Q: why does the AI build cities as close as possible?

[GrumpyFlumps]

Hello,

Sorry for what I expect is a 101 question, but why does the AI build its cities so close to each other?

Looking at my last trouncing, each of the AI civ's cities were all placed at the minimum distance from each other. Why does the AI do this? What is the benefit?

I, for example, place my cities far apart (or where resources are) with the aim of letting the borders eventually meeting and taking the territory.

Cheers!

 

[Browd]

A few come immediately to mind:

• AI happiness bonuses mean the AI is less sensitive to the need to find unique luxuries.
• Shorter trade routes yield greater trade route income.
• Closer overlap helps defense (both city bombardment and shuttling troops from city to city).
• Closer distance means fewer unworkable (ring 4 and 5) tiles.
• Closer cities means religion spreads more quickly.

Others will probably point out other benefits.

 

[joncnunn]

AI plays on Cheftain happiness level.

But sometimes it shoots itself in the foot by the close city settlement having made it impossible to get another luxury resource.

Yes, a human conquering them needs to kill the useless cities that don't take in anything not already worked.

But as to religion; you get the same pressure on a city 10 hexes away (13 with IP) as you do the minimum 4.
It doesn't really help with initially, but once its become the majority in all cities in your core it will help on the margins in the outskirts. It does however help on the margins geting the last few citizens converted and in maintenance.
But the AI appears to only target your holy city anyway; so just buy an inquisitor while its still 200 faith and leave parked there.

 

[Browd]

Accurate point about the 10 (or 13) hex range of city pressure, but remember that is pressure PER city. The more tightly packed cities are, the more cities will be within 10 (or 13) hexes, resulting in multiplied pressures. So when Ethiopia (or another civ that can reliably get an early religion) starts planting cities at minimum distance, the pressure felt at the frontier can quickly get out of control.

 

[Matthew.]

ICS works best with an infinite number of cities

AI doesn't need to worry about happiness or even food (tightly packed cities will still grow tall due to bonuses).

Although it should be noted that Civs who normally go Tradition/tall routes seem to place their cities a bit further apart. Siam, India, and the like. I haven't looked into the files or know if one can even check, but it seems that if an AI is programmed to be a heavy expansionist, they will put there cities as close together as possible.

 

[Sidor1982]

As the previous civ fanatics pointed out since AI doesn't have to worry about growth or happiness planting as many cities as possible is the best strategy for them to get a victory. The AI goes for scientific victory most of the times and such a strategy is best for generating the most science (for AI at least).

 

[Deggial]

Beside what was said about the benefits of a close city-placement: Is this observation really true? I remember games where certain AIs placed their cities with 4 or even 5 tiles inbetween. Especially India and Siam come into my mind. Isn't there a certain leader-flavor affecting the distance between cities?

Honestly, this observation was made befor the last patch. It might have changed since then. (I played CiV a little bit less, the last couple of month...)

 

[Bagi]

I just played a game where Napoleon started with placing Orleans almost 2 screens away from Paris. All because he was able to get 2 cotton and a copper from it. I ended up scrapping that game since my capital was left almost between his cities and I didn't feel like spending the first 150 turns fighting him off.

I think the AI tends to eventually fill the gaps, because like others have said they get no big penalties from doing so. There is certainly still some method to their madness and they do go after luxuries and strategic resources. Then there are civs like the Iroquois who seem to place a city wherever they can fit one.

 

[ShuShu62]

I definitely see a preference by leaders as to whether they pack closely or loosely. There is also a preference as to whether they will place aggressively. I believe higher difficulty levels will encourage more tightly packed cities as the production bonuses enable the construction of more buildings. Those buildings make city tiles more productive than worked tiles from both a material and happiness perspective.

 

[GrumpyFlumps]

Thanks for the replies people, most interesting!

Small islands next..., I look forward to seeing the AI's city placement this time!

 

[smallfish]

ICS works best with an infinite number of cities

AI doesn't need to worry about happiness or even food (tightly packed cities will still grow tall due to bonuses).

It actually does... on Emperor, try and take out of one of your expansive neighbors who has taken autocracy and has happiness wonders in their main cities. Well, just take out the main cities and leave all those puppets and spam cities alone. You might just get to enjoy some rebellious fireworks.

What it doesn't do is care much about it... like relying on imports of luxuries to keep its 30+ ICS train going, and then only building happiness buildings when it loses all that trade (to war)

 

[Socratatus]

Hello,

Sorry for what I expect is a 101 question, but why does the AI build its cities so close to each other?

Looking at my last trouncing, each of the AI civ's cities were all placed at the minimum distance from each other. Why does the AI do this? What is the benefit?

I, for example, place my cities far apart (or where resources are) with the aim of letting the borders eventually meeting and taking the territory.

Cheers!

Placing apart is not a bad idea, but too far means you have to build roads for them to benefit from eachother. the AI obviously places them close so each city benefits without the need for roads straight away.

However, I have seen the AI place cities far from eachother sometimes.

 

[joncnunn]

However, I have seen the AI place cities far from eachother sometimes.

On Immortal level on water maps, I've frequently seen the AI try to "colonize" the human players landmass across a great distance. (And in fact aiming for minimum distance to the human's capital)

(If the AI were to escort the settlers it would work better but it currently amounts to just giving the human free workers)

The ones I've seen try to do this against me: Germans, Arabs, Denmark
(Denmark is one to watch out for more than the others since they can found the city the turn it lands due to their UA; and that AI actually had a warrior 3 tiles behind)

 

[smallfish]

On Immortal level on water maps, I've frequently seen the AI try to "colonize" the human players landmass across a great distance. (And in fact aiming for minimum distance to the human's capital)

(If the AI were to escort the settlers it would work better but it currently amounts to just giving the human free workers)

Polynesia is certainly an annoying civ for this - once I had a game where they settled "Nuku Hiva" (IIRC their 3rd or 4th city) next to Austria. Austria on another continent whom all of us haven't even met yet.

Thusly when I met Maria many turns later, she had in her somewhat long city list the city of "Nuku Hiva" which surprised the heck out of me... or maybe not, seeing Bismarck did the same thing.