Ai bonuses removed

[BpestZ1]

I completely get the difficulty of having to test multiple settings, but it still seems like a shame to lose the ability to selectively make the AI more aggressive towards the player without all the other settings changing.

In my experience, the AI bonuses always seemed to screw up game balance (things like Europe getting overbuilt/developed, etc.), so I liked being able to turn them off, yet still have the AI play "mean". I really hope the future difficulty levels allow for that option. E.g. if there are 5 levels, something like:

1. Extra-Easy (player bonuses, AI plays dumb)
2. Easy (no bonuses, AI plays dumb)
3. Normal (no bonuses, AI plays to full ability)
4. Hard (no bonuses, AI plays to full ability, and targets the player)
5. Extra-Hard (AI bonuses, AI plays to full ability, and targets the player)

In other words, have a range of difficulties based purely on how the AI plays, without any bonuses

The trouble with AI targeting the player is that the player just abuses the targeting. I like all five of your options for difficultly I just think we have such a complex game on our hands that we can do without options 2 and 4. We should be gentle telling people to play on normal and easy of course.

 

[Chaingun]

It isn't problem that AI bonuses and AI being meaner merged into one settings. AI bonuses itself is also lowered.

I'm aware of it and we're looking into adding a more difficult level.

 

[BpestZ1]

Thumbs up for more difficulty levels.
Thumbs down for the merge.

We already have so many difficultly levels in starting positions that having fewer at game start really should not matter, in my view.

 

[trojan1234]

I'm aware of it and we're looking into adding a more difficult level.

Thanks for response! I really want to see (at least, harder difficulty welcome =) ) old AI bonus back into game.

 

[hashinshin]

REALLY want light AI bonuses.

10% tech cost reduction, 10% idea cost reduction, tendency to pick idea "groups" like economic religous quantity quality.

 

[Junuxx]

10% tech cost reduction, 10% idea cost reduction, tendency to pick idea "groups" like economic religous quantity quality.

Modeling idea group preferences into AI difficulty sounds like a bad idea. It just highlights which idea groups are (currently) unbalanced, and that is the actual problem that should be addressed.

 

[trojan1234]

We already have so many difficultly levels in starting positions that having fewer at game start really should not matter, in my view.

The problem is most of favored events are tied to mid-power or majors. I am a medicore EUIV player who like historical flavor events and still want some difficulties. So I need AI bonus in previous version for my favorite EUIV game settings.

 

[Beagá]

We already have so many difficultly levels in starting positions that having fewer at game start really should not matter, in my view.

It´s important for replayability. No one will play all HRE minors "just because they are different positions".

Telemetry data showed the top ten most played nations were quite consistent in all versions of the game. Not everyone is a 1000 hour veteran and Paradox needs new players as well as keep veterans interested. The way to go is to make majors and mediums interesting/rewarding, not forcing people to play OPMs in Asia.

 

[BpestZ1]

It´s important for replayability. No one will play all HRE minors "just because they are different positions".

Telemetry data showed the top ten most played nations were quite consistent in all versions of the game. Not everyone is a 1000 hour veteran and Paradox needs new players as well as keep veterans interested. The way to go is to make majors and mediums interesting/rewarding, not forcing people to play OPMs in Asia.

I agree. I guess I just want to advocate for having the old AI bonuses back (as a punitive 4th level) because I like playing the mid-majors and even the majors sometimes as well but I also want a difficultly level that means "No, WC is just not an option" level. Even if I start as France. I know the best players are not going to be stopped in their rampages and I do not want to stop them either.

 

[Elisakar]

Might not be relevant to most, but the option of being able to give the whole (old) list of bonuses to the player seems to be gone as well. I know most people play on the harder difficulties, but most of the friends I play with prefer to have player bonuses on.