What do you guys think of the AI?

Some of those posts complaining about the AI are outdated; for example, a big problem the AI used to have is that it could not deal with terraforming, but that's been fixed.

The AI in Warlock 2 is about as good as a brand new player. It is reasonably challenging until you figure out how to play the game, but once you understand how to run the economy, how to upgrade units, how to maintain buffs, and which advanced units you should pursue, you will quickly become better than the AI, even when it has resource bonuses. If you really dig in and start to min/max things, the AI players will cease to provide much challenge, though the quest mode can still provide some tense moments. The game shifts from being a challenge to just being a fun doddle with giant rats and fireballs.

Compared to other games, I think Fallen Enchantress has a similar curve, only a little later - it is about as good as a player who isn't very good, so you start out getting the crap beaten out of you, then as you learn how to play it's challenging, but again once you really dig in and figure things out, the challenge dissipates and it's just a fun time crushing everyone. Endless Legend is the same except that you might need to learn new tricks for some factions. I've never played Age of Wonders III but my understanding is that it's about the same.

In fact, I've never played a 4X game that wasn't like this, and I think it's intentional. If the AI played like a good player from the start, most people would give up in frustration before they ever figured anything out. Ideally there would be difficulty levels that were more than production cheats, but realistically that's asking for completely new AIs at every level, and that's a lot of work you can't really charge for - nobody's going to buy a $90 4X even if the AI is great. And in the end it is pretty fun just crushing dudes with Spirit Magic and fully armored dragons.

There are some players looking for real challenge, and this game may disappoint them, but I think the entire genre will disappoint them unless they find a multiplayer scene they like.

Grygus said:

the challenge dissipates and it's just a fun time crushing everyone..

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Pretty much every game is like this but Warlock keeps me coming back for more. Once you get good at it the real challenge is multi player.

There are numerous problems with the AI that have persisted through warlock 1 and 2.

1) The AI doesnt take resistances into account when attacking. The AI will have its troops attack things that are immune to their damage type. The AI will also cast damage spells on targets that are immune to that damage type.
2) The AI does not keep track of the condition of its units. It will send its heroes into battle at 1/2 or 1/3 health against cities or units they cant possibly defeat and doesnt retreat them effectively when injured.
3) I do not know whether the Naga xpac fixed this, but the AI does not take care when it comes to embarking units. It will often risk valuable units by moving them via the water without considering how easy they are to kill in boat form.
4) The AI has never been aggressive enough with city building.

I agree with what Fenryder said. There is some positives though. A lot of times when I am use to the stupid AI W2 surprises me with the AI moving and I am wondering why and then they go into a forest hex and attack me. A lot of times they even have 3 or 4 units attack at the same time and then killing my units.

Maybe it can't be fixed but a solution would be make transports immune to damage but can't attack so at least the AI can get their units across water since it doesn't know how to do ocean warfare as was said.

W2 AI is stupid a lot of times (what game isn't) but unlike Civ V (a AAA game company they really should be embarrassed about their programming skills) doesn't get right that W2 does get right in what a lot of units are smart and able to kill.

So the AI in W2 is smart and stupid at the same time.

Davor said:

I agree with what Fenryder said. There is some positives though. A lot of times when I am use to the stupid AI W2 surprises me with the AI moving and I am wondering why and then they go into a forest hex and attack me. A lot of times they even have 3 or 4 units attack at the same time and then killing my units.

Maybe it can't be fixed but a solution would be make transports immune to damage but can't attack so at least the AI can get their units across water since it doesn't know how to do ocean warfare as was said.

W2 AI is stupid a lot of times (what game isn't) but unlike Civ V (a AAA game company they really should be embarrassed about their programming skills) doesn't get right that W2 does get right in what a lot of units are smart and able to kill.

So the AI in W2 is smart and stupid at the same time.

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There's truth in your post. Though, I really think the AI is unable to effectively build high tier units, so early on it's challenging enough when everyone as the usual lousy units, and once I start getting more powerful ones, the AI just can't make a stand against trolls,... It's a shame though, because I've been surprised at how it effectively send attacks with enough units to be threatening, something that AI are unable to do in most games.

That being said, being decent at managing units isn't enough to be entertaining in my view, and unless they fixed it, they are still since the new DLC, things like diplomacy,... is something the AI has no idea of how to handle that and just act as a lunatic kid playing heads or tails to choose wether to ally or declare war this turn.

Just bought from sale and reading that AI is still as incompetent as in previous installment, eh...

AdAstra said:

Just bought from sale and reading that AI is still as incompetent as in previous installment, eh...

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I harp on the developers all the time here, but I am giving them their credit. AI does really stupid things, but I also see the AI do great things. The AI is better than Civ V. So if a developer of 1 or 2 people can do better AI than a company of 50, that should speak a lot.