RTS with a good AI?

[Gazius]

Has anyone ever played a RTS game with a good AI? I admit my experience with the genre is pretty limited, but it seems like three relatively popular series in the genre (TW, Paradox, Civ) are all pretty limited in AI. It's pretty rare to see the AI make a good decision in TW, even if you wait for a century of AI development, the best they can do is throw stacks at you. Paradox has a scripted system that has some mild effectiveness, and some mods for it provide a decent AI, but it seems like they inherently rely on a modification of the players abilities, not the actual improvement of the AI. Civ seems like it just gives massive bonuses to the AI, so that your main route to victory is by sheer tech overwhelming.

So I was wondering, is there a good RTS where the enemy has tactically outmaneuvered you repeatedly, and can effectively counter human randomness without simply penalizing you?

[antisocialmunky]

The Civ 4 AI is actually fairly intellegent and also an opportunistic bastard. The diplomacy AI was also fairly strong in that game. Stardock''s Gal Civ II prides itself on the single player experience. It has a fairly good AI.

No AI is that good. AI programming is tough since your resources are so limitted and it takes time to make a good AI.

[Landwalker]

Well, neither Total War (in the campaign map) nor Civilization (or any version of it I've ever played) is a proper RTS. Probably the best RTS AIs I've seen are in Relic's games, like Company of Heroes or Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War. As for turn-based strategy games (TBS, or Turner Broadcasting System), it's hard to say--pretty much the only ones I've played are the Total War games, the Heroes of Might & Magic games, and the Age of Wonders games (and the Civilizations, but I haven't played any of those in forever and a week).

Incidentally, the AI in the original Battle for Middle-Earth wasn't too shabby. It wasn't great, but it wasn't moronic. If you walled yourself up, it broke out the catapults (and those were obnoxious pains in the behind), and the AI had no qualms about seeking out and then attacking your least-fortified/garrisoned positions. It was also pretty good about building the appropriate unit types (e.g. spears if you use a lot of cavalry). Nothing outstanding, but at least not idiotic.

Cheers.

[Lovejoy]

I recommend Advance Wars for the Nintendo DS (everybody should get one). :P

Reeeeeeeally fun turn-based game with a good AI.

Don't let the cute graphics scare you off. The game is really deep and increadably fun.

You will have to get damaged units off the front and back to base for repairs to change them with new once.

And always make sure to resupply your tanks and airplanes or the planes will crash and tanks get stuck.

always bring good artillery support!

best of all: play against your friend with only one Nintendo DS!

or do as I do and play it at the same time as you play EB! No more boring loading times!

Its one of my favorite games of all time!

[Sir Edward]

The original poster specifically asked for RTS not turned based like Advance Wars or Total War. I personally enjoy the Age of Empire series.

[Landwalker]

The original poster specifically asked for RTS not turned based like Advance Wars or Total War. I personally enjoy the Age of Empire series.

The poster did ask for RTS games, but then went on to use Total War and the quintessential turn-based strategy series, Civilization, as examples. So either he doesn't understand what "RTS" actually is, or he's soliciting any ideas regardless of system.

Either way, I have not played the most recent incarnation of Age of Empires, only the original and Age of Kings (and Age of Mythology). Perhaps Ensemble made a huge AI improvement in the transition to AoE III, but in all the other ones the AI was abysmal, tending to just hurl units at you with virtually no regard for tactics, planning, or organization. Set up a moderate defense at a choke point and you basically have unlimited time to build up your own army, and when it comes time to swoop in and eliminate the enemy, it's basically just a matter of steamrolling the opponent--there is no coherent or organized defense, nothing.

If Age of Empires III made an improvement on this, then that's great. But if not, then, as enjoyable as the series is, I wouldn't recommend it on the strength of its AI.

Cheers.