I think we need to more carefully examine the effects of the beta patch changes on Single Player games. Most people who frequent the boards are MP players. I know I am. I have played with most people I see posting on here.
But some of these changes radically affect SP games; particularly the recent tax collector and alliance changes. The AI was not designed to handle these changes, so they made stupid decisions. When you have all the major powers run by players, this is no big deal. When you have all the major powers minus the single player run by the AI, you have big problems.
The AI now has a difficult time managing its finances. Play a single player game with the new patch for about 30 years and then look at the inflation graph, the military size graph, and other graphs in the Archive. The AI just cant manage its finances with the new tax system. Once it loses its initial troops, it has a very very very hard time replacing them.
The Alliance system also drastically hinders the AIs ability to make war. The alliance leader will usually get peace fairly quickly, since they usually have no beef with the country being attacked. This especially hinders non-Western Europeans.
These problems combine to make SP a virtual cakewalk. Major Western European powers arent even scary, much less non-Westerners. The Human player can adapt to virtually any changes you make to the game, the AI has a much harder time. Even in MP, non-Player nations become incredibly weak after just a decade or two (when they lose their initial army). This is especially true in northeastern Europe (because of all the snow attrition).
Anyone else seen these problems?
But some of these changes radically affect SP games; particularly the recent tax collector and alliance changes. The AI was not designed to handle these changes, so they made stupid decisions. When you have all the major powers run by players, this is no big deal. When you have all the major powers minus the single player run by the AI, you have big problems.
The AI now has a difficult time managing its finances. Play a single player game with the new patch for about 30 years and then look at the inflation graph, the military size graph, and other graphs in the Archive. The AI just cant manage its finances with the new tax system. Once it loses its initial troops, it has a very very very hard time replacing them.
The Alliance system also drastically hinders the AIs ability to make war. The alliance leader will usually get peace fairly quickly, since they usually have no beef with the country being attacked. This especially hinders non-Western Europeans.
These problems combine to make SP a virtual cakewalk. Major Western European powers arent even scary, much less non-Westerners. The Human player can adapt to virtually any changes you make to the game, the AI has a much harder time. Even in MP, non-Player nations become incredibly weak after just a decade or two (when they lose their initial army). This is especially true in northeastern Europe (because of all the snow attrition).
Anyone else seen these problems?
