Are the Brutal AI Really Good in Age of Empires 2?
Age of Empires 2 is a classic real-time strategy game that has captured the hearts of gamers for over two decades. One of the key elements that makes the game timeless is its challenging artificial intelligence (AI) opponents. Among these, the “Brutal” AI difficulty setting is known for its ruthless and unforgiving approach, but are these AI really good or just brutal for the sake of it?
The Brutal AI setting is designed to provide a formidable challenge for experienced players. It is capable of executing complex strategies, efficiently managing resources, and applying relentless pressure on its opponents. This makes victory against the Brutal AI a hard-fought accomplishment, and many players have found themselves defeated by its cunning tactics.
However, some players question whether the Brutal AI is truly “good” or if it relies on unfair advantages to pose a challenge. It’s true that the AI opponents in Age of Empires 2 have access to information about the map and resources that human players do not, giving them a degree of omniscience that can feel unfair at times. Additionally, the AI is not bound by the same limitations as human players, such as reaction time and multitasking abilities, which can make it seem almost superhuman in its efficiency.
Despite these advantages, the Brutal AI is not infallible. Experienced players have identified patterns in its behavior and have developed strategies to exploit its weaknesses. While it excels at certain aspects of gameplay, it can also fall short in others, such as adapting to unexpected changes or recovering from setbacks.
The debate about the Brutal AI’s skill is further complicated by the fact that the game’s community has developed various custom AI scripts that modify the behavior and capabilities of the AI opponents. Some of these custom AIs provide an even greater challenge than the standard Brutal difficulty, making it difficult to determine the true extent of the AI’s skill.
In the end, the question of whether the Brutal AI in Age of Empires 2 is good or simply brutal is subjective and depends on the player’s perspective. Some may appreciate the AI’s relentless nature and consider it a worthy opponent, while others may find its omniscience and lack of human limitations frustrating. Ultimately, the Brutal AI serves its purpose of providing a difficult challenge for players seeking to test their skills in the game, but whether it can be considered “good” is a matter for players to decide for themselves.
