AI to Annex/Puppet

SomethingCronic

Chieftain
Joined
Jun 27, 2007
Messages
85
Location
London
Seeing as the new patch notes suggest the AI will not be able to annex cities in future, what does this actually mean to the player?

Currently, the AI only puppets - but does not receive any of the disadvantages of using puppets i.e. they can still build units and (I believe) wonders in their cities.

I'm guessing this will be completely reworked. With AI wide empires suffering in terms of being far behind on social policies.

What do you think?
 
That's not exactly what the patch notes say:

• AI will now consider annexing cities it has conquered.

• The AI will not consider annexing if it is trying to win a culture victory or their empire is currently unhappy.

Seems more consistent with the factors a human player would consider.
 
Hmm ... I only annex when I am unhappy. Annex, then rush-buy courthouse, colliseum, and theatre - that's a gain of around ten happiness for a typical puppet.

I've even been in situations where by annexing a city, my time-to-next-policy decreased. If you take the piety tree, then excess happiness = culture. Combine that with reduced penalties for increased number of cities. Then remember that puppets can't build religious buildings like cathedrals.

Also, AI should consider annexing if
- the puppet is the AI's only coastal city
- the puppet is the AI's capital (their original capital was lost)
 
Agreed, but I don't think the "currently unhappy" will be much of a constraint on the AI. The AI tends to be swimming in happiness most of the time, so I think this will probably be a short-term limitation (e.g., immediately after puppeting a bunch of cities that are still in revolt).
 
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