Matrix Games Forums

I love this game. But it is unplayable past about 20 turns in the method I prefer to play, large as can be , even with just one opponent the game play bogs down into 10 plus minutes waiting for the computer to do its turn. It takes so long my screen saver activates twice.

The newer patch has cut down the actual number of turns/impulses the AI does each turn, but they each take longer, I assume you gave it the ability to do more inside each of the phases.

Last turn took 38 minutes for the AI to finish.

ORIGINAL: Twotribes

Last turn took 38 minutes for the AI to finish.

Holy smoke, is that some kind of computer game record?
I have this game, but haven't seriously tackled playing it yet.
When it takes that long, is the AI at least kicking your buttogh?

No. The computer is way behind in cities. He does love to build units though, I have something like 140 units of all kinds and he has well over 500 based on the division numbers I can see. He is ahead in certain areas of research as well. He has medium Tank III.

I have noted the computer gets medium tank, Tank destroyer as quickly as it can in any game, I am usually behind in research but way ahead in troop count.

Some system info before some wise ass claims I have an OLD system.

AMD Athlon 64x2 dual. Core Processor 4600+. 2.41 GHZ, 2.00 GB Ram. 9400 Nvidea Video card with 512m Memory.

Sounds like either the map is too big, there are too many cities, or the computer just has to satisfy its compulsion to have a formation every 2 hexes for all of its territory. The amount of processing time used by the computer increases exponentially as its territory increases.

In other words, don't expect to actually play against the computer, thanks for the obvious.

Got very similar specs and sharing your pain an excellent game that I'm trying hard to get better at but takes too long to play anything a decent size against the A.I. PBEM I guess is the way to go but that does not leave much scope for trying differnt production strategies and force mixes not to mention supply matters. I fear being beaten to death in the PBEM arena without trying a few things out first it's just taking too long. My own fault I suppose for favouring the monster size scenarios
 

ORIGINAL: typhoon

Got very similar specs and sharing your pain an excellent game that I'm trying hard to get better at but takes too long to play anything a decent size against the A.I. PBEM I guess is the way to go but that does not leave much scope for trying differnt production strategies and force mixes not to mention supply matters. I fear being beaten to death in the PBEM arena without trying a few things out first it's just taking too long. My own fault I suppose for favouring the monster size scenarios

If you like to read, buy a couple books and try reading while the computer slowly clanks a long.

Yep reading is a good option and browsing the forums with an occasional post or two. Unfortunately though does my bad smoking habit no good at all.

How big is the map and how many cities ?
Did you try to reduce the map size by 50% ?
What happens then ?
 
Do you play with Peoples Republic on these big maps ?

ORIGINAL: seille

How big is the map and how many cities ?
Did you try to reduce the map size by 50% ?
What happens then ?

Do you play with Peoples Republic on these big maps ?

100 by 100, max cities, no peoples republic but I did enable AI help, so lots of little villages everywhere. And I allowed revolts. Only one AI opponent.

However if you are now going to claim I should not do those things, then just admit that the game sucks as AI time wise.

Unfortunately this most likely goes back to the programming basics and it sounds hard to make any revolutionary improvements without making drastic changes to the code base = Complete re-write?

Twotribes. You do have a point, but why the sore attitude?  Repeatedly complaining that the game sucks isnt very constructive.
 
The game is slow if you have maximum settings and combine it with minimum of patience. But such is the case in many games. And a lot of games arent even playable for high settings. I cant play supreme commander on any setting but the lowest. Sure, its no fun. But thats just life.
 
 

I can not believe that the AI can not be sped up. It is not all that smart to begin with it. And in the first days I was told I was simply wrong, turns did not take that long. I had people insisting I had old equipment.

ORIGINAL: Twotribes

I can not believe that the AI can not be sped up. It is not all that smart to begin with it.

Agreed. I'd be surprised if it took a great deal to speed it up, and I think it does need speeding up.

And i read everything. And promise nothing. But as you can read elsewhere i will spend some time soon on a new patch.
 
Also keep in mind AT uses only 1 thread and thus can utilize only 1 core of a multiprocessor machine.
 
kind regards,
vic

Go back to when the game first released and you will find me pointing out the AI is to slow and you will find several officials insisting I am wrong and must have an old slow computer.

How long has the game been out? Just admit you do not care about the AI speed at all.

ORIGINAL: Vic

And i read everything. And promise nothing. But as you can read elsewhere i will spend some time soon on a new patch.

Also keep in mind AT uses only 1 thread and thus can utilize only 1 core of a multiprocessor machine.

kind regards,
vic

Thanks, Vic.

Hmmmm.... why don't you just say that the game is unplayable at 100x100 with max cities.... against the computer... and that games of this size should only be played PBEM?

I have a 2 GHx machine and run games at 50x50 with 3 opponents, 25 cities and the people's republic and there is a bit of a delay when the computer is doing it's thing.... but this is less than 5 minutes.

More recently I have been playing with an even smaller map size and just 1 opponent, people's republic and 15 cities... with the people's republic jacked up to AI+ or AI++... essentially playing just against pr... this essentially to cut down the AI time to almost nothing... and have been having a lot of fun with this.

So, if you try being a bit creative you should be OK.

Z