City State Tech Level/Settlers

[Cymsdale]

Does anyone thing something should be done regarding the tech level of the city states in the game. It seems a bit bonkers because I've seen them fielding ancient era units during the final turns of the game. Do they even gain and research at all?

I've also noticed cases where they have settler units. Did they capture it from a barbarian or are they spending time producing these units just to have them wander around their territory for no reason?

 

[joncnunn]

I've also noticed cases where they have settler units. Did they capture it from a barbarian or are they spending time producing these units just to have them wander around their territory for no reason?

They captured them directly or indirectly from a major AI. (In the direct case, via a war and in the more common indirect case, the major AI lost a settler to a barb which the city state recovered.)
The city state won't use that settler unit, but if that city state capital gets captured (which is where they'll park it), then that player gets a free settler.

 

[mnf]

I agree that city states need to get their units upgraded.

Perhaps when they gain a suzerain, they should start accumulating "era know-how". And after a certain amount of time with any suzerain (can change mid-way, doesn't matter) they whole-sale upgrade their units to the next era after 15 consecutive turns of peace.

It's really just stupid seeing my city states guarding their land with warriors and chariots when I'm launching my Mars expedition...

 

[KrikkitTwo]

CS supposedly have all the techs of the highest? player...

so a CS isn't upgrading for lack of techs
It may be lack of resources or lack of gold

Possible solution would be for a CS with obsolete units
-if no resource to upgrade continue building other (resourceless) classes of units and slowly disband obsolete ones that it can't upgrade
-if resource to upgrade, but no gold...build updated units...disband obsolete ones until you have enough gold to upgrade them.
(CS should probably have the ability to build resource using units without an encampment if they have at least 1 source...since that would be rare for them.)

 

[bladex]

i've never seen a city state progress past medieval units

 

[Siptah]

CS need to be changed. They either need maintenance free units,CS special Units that don't require strategic resorces, or they all need Commercial Hubs, or free trade routes. The science part seems fine. Money and strategic resources are the problem.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

CS need to be changed. They either need maintenance free units,CS special Units that don't require strategic resorces, or they all need Commercial Hubs, or free trade routes. The science part seems fine. Money and strategic resources are the problem.

Perhaps they could get 1-3 gold per turn per envoy they have (since that determines their tiles as well)..possibly have gold per envoy be era dependent

Then encourage them to build the best unit they can, and disband obsolete, non upgradable units. (If their army size is big enough)

Also possibly let them avoid the "encampment" limitation on strategic resource building.

 

[bcaiko]

I've seen the settler thing, too. When I'm at home, I can post a screenshot I took. The City State should delete the Settler for the gold.