AI not providing resources properly.

[Kageryu]

So, I was playing as Korea. I get the Industrialization tech and there isn't a single coal resource near me. There is only ONE city-state that has coal. I pay it 1000 gold to become its ally only realize that the coal is RIGHT OUTSIDE ITS ING BORDERS!

This has happened far too many times. First with coal in the midgame and then with uranium in late game no matter what civilization I play. More than half the time, I have this issue.

Is this just lazy programming or is the game supposed to be played this way?

 

[Pythakoreas]

They don't know these black rocks have industrial properties so they throw those into garbage can.

Spoiler :

In other words, if they don't know Industrialization, they won't give you Coal.

It's Industrialization that reveals coal.

This question gets posed pretty often. If the CS has already mined the tile, it won't provide the strategic resource (coal, aluminum or uranium) until the CS has researched that tech. If, however, the tile is not improved you can gift 200 gold to improve the tile. ("You want these dirty rocks? Can't imagine why, but OK.")

 

[bbbt]

It's intentional, in order to create a few more factors when playing (having to fight or influence CSs for the important, scarce or abundant resources, etc.).

Though in general, the AI civs aren't that stingy with trading said resources if they have them available (you can see who has what on the diplomacy screen).

However, if it impedes your enjoyment of the game, when you start a new game, go to advanced setup and choose 'strategic balance' for resource distribution.

 

[Pythakoreas]

Oh you meant like, the CSs say they have Coal and it's not in their borders yet? In my experience they won't acquire tiles if they didn't discover it with appropriate tech.

 

[Smokeybear]

Oh you meant like, the CSs say they have Coal and it's not in their borders yet? In my experience they won't acquire tiles if they didn't discover it with appropriate tech.

Yes. But what annoys me, is that in the CS overview screen in diplomacy, it basically states that 'this CS has coal' (or oil, or uranium, etc.), so then you spend 1000+ gold to ally with them, only to find that even 5900 years into the game, the buggers still haven't acquired that tile, even though it's right next to their current border. Sometimes they NEVER even get around to acquiring that particular tile, by the end of the game. In my opinion, the CS diplo screen shouldn't say a CS can provide a strategic resource, until it actually possesses said resource. To do otherwise can be woefully misleading. Or, at least, they could use a method to show that the resource listed isn't acquired yet, by showing it in red or gray, instead of normally.

 

[phillipwyllie]

I think the op is meaning that when he went to the CS screen it said the CS had coal but that coal wasn't in the CS's borders yet. I've been bitten by this too....

 

[MarauderCH]

I think they don't put strategic resources near you so you have to fight wars to get it. I look at my area and it is a wasteland of resources. Meanwhile, my AIs friends have plenty and usually within their capital's area. Now that coal is so strategic to getting your ideology opened up, it is more frustrating.

 

[njmfff]

I think they don't put strategic resources near you so you have to fight wars to get it. I look at my area and it is a wasteland of resources. Meanwhile, my AIs friends have plenty and usually within their capital's area. Now that coal is so strategic to getting your ideology opened up, it is more frustrating.

Not always true. Depends on terrain. I would usually always get horses and aluminum within my Capital.

50-50% chance that I won't get Iron. Coal can usually be found around jungles, it's almost guaranteed in a city with few hill\jungle tiles. Oil and Uranium, you'll have to fight for tho, but they are easily found in marsh\jungle. Uranium is bit rare, but it should be.

I usually get Oil on water tiles, and usually at least one pops up on desert (always).

With Brazil I'll have 50 coal, but no horses. with dunno, Persia (!?) I'll have 50 horses but no coal.

Having no Iron is biggest pain tho, since you have to wait few eras to translate from Warriors into Muskets and it renders several UU useless. (Rome, Japan)

 

[Walter R]

Yeah I've whined about coal before on this thread.

 

[Koiranputki]

I think it's just another of those things you have to go and check in the CS screen to actually see where the coal is and if they have it already mined.... It took me awhile to get the the habit of consistently checking for this.

I suppose it could be done differently, but then if there is no "alert" that the CS may soon have coal...the "whining" would be on the other foot, so speak.... "Why wasn't I warned they were going to have coal? Am I expected to go an check every CS to see what is near their borders?"....

 

[GhostSalsa]

This is the system, yes, and I like the system. The Diplomacy screen lets you see the CS candidates for this resource. You have to go look at the AI to see if they've already got it. Very important because even in-border, well, if it's coal on a hill with a mine, you can't pay for instant-improvement and have to wait for the CS to tech up. Look before you buy.

The alternative would be that the Diplomacy screen shows me only connected resources. Then how do I find out the ones that might have it soon? I have to visually check every CS. That's worse. Knowing the candidates is valuable. If only one CS will have coal ever I still want to start working their favor now.

 

[Dralix]

Basically what GhostSalsa said. The diplomacy screen tells you what resources they have nearby. The hover text even says "nearby." That doesn't mean it is improved, and it doesn't mean it is in their borders. It means it is nearby.

 

[Smokeybear]

Basically what GhostSalsa said. The diplomacy screen tells you what resources they have nearby. The hover text even says "nearby." That doesn't mean it is improved, and it doesn't mean it is in their borders. It means it is nearby.

I heartily suggest again my earlier idea, namely, if the CS's listed resource is not available yet for any reason, be it undeveloped, unaquired, or pillaged, then show it in red text, so you know at a glance that A) yes, they do have that resource in their vicinity, at least, and B) don't bother wasting gold on that CS yet until they do have it available. Would save unnecessary fishing around. If you want to know exactly why it isn't yet available, then you can go look.

 

[ronjon]

i had a game were Songhai planted a city 30 hexes away from his capital right on my border. I raised the city and never got a dow from ai again. Everybody wants to be my goddam friend unles I am a jagoff. the ai needs to be a lot more aggressive, use alliances to gang up even if I am militarily powerful.