[R&F] Does AI attack Free Cities?

[Revolutionist_8]

My dear civfanatic friends! I'm asking for your feedback.

I noticed a couple of times in the past (one just recently) that the AI didn't attack a Free City (even if that city was just flipped from it). Just stood there next to the city with units but nothing. Have any of you noticed something like this? Or the opposite?

Thanks beforehand!

 

[Disgustipated]

They often do in my games. Not sure why they wouldn't in your game. They will attack even if they have little chance of holding the city due to loyalty.

The only thing I can think of was the AI code was waiting for reinforcement units on their way.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I've seen the AI attack and conquer Free Cities. Although sometimes they do not in the most baffling cases, such as when the Free City was their former capital that was conquered by another civ, then rebelled due to loyalty but didn't have enough pressure to fully flip back to it's original civ.

 

[Icicle]

Not only will the AI attack free cities, they will send their entire army halfway across the world to attack a city that will just flip free again in three turns. It's the most aggressive you'll ever seen an AI except for when they start near a city state.

 

[Revolutionist_8]

Ohhhh, thank you! I'm very much relieved now! Maybe they did attack but I overlooked those and I only noticed a few occasions when they didn't.

The main reason I asked is because of a mod I'm forging, and it kinda heavily depends on AI to recapture it's lost cities.

Thank you again my dear friends, you helped me a lot!

 

[Starwars]

Like with most everything else, the AI decisionmaking seems extremely... weird when it comes to these things. Like you say, I've seen plenty of occasions where the AI will just stand next to a city that they lost to loyalty and yet not do anything at all about it. It's like something will break sometimes when they need to attack a city.
Other times it seems to work, and like Icicle says, other times they will travel across the world to conquer a city they have no hope of keeping.

EDIT: There is also a bug that happens sometimes where a civilization's unit can stay inside a city when it flips to being free. As long as that civ's unit stays inside the city, you can't attack the free city at all.

 

[Victoria]

I have seen an allied CS attacking an enemy city, pillaged and alone the city flipped to free with 3 HP left and the CS spared them but the free city then decimated their troops with swords.
From all the attacks I have seen, they act half hearted, like the AI does in general.

 

[Revolutionist_8]

Hmm, interesting. So it not just on my end. Thank you ladies and gentlemen for the feedback, really appreciate it!

 

[Caesar Augustus 27 BC]

On a recent game as Persia, Scythia had taken Jerusalem earlier in that game. Later, I went to war with Scythia and took Jerusalem, who I proceeded to lose due to loyalty issues (dark age). Then, for some reason, Australia crossed the ocean from another continent to attack Jerusalem as a free city and liberate it. The AI does attack free cities for sure.

 

[Revolutionist_8]

Thank you for your feedback I'm relieved that that's the case

 

[steveg700]

They attack them vigorously, IME.

To a very foolish extent. An AI civ will endure the loss of many units to acquire a city it cannot save from being flipped in a few turns.

 

[Sukayo]

Sometimes here is a unit of the previous owner stuck in the city - in this case the AI needs to be at war with this owner to attack the city.

 

[Revolutionist_8]

So there is an example what I've been observing: AI just stands there with units fully capable of taking the city (or at least close to it) but instead does nothing...

There is one turn difference between the two pictures but it's been going on for a while now. Maybe they need more time to "prepare"?

Any ideas or solutions to this? Pretty annoying...