The abandoned AI civ... ?

[Sodak]

I was at war with Rome, squishing them under my boots. They were down to 2 desert towns. I moved my horsemen into position near town A. The next turn, I find it empty. No surprize, really, maybe they just walked off to defend their pathetic palace. My horsemen run along to that town - also empty! I take it, and the Romans are destroyed.

I've read many anecdotes of the AI abandoning a single city, or their last stray settler sneaking about. But they were destroyed, which means they did not have any settlers...

The only thing I can think of is that they sent a settler off (over land, they had no coastal towns), and he got killed. But why no defenders at all? Any ideas? They were not at war with their only other immediate neighbor, only with distant civs I'd enlisted.

[Jason Fox]

Had the same exact thing with the Romans, only it was just the last city I reached that was empty. Walked in and they were destroyed. No idea how that could happen.

[dojoboy]

Same here in a game where I had redused the Americans and Frenh to 2-3 cities each. As I passed a force through their territory, on my way to Ghandi, I noticed no units in a city. Uh? When I used my spy to check their units, neither of them had any units! I guess the war destroyed their abilities to support units for a period of time or they disbanded them to rush build improvements. It was unusual.

[dojoboy]

Same here in a game where I had reduced the Americans and French to 2-3 cities each. As I passed a force through their territory, on my way to Ghandi, I noticed no units in a city. Uh? When I used my spy to check their units, neither of them had any units! I guess the war destroyed their abilities to support units for a period of time or they disbanded them to rush build improvements. It was unusual.

[Black Waltz]

Never had that before, but I'll keep an eye out for it. Probably the AI just disbanded the units to rush another, though.

[Aeson]

Or they had to disband their units for lack of money?

[Moss]

I've had that happen too, but I think it's because the civ runs out of money and has to abondon the unit.

[Zidane]

Thats odd, every city ive ever come across always has at least 2 defenders in it

[Sanaz]

I just had China with a single warrior defending its last city. Next turn it was gone. I was in the city limits, so they definitely didn't run away - they must have disbanded.

[Sargon of Akkad]

Same thing happened to me playing against the Aztecs. I was the Iroquois. The thing is that they only started having dissapearing units after I captured their capital city as well as some other major cities. My thoughts on this is that they had no money left to support their units.

[Lt. 'Killer' M.]

This thing once happened to me when I played using the Multi-cheat to check out AI troop movements. The Romans were attacked, their defending Spearmen destroyed. All they had left was a very hurt Horsman. Next turn, since Horsemen are offensive, the attacked out of the town with it and won, but since it was uphill they couldn't move back. the enmy killed the Horsie (town empty!), then made peace. But now the town had no garrison, thus low production since they had rushed things and now had a 1-entertainer-town.....

only time I've seen this.

money loss doesn't do it, btw. They just go anarchy and have free units per town sufficient to keep at least 1 defender...

[pompeynunn]

It could simply be money problems actually - if the Civ has an existing trade agreement with another AI civ, then it could potentially have more debts than it could possibly pay off no matter what form of Government it is in if it lost a city or two. Irresponsible fiscal management - hey that gives me an idea for another new civ - Argentina would fit the bill for that one! (Just in case any Argies are posters!)

[Sodak]

I bet the cash flow is the reason. Leave it to the AI to give its purchase of incense more value than its last defender! They ought to be programmed to cancel the deal in order to stay in the game. Otherwise... "Sure, we just got annihilated, but we had a spotless reputation!"

[LKendter]

I seen it happen to.
I just happened in LK22 - Always war succession game.

Major hurt was being put on Babylon.
I attacked a large city.
Got it down to 1, 1 hp swordsman.
Next turn = empty, and it is razed without an effort.

[kring]

I had a similar thing happen, but in a slightly different way. The Egyptians sailed a ship into one of their cities; as soon as it leaves the city, the city flips over to me.