AI ignoring science victory in BNW

[RandyG]

I have finished 6 games, all on immortal, since BNW. One diplo win and loss, one culture win and loss, and two science wins. However, I should have lost both my science wins. In the diplo and culture games no AI were close to a science or domination win. In both science games, one before the fall patch and one after the fall patch, two AI were ahead of me in the space race.

Before the fall patch, France and Korea quickly built all but one spaceship part, and then for ~10-15 turns did not finish their final part allowing me to complete all the parts. One of them DoW the other at the beginning of the space race and they were lobbing nukes at each other, so perhaps they were too preoccupied with their conflict to finish their last spaceship part. IIRC France was going for a culture victory and Korea for diplo or possibly science.

In my game after the fall patch, Austria built all but 1 spaceship part ~30 turns before I finished my last one and America finished all but 1 spaceship part ~10-15 turns before I finished my last one. Both were going for a culture win. Both civs were in minor wars with civs that did not have nukes.

So my questions are:
Will the AI ignore an easy science win if it is going for a different victory?
Will it ignore a science win if it is in a war?
Will it try to build a spaceship part in a city with low production?
Should I not try to draw any conclusions from just two games where science victory was possible for the AI?
I don’t remember this happening before BNW. Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

 

[VicRatlhead5199]

I think what might happen is an aluminum shortage. A lot of the late game units take aluminum and when a war starts the AI start cranking out units. They probably don't plan ahead to save aluminum for parts when they haven't researched the tech yet.

I've won space races before by buying all of an AI's aluminum if they're ahead of me. Cheap way to win, I know, but then again I don't feel bad using the "human advantage" to beat AI that are playing with so many of their own advantages.

 

[RandyG]

That is a good observation VicRatlhead5199

I loaded up my game from the turn I won and found Austria and America to have no excess aluminium. I loaded my oldest autosave from 24 turns before, and again neither AI had excess aluminium. Still America and Austria (apparently I was not as far behind Austria as I thought) built additional spaceship parts in between those two saves. I dont keep old game saves so I can't look at anything other than my most recent game.

If it is as you suggest, should this be considered a bug, that the AI will prioritize building a unit (especially a unit it does not need) over a spaceship part (especially the final spaceship part)?

Does anyone know if the AI will do this if it is definitely going for a science victory?

 

[Browd]

All you need is 1 aluminum to build all the SS parts. As parts are added to the SS, the aluminum is freed up for use on the next part.

In all likelihood, the civs did get distracted by nuke obsession. The tech they needed for the last part (either nanotech or particle physics) was probably off the tech path they were pursuing. It is not unusual for the AI to stall with 5 of 6 parts as they wait for the last tech. Human players are much more likely to faith-buy another GS or two (or beeline Hubble) to bulb to the end and/or time the Rationalism finisher for the last tech.

 

[VicRatlhead5199]

All you need is 1 aluminum to build all the SS parts. As parts are added to the SS, the aluminum is freed up for use on the next part.

If they didn't have the tech for the last part(s) it's possible that they spent that one aluminum on a unit. Then, since they wouldn't be smart enough to delete a unit, they'd have to wait until one of those units was killed in battle or maybe built a recycling center. It'd explain a long gap between the last couple parts.

 

[Browd]

Excellent point!

 

[RandyG]

From infoaddict I can say in my most recent game, both AI had all of the techs and were pursuing the future tech on the turn that I won. I can't remember about my previous game but would like to say it was the same for at least one of the AI. I was not as far behind in that game.