Citypref File

[kobayashi]

I was just playing the Trakoria scenario and I discovered there was a text file called citypref.txt and this was its contents:

@AUTOBUILD
Harbor
Marketplace
Main Canal
Grain Storage
Arena
Procurator
Guild of Merchants
Temple
Sewer System

Seems that you can get the AI to give priority to build certain improvements - did anyone know about this?

 

[Bob]

Yes, I noticed that file when I was digging in my Civ2 directory.
I think it is a way to modify the Domestic Advisor's priorities and even (perhaps) the AI's production orders.
As you say in your case, it is certainly the order in which the AI will build improvements.

 

[Marko]

I remember I read once a guide about how to use the file in scenarios. Perhaps somewhere in Scenario League guides.

It doesn't work always and you can use it only for buildings, though.

 

[oryx]

It has been my experience that the cityprefs are ignored by computer controlled tribes. I tried using it once to get the computer tribes to build city walls before aqueducts. It did not work. So I think the only case where the cityprefs apply is to a human player who has automated production in a city.

 

[kobayashi]

Yes my experiments pretty much tell the same thing. Citypref is pretty much useless. What a let down.

 

[oryx]

I'm glad to hear that someone else's experience confirms my own experience. A lot of these CIV II issues are a matter of guesswork and opinion. Apparently some scenario authors believe the cityprefs influence the AI, otherwise they would not include them with their download file.