As a preface, I'm not implying large AI empires are weak or paper tigers by default. The purpose is to refine AI behavior and make AI empires of this size more competitive vis a vis human players.
The genesis of this is that unpuppeting large cities can often be more productive and the culture increase can be offset by the ability to beeline to culture buildings instead of waiting for market>bank>stock exchange>no build>temple>stable>windmill type build orders of the puppet AI.
Issues:
Solutions:
The applicable point for this idea is that I've seen the AI grow in asymeterical fashion, often on one side, with their core relatively exposed to invasion.
Luck/timing/chance will oftentimes cause these empires to collapse when their core is attacked. Despite having a relatively large/rich empire on the backend, there are no cities that produces anything to offset the loss in production at the core, accelerating the collapse.
The idea is NOT to change the way puppet mechanics work or to say puppet cities are bad. But rather to allow the AI to strategically upppet enough cities as they grow to increase production in a meaningful way.
The genesis of this is that unpuppeting large cities can often be more productive and the culture increase can be offset by the ability to beeline to culture buildings instead of waiting for market>bank>stock exchange>no build>temple>stable>windmill type build orders of the puppet AI.
Issues:
- AI will not annex conquered cities ;
- 'Gold' Focus is often sub-optimal for larger cities which could build gold producing buildings/science and culture buildings at a faster rate on 'default' focus. Getting multiplier buildings up sooner is more effective! High production/pop cities could be put into better use producing MORE culture annexed; and units
- Large AI puppet empires are often susceptible to 'total collapse' if their main armies are defeated or occupied elsewhere (say 2 front war with the 2nd front on the other size of their large empire) and their productive core is attacked on the other side. Leaving the rest of the empire prostrate and undefended. This quicky destroys their main armies and they are left feeding in a few units at a time per turn.
- Capitol AI will routinely place a Civ's 2nd and 3rd capitals into a puppeted city, often of decent size. But the AI seems unable to deal with this - ie: notice their capital is a puppet.
- The AI appears oblivious that they have puppeted cities
Solutions:
- Allow AI to annex and rush buy courthouses in high pop/production cities, especially those in resource rich/food rich/production rich areas. This won't be universal, but they will do it for SOME of them. preference could be form size/growth potential/existing infrastructure/distance from capital (for symmetry)
- Target cities that symeterically balance the current core, to spread out production over more nodes in a large empire
- Do the annexing in the 'peace' phase after a conquest, not in the heat of the battle - The idea is for 'consolidation' rather than the current issue of a relatively small core dragging along a large empire that is completely dependent on the core to produce units and non commercial buildings
The applicable point for this idea is that I've seen the AI grow in asymeterical fashion, often on one side, with their core relatively exposed to invasion.
Luck/timing/chance will oftentimes cause these empires to collapse when their core is attacked. Despite having a relatively large/rich empire on the backend, there are no cities that produces anything to offset the loss in production at the core, accelerating the collapse.
The idea is NOT to change the way puppet mechanics work or to say puppet cities are bad. But rather to allow the AI to strategically upppet enough cities as they grow to increase production in a meaningful way.
