ICBM: Escalation - AI Rework Dev Diary #1

[MarcoT.]

Hi everyone!

In today’s diary, we’d like to share a closer look at Conquest Mode. What it was originally meant to be, what challenges we’ve seen with the current implementation, and the big changes we’re working on to bring it closer to that vision.

The Original Vision
Conquest Mode was always designed to be the longest form of play. Slower research, slower build times, and a strong emphasis on territory control rather than outright destruction. The idea was to create a more measured, “light grand strategy” experience, where players advance through all the tech epochs in a controlled escalation.

But as it stands today, the AI doesn’t really shine in this mode.

The Current Problems
Right now, the AI’s primary goal is simply to win by points. That means:

• When it feels ready, it will attack almost anyone—just to maximize score.
• Even when it’s not ready, it will still launch attacks once pollution reaches a certain threshold, because that’s how it can squeeze in a few more points before the game ends.

There’s also a gap between two kinds of conflict:

• All-out war, triggered once pollution is high.
• Retaliatory strikes, often happening when the player acts aggressively.

The problem is that these retaliatory strikes tend to spiral. A player retaliates, then the AI retaliates back, pollution rises, and soon other AI factions jump in to avoid falling behind—leading to premature all-out war and an early end to the match.

A typical sequence looks like this:

1. The player invades or tests an attack.
2. The AI retaliates.
3. The player strikes back with more force.
4. The AI escalates in return.
5. This back-and-forth drives up pollution.
6. Other AI players decide to intervene before it’s “too late.”
7. Pollution spikes → the game ends too soon.

On top of that, the current AI is more tuned for nuclear war and total destruction, not long-term territory control.

The Planned Changes
To better realize the Conquest vision, we’re making several major adjustments:

• Pollution baseline lowered: The default pollution level is reduced by 5×, giving the match more breathing room before an early end.
• Smarter nuclear conditions: AI factions now have prerequisites before deploying nukes, making escalation less automatic.
• Territory-focused AI: Greater emphasis on conquest and occupation, with attention to logistics, unit positioning, and combined arms tactics.
• Diplomacy as a tool: AI will use negotiations to end unnecessary conflicts instead of defaulting to endless escalation.
• Scoring rebalanced: Territory control becomes the default victory condition, shifting focus away from point-maximizing wars.

Looking Ahead
We believe these changes will bring Conquest Mode much closer to its intended role—a slower, more strategic, territory-driven experience that emphasizes planning and escalation control over premature global wars.

In the next diaries, we’ll be diving deeper into the specific AI changes and how we’re making it smarter, more adaptive, and better aligned with the unique goals of Conquest Mode. Stay tuned!