MikeLynch
Just a Baker Street Muse
Just curious here. I've gotten over my aesthetic distaste for AI-style road sprawl and have started doing it.
(I'm playing ToT FWIW).
(I'm playing ToT FWIW).
Do you automate settlers? Why/why not/when?
- Thread starter MikeLynch
- Start date
I love to see other people who play ToT! 
To answer your question, I never automate my settlers, engineers, Dwarves, or other equivalent units. The reasons:
- I don't want to forget about them, especially when barbarians or Dragons are in the neighborhood.
- I want to decide which squares they improve, and how.
- I don't want them to do something incredibly stupid, like build a city on the Gate of Hel entrance.
- I've discovered that Dwarves and Engineers can improve Impassible terrain, and if you teleport a Dwarf to the Cloud World, he can improve Cloud city squares (which results in some really weird stuff on the Magic Clouds). Automating these units wouldn't let them do those things.
- I build roads/railroads/ley lines on EVERY square.
I also never automate my settlers. And the reasons are the same as Valka D'Ur. Finding a good balance between food, trade and shields can only be done when I can decide which square must be changed.
Superior Man
Chieftain
No, never. I haven't even tried it once.
KnightTemp
Chieftain
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2007
- Messages
- 36
I think it can be useful on occasion: if you're trying to irrigate a square which is miles away from water, the automate seems to override that, and irrigate anywhere - so you have an irrigated square very easily. Having said that, I remember reading somewhere that some players regard this as cheating.
Disadvantages are as outlined in above responses, together with the fact that automateds often seem to go their own sweet way - and you have to keep checking on them!
Disadvantages are as outlined in above responses, together with the fact that automateds often seem to go their own sweet way - and you have to keep checking on them!
MikeLynch
Just a Baker Street Muse
Yes, I've already found that (for example) an automated settler will sometimes ignore its home city even if that city desperately needs irrigation 
Yet at the same time, in the turns before Railroad, it has seemed to take some of the hassle away from developing, esp. since I have like 50 cities in my current game! But once Railroad came along, I de-automated 'em all. Had to be selective about which squares get rail.
Other odd effects anyone's observed? How about for nonstandard settlers? (IMG I have a combat settler unit, called Scouts...)
Yet at the same time, in the turns before Railroad, it has seemed to take some of the hassle away from developing, esp. since I have like 50 cities in my current game! But once Railroad came along, I de-automated 'em all. Had to be selective about which squares get rail.
Other odd effects anyone's observed? How about for nonstandard settlers? (IMG I have a combat settler unit, called Scouts...)
Ace
Emperor
Thorvald of Lym
A Little Sketchy
Pretty much third Valka D'Ur, although I don't railroad all squares like I used to.
Another reason I don't like automation is that the settlers/engineers have a habit of changing the terrain, which I don't usually like to do.
Another reason I don't like automation is that the settlers/engineers have a habit of changing the terrain, which I don't usually like to do.
Rowan
Warlord
Didn't know that an automated settler could irrigate without water near by,I like it.
No i never automate them,as KnightTemp says they go their own way.
No i never automate them,as KnightTemp says they go their own way.
