AI Settling techniques.

[dominatr]

The AI settles pretty loosely, plugging up spots later on if they need cities to support themselves, going out of their way for colonies and islands. It seems with their placement, they are preparing as if they were going into the modern age.

So since they have their own set goals, it would be a lot easier to destroy them while they are not in full gear right?

when they are busy scattering their cities and preparing for the modern age, it would be better to strike in the ages prior since they are so damn tunnel-visioned. Does this make sense.

 

[ChaosArbiter]

Many games by experienced players are either over or in the bag by the end of the Medieval Age, and most don't even get to the Modern (judging by talk around the forum and some of the games). Part of the reason for the somewhat spastic settling pattern of the AI is that they can see where all the resources are, so they tend to settle so that they 'have' the resource, even if they can't use or access it yet (so you'll see the AI send settlers into the middle of a Jungle or some Tundra half a map away from their other cities - it's because they know there's Rubber or Oil or something).

 

[GamezRule]

The AI has the advantage of knowing all you're moves and each others moves. That is why they might go for an undefended worker deep within you're core.

 

[Raliuven]

What is more annoying is that the AI will send a settler to hog a luxury they can't possibly connect until about 1953AD. It is their own fault that I must now attack them.

But their pattern is not entire random. I play C3 and the AI will use ring city placement rather reliably. That can also be advantage, however, if you plan to take their core cities and set up a second core yourself (and of course I plan to do just that most of the time).

 

[Aabraxan]

You can also simply use their settlers as your scouts. When they send a settler 15 tiles into the desert, far, far away from their closest city, you can bet that something is there.