14 DAY TRIAL // Civilization V is the new turn based strategy game from Jon Shafer, Sid Meier and the team at Firaxis, allowing players to take control of a nation as a mythical leader and lead them to glory in search of victory via domination, science, social policies or democratic world vote.
I think I understand why I steered clear from all out war for so much time in the new Civilization.
It's because it probably is the weakest element of the game at the moment and probably the one that can be most improved in the coming months.
The problem is that the Artificial Intelligence is pretty brain dead, not realizing that the front line can be circumvented and that the loss of one of my allied city states is not too important for me as long as I can conquer and then occupy his capital.
Some players, who have logged on much more hours into Civilization V than me, have suggested that the A.I. performs poorly because it lacks the omniscient level of information it had on player abilities and actions in previous titles.
It's possible that, in making the computer play more inside the limitations imposed on the human player, like not knowing what forces are in land which is not visible directly, Firaxis might have handicapped the player a bit too much.
It also does stupid things like putting chariots way out ahead of an invading force composed mostly of swordsmen, allowing me to take them out and then run circles around the main force with my own archers.
I also fails to understand simple rules, like the fact that it will stop in the early ages after crossing a river or that I can take advantage of hills and mountains to hide from ranged weapons.
I like the change to hexes but the tactics and strategy of the A.I. needs a quite a bit of work.
It might have been some time since I enjoyed Panzer General 3D but I am pretty sure that in that game I got routinely beat and I wish Civilization V could do the same.