Hidden AI Resources

[Linklite]

So, I've noticed that sometimes the reports don't seem to match what the reports say. All examples are standard speed, no mods or game modes.

For example, in my most recent game, I was playing as Basil, and I lead in science after around turn 80, I overtook all but Kristina by t50. By t100 I had more than double that of everyone else bar Kristina. I got to around t350, and I was at about 400 science, while Robert the Bruce has 108, so I had nearly 4 times the science. That seems borne out by the relative sizes of the empires. Yet, he offers me 13 uranium, despite me being a fair few turns away from researching Combined Arms, and having tons more science. I may not have hit all the inspirations, but having treble the science, that shouldn't allow them to get ahead? How is that possible?

On a related note, I was playing with my wife, and I noticed that the AI had multiple GDRs, like 5 of them, plus 3 more under construction. That's fine, but they had no uranium mines, or even any uranium sources - I had the most in my territory, plus I'd captured any cities that held any sources of them. I manually checked their empire, none, and the global resources said that only I held any uranium mines bar a couple in my wife's territory. So how was the AI building and sustaining all those GDRs, when it had no uranium? You can get one free from a dedication, but what about the other 4? And the three under construction?

People have mentioned that the AI obeys the same rules as the player, but I'm wondering if that's the case, it seems that it has its own timing. Or is there something that I'm misunderstanding?

 

[Pfeffersack]

So, I've noticed that sometimes the reports don't seem to match what the reports say. All examples are standard speed, no mods or game modes.

For example, in my most recent game, I was playing as Basil, and I lead in science after around turn 80, I overtook all but Kristina by t50. By t100 I had more than double that of everyone else bar Kristina. I got to around t350, and I was at about 400 science, while Robert the Bruce has 108, so I had nearly 4 times the science. That seems borne out by the relative sizes of the empires. Yet, he offers me 13 uranium, despite me being a fair few turns away from researching Combined Arms, and having tons more science. I may not have hit all the inspirations, but having treble the science, that shouldn't allow them to get ahead? How is that possible?

On a related note, I was playing with my wife, and I noticed that the AI had multiple GDRs, like 5 of them, plus 3 more under construction. That's fine, but they had no uranium mines, or even any uranium sources - I had the most in my territory, plus I'd captured any cities that held any sources of them. I manually checked their empire, none, and the global resources said that only I held any uranium mines bar a couple in my wife's territory. So how was the AI building and sustaining all those GDRs, when it had no uranium? You can get one free from a dedication, but what about the other 4? And the three under construction?

People have mentioned that the AI obeys the same rules as the player, but I'm wondering if that's the case, it seems that it has its own timing. Or is there something that I'm misunderstanding?

Is Sweden in the game? IIRC, one of their special world congress contests has Uranium from buildings (University?) as reward.

 

[japanesesamurai]

You can get recources from city states and/or trade deals!
Maybe your wife was secretly providing the AI with uranium!

 

[JesseS]

On a related note, I was playing with my wife, and I noticed that the AI had multiple GDRs, like 5 of them, plus 3 more under construction. That's fine, but they had no uranium mines, or even any uranium sources - I had the most in my territory, plus I'd captured any cities that held any sources of them. I manually checked their empire, none, and the global resources said that only I held any uranium mines bar a couple in my wife's territory. So how was the AI building and sustaining all those GDRs, when it had no uranium? You can get one free from a dedication, but what about the other 4? And the three under construction?

The AI builds resource-requiring units even when they are unable to sustain them in the long term (human players are allowed to too, but generally don't because it's ultimately self-defeating). In addition to the free GDR, the dedication provides +3 uranium per turn, which becomes an initial stockpile. Since each unit only costs 1 resource initially, they'll be able to queue up a bunch. Only once the GDRs are all constructed do they start to consume resources.

 

[Linklite]

Is Sweden in the game? IIRC, one of their special world congress contests has Uranium from buildings (University?) as reward.

The Nobel prizes? The Nobel prize has a +1 resource accumulation for Universities and Research Labs, but they'd have to have a uranium mine in the first place to get the extra uranium, is my understanding. I don't think we had Nobel competitions that I can remember, but I could be wrong.

You can get recources from city states and/or trade deals!
Maybe your wife was secretly providing the AI with uranium!

I forgot about getting it from City-States...but that's a lot of uranium to be getting from them (12+ uranium per turn!), I've never had that much! Plus between my wife and I, we had most of them as suzerains.

If she was trading away that uranium...well, that's just sneaky!

The AI builds resource-requiring units even when they are unable to sustain them in the long term (human players are allowed to too, but generally don't because it's ultimately self-defeating). In addition to the free GDR, the dedication provides +3 uranium per turn, which becomes an initial stockpile. Since each unit only costs 1 resource initially, they'll be able to queue up a bunch. Only once the GDRs are all constructed do they start to consume resources.

What happens to existing units when they run out of resources? I know if you run out of gold they disband (I had a glitch that wrecked my finances once), would the GDRs not disband? What happens to the one under construction?

 

[japanesesamurai]

Without resources, they are unable to heal themselfs. I believe you only need 1 copy of a resource for healing units. So having 1 iron will heal all your knights IIRC

 

[Breadsmith]

If you don't have the resources, the units cannot heal. They might also get a cs debuff, but I can't remember that. It's pretty rare, I've only gotten it once that I recall. And that was from finding a Knight from a meteor.

 

[JesseS]

If you don't have the resources, the units cannot heal. They might also get a cs debuff, but I can't remember that. It's pretty rare, I've only gotten it once that I recall. And that was from finding a Knight from a meteor.

Units requiring strategic resources per turn but lacking that resource get a full -20 combat strength nerf, in addition to being unable to heal. So infantry without oil is weaker than musketmen and tanks without oil are weaker than cuirassiers. And a GDR without uranium will lose to urban defenses.

Note that units requiring a strategic resource to train but not to maintain don't get the -20 cs nerf, but are also unable to heal with 0 stockpiled resources. This is why you should always buy 21 iron/horses/niter if you aren't generating that resource and want a unit.