AI City Placement

[cfeyyaz]

Hi, I've been working on improving and optimizing the gameplay aspects of A New Dawn for several months. I am neither a professional modder, nor a learned programmer, so what I was doing, is simply editing XML files. And I need at this point your help.

AI builds too many cities on resources itself, which isn't advantegous at all. I mostly have to raze an enemy city, so that I can build the city on a next tile.

I think, when building a city, the AI considers the third ring of the city too, and the optimized city placement ends up being on a bonus resource. Since I don't use and I don't want to use "Larger Cities" option in my games, most of the AI cities stand ridiculous.

So my question is: Is there any possible way to deactivate the feature "Larger Cities" and its all effects on the game? (The settlers think the way in normal BtS, the resources on 2nd ocean tiles don't appear, etc...)

If not, is it at least possible to implement, that AI never/almost never builds cities on resources? Forbidding cities on resources can be also a possible solution here?

I am really forward for your advices.

Thank you

[IPEX-731BA5DD06]

I think you'll find, they are settling these cities, on top of resources, BEFORE, they have the tech to "see" these resources.

An Example:

Settles a city on top of a copper resource, doesn't have bronze working as yet.

Settles on top of a gold resource, they don't have the tech to see gold (an early one)

Settles on top of Coal, they don't have steam power (I think)

[cfeyyaz]

I tried a start from classical age instead, so that AI knows where for instance marmor or silk is. However AI continued building his cities on valauble resources, which otherwise could be used much more advantageous.

So, your promising suggestion didn't work unfortunately

[steevo]

i too have noticed this- I'm uncerertain as to the details but has anyone else noticed the AI settles right next to tiles that are river-adjacent? Even on the highest difficulty it still continually denies itself the opportunity to establish cities with the most potential growth (irrigation canals) and eventually production (levees) not to mention trade connection because when it comes to expanding via settlement AI priorities are curiously out of order.

[cfeyyaz]

Hey steevo, I've just discovered a code at the file named A_New_Dawn_GlobalDefines:

<Define>
<DefineName>AI_SETTLE_ON_RIVERS_VALUE_BOOST</DefineName>
<iDefineIntVal>250</iDefineIntVal>
</Define>

I think, if you increase the value, the ai will more likely build on rivers. I hope this works

I hope that someone might code for me something like build_city_on_resources = -9999 or something