[R&F] Game exploits to avoid that can ruin the experience

Divine Spark is 1 Scientist or 1 Writer point per turn per district, and you need to actually build the districts. I only take it if I don't have lots of desert, tundra or jungle.
And even then, I might still take goddess of the harvest or some of the other faith generator pantheons depending on the land near to me.

You can do so much with Faith and the Monumentality Golden Age Dedication. Instant cheap workers, settlers and traders. Crazy expansion potential.
Then you can use faith to buy great people. (great with the oracle)
You can use faith to buy units in the renaissance. (tier 2 government building)
You can use faith to get Apostles and generate 1 envoy with every city state, or get relics to get tourism.
You can use faith to buy Natural parks.

I never have enough faith to be honest.

Sorry for the off topic.

 

This suggests that the AI actually makes settlement decisions based on loyalty pressure...

 

If you're taking pantheons because you have desert or jungle, then you also need t actually build districts. I might take Goddess of the Harvest...but the AI actually prioritizes that one.

Well, most of that's all mid-game-or-later, which was a knock against Divine Spark. Some of that's contingent on conditions like securing golden ages, having a religion, and specific beliefs.

If you're going science or culture, the spark is baller.

I've seen the AI wander settlers around enough, avoiding choice spots, that it does seem to be trying to steer clear of loyalty pressure. It just eventually gives up.

It's not the settlement decision that's is the AI's problem so much as it's the post-settlement follow-up, where it doesn't assign governors, doesn't try to boost the population, doesn't improve luxury resources in a timely fashion (which is usually the basis of the settlement decision in the first place). It could get away with aggressive settling just as a player has learned to. Just doesn't seem to know what it should do in those situations.

 

I've seen them abandon cities the moment I start running bread and circus. Losing 2 per turn? Here, let me help you, I'll remove my governor for you. Take it in 10 turns.
Off topic again, sorry

 

I agree, but considering it was listed, I had to admit to doing it. I'm not planning on stopping either, lol.

 

Oh I've got another one I should have thought of this earlier.

Gifting a just conquered city that's about to flip to an uninvolved AI just to delay a bit.

 

I've done that a couple of times, but it's not something I strive to do. When my cultural ally settles on my continent/land mass and takes tiles I someday want, yes I will switch alliance types to flip that city. They are forward settling me and getting away with it otherwise.

 

I’m a mechanic so will pre place districts and chop, never used overflow much and glad it’s going.
For me I always GPT, never lump sum, it is just wrong, I guess each of us has a cross to bear but taking all their gold knowing you will attack next turn is wrong. Blatantly so while district placement is a game mechanic based on a stupid design we have to cope with.
The thing that gets my goat is others judging me for a decision on how I play single player in my own home that does not affect them in any way.
My rules, my enjoyment, if someone wants to take an AI’s gold before they attack them, good luck, enjoy yourself. I just cannot.

 

I am not stopping either. It is not an exploit. It is strategic in my book, especially when the game has a tendency for the AI to slaughter CS and they are very useful when one plays peacefully. So, basically, I am with you!