If you’ve played GalCiv3 at all then you’ll know that it - like so many 4X games before it - suffers from an opponent AI that just doesn’t think of the breadth of options open to it.
In fact, it’s a bit of a problem for fans since new additions and changes to the game have created an AI that doesn’t even aim to seek out some of the powerful new additions to the game, from Artifacts in the Precursor DLC to using systems to achieve victory outside of conquest - such as targeting for a research victory as an easy strategy.
Thankfully this is all about to change. The upcoming 1.6 patch for Galactic Civilizations III will bring “substantially” improved AI into the game, according to Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock.
Regarding some of the changes to AI’s ability to use non-combat systems to its advantage - in particular diplomacy - Wardell said “This is a tough one. In recent years, games have simply taken features away from players (it seems like each new gen of 4X gimps what you can trade more and more). The reason is obviously because it’s so easy to exploit it. My view is that we shouldn’t gimp the diplomacy powers but rather spend the time to make it smarter and smarter. And luckily, we have the time.”
Wardell went on to add that “I can tell you that [version] 1.6’s AI is substantially better than even 1.5 was,” but also noted that the tweak to the AI’s ability to make use of Precursor Artifacts may only make it in a later patch.
What, exactly, will be improved it’s not yet been specified, but hopefully this new update will bring with it a much more robust and varied AI opponent.
