mode...  Let's see if I manage, I'm up to 6 golems.

Edit: could this be a lunatic level long term strategy?

[Seravy]

Shouldn't steam cannon get 2 moves too, eventually losing mountaineering? (their speed worked like the rest of dwarves')

No, not even Catapults move 2. Artillery shouldn't be able to step back before firing during combat and should be slower than other units.

[Nelphine]

I agree with Seravy