Puppet City Build Orders

[Asklepios]

Apologies if this is explained elsewhere on the site: couldn't find it.

Has anybody recorded / worked out / found info about how puppet cities decide what to build next? I'm always reasonably happy when they build a monument or library, don't mind greatly if they build a shrine, but somewhat irritated when they build caravanaseries, which they seem to do with very high priority.

 

[mclericp]

first they build a worker. Then settler. Then settler. Then settler........

Actually they seem to build down the line, from the cheapest hammers to the most. I have seen my puppeted city just building monument-->granary-->library--->watermill blahblah....
from top to bottom

 

[phillipwyllie]

Puppets seem to build what's most needed at the time. If you're unhappy it's happiness buildings, if you are at war it's defensive buildings.......I wish they'd build the granary first so the puppet can useful.

 

[AiTenshi1]

First, they are gold-focused.

Second, they build what is needed within that gold-focus.

For example, they will focus on gold production buildings if everything is well with the empire.

If the empire has problems with unhappiness, they will focus on happy buildings to help out.

If the empire has a lack of gold for supporting itself, they will do things to try to get the gold flow back where it needs to be. Note that this includes building buildings that have no cost such as Caravanaseries even if a Caravanaseries doesn't benefit that particular puppet city at that time.

They will also build "support" buildings if they don't already have them (e.g., monuments for border expansion).

Always put trading posts everywhere around a puppet to maximize its performance (unless you plan to annex it later at some point). You do NOT want puppets to build granaries or other growth buildings, at least in most cases, because you do not want puppets to grow due to the negative impact it has on your happiness (not to mention the cost in maintenance for the buildings). They will usually grow somewhat anyway because it will take you time to trading post the surrounding environment, but do this as soon as you can to limit growth and prevent falling happiness (and thus slowing Golden Age progress as well as other issues such as preventing continued domination expansion/more puppets and/or lack of ability to grow population in cities where you want it such as science and specialist cities).

Help the puppets by gaining techs that allow them to build their preferred buildings.

 

[Asklepios]

Hmmm. Can't both be right. Will have to pay closer attention on my next game and keep a log. Will report back.

 

[Browd]

Because of their gold focus, puppets generally will prioritize buildings that generate gold and/or have no maintenance cost, such as walls, castles, markets, banks, etc., subject to the other points made above (e.g., if your empire is unhappy when the puppet's current build item is done, it will build a happiness building). Puppets then will build buildings with the least per turn maintenance cost, although you will see exceptions (water mill before granary?). Also, puppets generally won't build buildings that just provide XP (like barracks), since they don't build units. Puppets will usually (but it seems not always) turn to a WC project (like Worlds Fair) after they finish whatever they are then building, but they will not switch away from a current build item to start on the project.

 

[beetle]

I wish they'd build the granary first so the puppet can be useful.

Me too, but it seems like Browd and others feel like the granary gets prioritized too soon! My complaint is that puppets often take on stock market or public schools when they are size 3 or 4!

 

[beetle]

Hmmm. Can't both be right. Will have to pay closer attention on my next game and keep a log. Will report back.

Please do, but I think it is pretty straightforward:

1. IFF empire unhappy, happiness buildings
2. IFF at war, defensive buildings
3. Wealth buildings
4. Science buildings
5. Other buildings (including happiness and defense), lowest maintenance cost first
6. Build Wealth

Once a building is started, build order will not change due to happiness/war. Note that city size and hammer cost are not factors! I am not sure, maybe 1 & 2 should be switched? I am also not sure if food buildings are before/after/intermixed with hammer buildings. I am not sure where WC comes in. Puppets will also never build units, xp buildings, and factories and the like that consume a strategic resource.

 

[Browd]

Me too, but it seems like Browd and others feel like the granary gets prioritized too soon! My complaint is that puppets often take on stock market or public schools when they are size 3 or 4!

The issue on granaries, water mills, aqueducts, etc. is that I generally don't want my puppets growing very quickly. There are times when a puppet is stuck at 2 pop and unable to work even the attractive gold tiles without starving, so a granary may be OK to "unclog" that situation, but I generally don't want/need my empire's happiness being chewed up by swiftly growing puppets.

 

[beetle]

I generally don't want my puppets growing very quickly.

I would love to have that problem! You must be conquering much earlier than I do, or have many more puppets. The biggest road block I feel I have with puppets is that they grow so slowly. The only noticeable happiness problems I have with puppets is when they are first acquired, while they are in resistance, but that’s understandable. But I am not playing deity.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Please do, but I think it is pretty straightforward:

1. IFF empire unhappy, happiness buildings
2. IFF at war, defensive buildings
3. Wealth buildings
4. Science buildings
5. Other buildings (including happiness and defense), lowest maintenance cost first
6. Build Wealth

Once a building is started, build order will not change due to happiness/war. Note that city size and hammer cost are not factors! I am not sure, maybe 1 & 2 should be switched? I am also not sure if food buildings are before/after/intermixed with hammer buildings. I am not sure where WC comes in. Puppets will also never build units, xp buildings, and factories and the like that consume a strategic resource.

They build WC proposals whenever they have a new thing to choose. (if they have some basis)

Also..monuments will show up there fairly early if they don't have them.

 

[beetle]

There is a good deal clumped together in my item 5, and I will confess that I am not entirely certain that maintenance cost is the only factor in determine queue order for buildings in this group.

Also..monuments will show up there fairly early if they don't have them.

Yes, but that is because they have a low maintenance cost, the available wealth and science buildings are built, and your empire is not unhappy or at war. So, still fifth order priority per my list.

Or am I wrong? Has anyone noticed monuments before, say, banks or university? Probably the order is discoverable in the XML. I am just commenting from observation.

They build WC proposals whenever they have a new thing to choose. (if they have some basis)

Yes, but how high on this list are WC proposals? Is it a higher priority than wealth buildings? I would guess it after wealth buidlings, but before science, because WC has zero maintenance. I did provide the caveat that “I am not sure where WC comes in.” I don’t have BNW.

 

[beetle]

Since this thread was started, I have been watching the puppet build order more closely.

I had a front line city that, as soon as it came out of resistance, started on a mint instead of walls. I lost and recaptured that city a few times, so walls instead of mint would have saved me some grief!

Late game I annexed a deep city that appeared to be doing nothing. I don’t think it was even building wealth. There was no monument, which surprised me.

So I think the puppet governor is pretty much only about money. If there are no borders to expand into, then cultural buildings do not get built. I am guessing that walls actually comes after stock market, and that war does not influence the build order. Shrines and temples always seem to get built eventually, but I think that is for gold and happiness reasons. Do monuments ever get provide gold or happiness?

 

[4N4C0ND4]

Do monuments ever get provide gold or happiness?

Albeit situational, a first order tenet make +2 smiles.