Does the AI Cheat re: Champions?

from Elemental Forums

Every game I play the AI seems to have more Champions and all at higher levels than me.  I'm getting quite confused what am I missing?  How is it leveling up its Champions so fast?

In my most recent game I have explored most of the map (ending at enemy territories) and the AI had not killed the mobs in those areas, they had left the majority of them living.  I know because I went around with my two heroes (in seperate stacks) and fought everything, starting with the easy stuff and eventually the higher level creatures too.  There are a couple high level creatures left, but the AI hasn't killed these either.

But...

Even though I wiped out the creatures on about 2 thirds of the map, somehow all three AI factions have higher level leaders than me and I'm not sure about the ones I'm not warring with but the one faction I am fighting against also has 3 other Champions also all higher level than my two.  Where did they get the levels?  It was me that killed the mobs and the only war is between us.  I doubt they had enough mobs to level up 4 champions to level 10+ in their tiny section of the map, it doesn't make sense.

7,774 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Hmm... Having investigated a little more, I think they are starting at level 5!

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

What makes you think they are starting at level 5?  You mean the Sov or another champion?

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

If there is a cheat- it's probably either they don't suffer xp penalties from stacking champs (has this been tested?) or related to the fact that quests for the AI are a diceroll instead of actually doing the quest.  (I'd like to see this changed- never liked humans/AIs playing under different rules)

 

 

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

@abob101 - Yeah I'm just talking about Sov's in the post above, I'm aware other champions start at higher levels.  I have not seen an enemy sov under level 5.  I ran a game where my only intention was to meet the AI ASAP so I could check the foreign relations tab and check their level.  Granted it took me a few turns to get there, but I was on a tiny map and just went in one direction from the start.  Met them both pretty soon, one was level 5 and one was level 6 and there is no way I could have levelled up that fast, so I assumed they started at level 5 (late in game they always seem 5 levels roughly ahead of me too).

 

However, it could be the AI getting an easy ride with level ups from quests or creeps.  For example maybe it automatically defeats them and gets the level up quicker?  But as I said in the opening post, it leaves a lot of creeps alive and I kill them myself, so even if it was getting free quest wins and creep kills I'm not sure where it is finding all the creatures!  Unless it can do high level quests with just its Sov because it doesn't actually have to fight or something.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Maybe try enabling cheats, then use Ctrl-U I think it is to reveal the map.  Then you can watch them, checkout what he's up to... see the level from the start etc. 

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

On a related note, I built a custom sovereign and set him up as one of my AI opponents. Very early game, I encountered him, went to war, and when he surrendered, I viewed his item list. He had quite a few magic items in his possession that he couldn't have gotten so quickly.

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Heya, crtl-U doesn't seem to do anything.  Anyone know where I can find a list of the cheat commands?  I'm very interested to see how the AI plays in early game. 

I'm getting really frustrated, lol.  Thrashed it on Challenging and now I have lost 4 or 5 games in a row on hard and it seems the AI is just going crazy in every respect, way more units and way more levels!

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

https://forums.elementalgame.com/433136

 

Has the list of cheat codes and how to implement the cheat commands.