How Does the AI Choose Governments?

I have been experimenting a lot with the Age of Discovery(World Map) mod, and also the Age of Discovery Scenario that comes with the game, What I have discovered with both mods, especially the World Map mod, is that the non-Native American governments have all pretty much switched to Tribal Council as the their government, ignoring their pre-set preferred government type.

Prior to me drastically nuking the Blood Cult government type, they are were going to that. I could see that as that allowed them to build sacrificial altars, which gave lots of culture only with the ability to gain even more by sacrificing captured workers.

However, the only benefit I can see to Tribal Council is that it gives the user a commerce tile bonus. Anyone have any additional experience with this in other scenarios?

timerover51 said:

However, the only benefit I can see to Tribal Council is that it gives the user a commerce tile bonus.

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I think this is the most important factor for the ai when choosing a government. War weariness and I think corruption/waste are also main factors. This THREAD will give you a little more information. I remember coming across a thread that goes more in depth on ai government choices, but I wasn't able to locate it.

Big Bopper said:

I think this is the most important factor for the ai when choosing a government. War weariness and I think corruption/waste are also main factors. This THREAD will give you a little more information. I remember coming across a thread that goes more in depth on ai government choices, but I wasn't able to locate it.

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Thanks for the thread, Big Bopper. The Trade Bonus looks like the deciding factor for my game, as the countries involved are all at peace. England is the other Protestant Monarchy, but gets the Trade Bonus as well, and is at peace. The main Catholic Monarchy still in the game in the Austrian Empire, and I suspect that they are at war with the Ottomans, or were, and could not afford the Anarchy.

The Native Americans have all switched as well, but the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas stayed Blood Cult long enough to each build a Wonder, before apparently switching. I have the three Native American Wonders set for requiring a Blood Cult government, and each of them built a Wonder. Therefore, the ability to build Wonders is also a factor in which government the AI uses.

I will do some more work on this, but it looks like Trade Bonus and Wonders are factors in the AI choice. I may set off a few more wars with the European countries and see if they change at all. The Ottomans are on my list, after I finish the Berbers and Inca, and then the Maya. France is also on my list, and is presently Tribal Council.