AI Late Game Settling

[colcolstyles]

I have noticed that in the mid-late game, the AI will send out settlers to form cities on the outskirts of my cultural boundaries and on other small islands throughout the map. If I leave a small part of my continent un-controlled, the AI will send out a settler and make a city there, even if there are no resources there, nor any other strategic benefits that I can think of.

My question is: Is this a good strategy for me to use and what are its benefits?

 

[Sir Janus]

Benefits are obvious if you are close to domination victory - probably not so obvious if you are going for cultural.

Are you playing BTS? For non-BTS late on the trade route income alone should soon overcome the added maintenance cost. I hear that on BTS maintenance on overseas cities can be quite steep.

 

[colcolstyles]

I play on the most basic form of Civ, vanilla with no patches or updates.

But even AI civs that are small will do this. Perhaps they are doing it so that if someone attacks them, they have a back-up city far away. But that's more annoying than it is useful.

 

[Refar]

Which is exactly why they do it - to make you as as however possible.

Sometimes a off continent city might be useful - as base for a invasion.

 

[colcolstyles]

But seeing how the AI doesn't have feelings, should I avoid this strategy?

 

[Refar]

This depends... A single city on a foreighn continent does not raise the "Colonial Expenses" - those kick in with 2 Cities on the same Island. And become noticeable or even severe after some more cities have been settled/taken. If you play to a domination/conquest game you will often end up in Staate Property anyway, where those colonial taxes do not matter.

So if you see a good spot and a good reason you can go for it. My point was - the AI does not really evaluate - they just grab all they can get.

Ressources you do not have yet might be well worth a city, even if you have to pay a bit of high maintenance for it. Also if you plan a invasion on that landmass a city or 2 can be valuable bases.

 

[colcolstyles]

So if you see a good spot and a good reason you can go for it. My point was - the AI does not really evaluate - they just grab all they can get.

Exactly. The AI will just found a city on pure desert on a far away island for no apparent reason. The only times I found cities on other continents are to grab a resource or to use as a base for an invasion (like you said). I guess I'll just stick with what I've been doing. Thanks.