The amount of units in the end game is too many, it's annoying.

from Elemental Forums

Noticing that the AI often has hundreds of units, many of which aren't a threat, but the AI does raid/steal resources with them, it's what should be done, but it's annoying to deal with and really not fun.   This is a problem that is common in Stardock games, GalCiv II had this problem as well.

 

This is probably just me stating my preference to move fewer, more powerful units.

 

Solutions:

buff militia.

 

Introduce a system where troops need to extra gold to be maintained based on their resource consumption, and a system where going over a limit of units built (not champions/summons/special units- but trained units) costs extra maintenance- the cap on those extra units should be sum of the levels of all your cities+ level of your sovereign+ bonuses for certain traits (maybe add this to governor) .

 

Do other folks find it fun to chase down 6-7 stacks of minor units?   I know it's a way for the AI to be better than a human, because the AI doesn't have an aversion to being annoying, but it is annoying.

 

10,400 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

I get what you mean, it can be painful at times.  It's a tough one though, because you also want to avoid the stacks of doom scenario where it's basically just a handful of super stacks going against each other.  Pretty much a problem in all 4x games in the late game stage.

Another option (more work though) is to be able to set units/cities etc to AI control.  So flick a city to "auto govern" and have it produce improvement/units automatically.  The units could even patrol the nearby area.

Regarding buffing militia... can't you just train units in the city then set them to guard?  Isn't that a similar outcome in that you don't have to manually intervene?

 

 

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

The solution is to kill all of the AI opponents early in the game, before tons of units are swarming the map.

As time goes on and a faction grows, so will the number of units it has. that's just a normal course of events/progression.

Limiting the number of units is not the right solution.

Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Since I always play on mountainous maps with lots of choke points I never felt that as a problem, maybe that's a solution for you also?

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

I think fighting against many weak units is boring, too. Winning with a single stack of doom should be very difficult, but fighting with a few stacks of doom should be the focus of the game, because every tactical battle will be important and it will be easier to balance the game.

Perhaps it would help if an army always requires a hero as the leader, but scouts, pioneers and monsters should be able to travel alone.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Noticing that the AI often has hundreds of units, many of which aren't a threat, but the AI does raid/steal resources with them, it's what should be done, but it's annoying to deal with and really not fun.   This is a problem that is common in Stardock games, GalCiv II had this problem as well.

 

This is probably just me stating my preference to move fewer, more powerful units.

 

Solutions:

buff militia.

 

Introduce a system where troops need to extra gold to be maintained based on their resource consumption, and a system where going over a limit of units built (not champions/summons/special units- but trained units) costs extra maintenance- the cap on those extra units should be sum of the levels of all your cities+ level of your sovereign+ bonuses for certain traits (maybe add this to governor) .

 

Do other folks find it fun to chase down 6-7 stacks of minor units?   I know it's a way for the AI to be better than a human, because the AI doesn't have an aversion to being annoying, but it is annoying.

 
End of quote

Yes it's more of just YOU stating your preferences but not the preferences of the WHOLE collective. It basically comes down you don't like it.....don't play it. ;)

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Wizard1200, reply 4

I think fighting against many weak units is boring, too. Winning with a single stack of doom should be very difficult, but fighting with a few stacks of doom should be the focus of the game, because every tactical battle will be important and it will be easier to balance the game.

Perhaps it would help if an army always requires a hero as the leader, but scouts, pioneers and monsters should be able to travel alone.
End of Wizard1200's quote

 

Maybe stacks should require a hero, henchmen can be trained to count as heros with 1/2 stack limit (and given to all factions)

 

 

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

One thing that could be improved are fortresses their should be more upgrades for extra guards etc.

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Nichtganz, reply 7

One thing that could be improved are fortresses their should be more upgrades for extra guards etc.
End of Nichtganz's quote

 

I'd rather see city walls/forts given to towns/concalves, and foretress militia getting the benefit of their special buildings and better arms.

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

well in my humble opinion this actually is a weak point in the AI because:

* i always try to protect my resources by "snaking" my cities to them so the AI has to take my city in order to take my resources.

* as some have stated the single stack of doom(player) cuts through the AI cities so their little groups become like little flies destroying loose resources and being annoying but not really doing real damage.

 

i think the AI should protect their cities better and send better/bigger groups that are actually a threat instead of a lot of annoying flies.

if not at least their sov group should be big with the best units(not the standard numerous ones), because for example one thing i have always noticed is that if i rush towards getting the first metal armor tier(chainmail/light plate) and pop one or two units(with the cooperation tech) with mounts and basic charm stuff and put them with my sov and a champion they practically mop the floor with anything the AI has gathered(being a lot of weak units) and that's practically the beginning of the end of the ai at least in my games it has always been like that.

 

 my point is i always save my resources for a few big powerful units and protect my cities whereas the ai spends all of their resources on weak units that don't stand a chance against superior units no matter how many there are, and sends them all around instead of protecting their cities.

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

I think the problem is indeed a fundamental issue with the AI.

 

If you think about it, when do masses of units actually work? Only when your opponent basically has no units at all. One heavily-armored unit with a decent weapon can bead hordes of level 1 units. And even with all of the AI improvements, the AI still can't recognize this simple fact. In this game, superior tech always wins. The AI should focus on producing fewer, more advanced units. Then it would be unbeatable.