Rampant expansion vs. reasonable AI

[eyrei]

So far, I have been impressed with the reason displayed by the AI, but one thing that really irritates me is the AI's desire to colonize every single free square on the map as quickly as possible. There is nothing more frustrating than having the AI build a city on the far side of your empire in that one square of tundra that your cultural borders have not covered yet. Usually all that is accomplished is a short war, that the AI probably didn't want, because it agrees to a peace treaty within a couple of turns. It seems like the AI should expect any new city's workable area to exceed the squares immediately adjacent to it for it to build one unless there is an available resource within that small radius. I find myself producing warriors to fortify in these squares to keep this from happening, but sometimes it is just not possible. I would understand the AI's actions if there were any value to these cities other than to irritate another player. Usually, if I am doing pretty well the city will assimilate into my empire, but I would almost rather raze it since it will never be productive, and my borders will eventually encompass that square anyway.

 

[Sam_Catchem]

I couldn't agree with you more. That is damned annoying. What I don't get is:

A. What good does that city do? It will be tiny and hard to defend and you know that the surrounding culture is just going to swallow it up. Plus, like you mentioned..who wants it?..totally useless.

B. Doesn't the AI think of the curruption factor? Maybe it is me, but cities far away from my home turf have terrible corruption problems. This city will ALWAYS more than likely be far away from both their capitol and there forbidden palace. I know this is why I do not build cities far away straight off.

I could understand if it were good land..but tundra?..please gimme a break. Maybe the rumored patch will fix this..but I doubt it.

 

[tetley]

I for one have to hold the exact opposite opinion. That's awfully nice of the AI to settle YOUR future cities for you. While he's building Settlers, you can be beating him to the Wonders. ...even better is when you take his Wonders.

 

[eyrei]

Originally posted by tetley
I for one have to hold the exact opposite opinion. That's awfully nice of the AI to settle YOUR future cities for you. While he's building Settlers, you can be beating him to the Wonders. ...even better is when you take his Wonders.

Another consideration is that during the time you wait for the city to convert, it creates a potentially deadly strategic weakness. Where you should have only one front in a war, you now have two. Also, the city will not necessarily convert, and you may not be in a position to declare war on the other civ for a variety of reasons. Basically, my point is that there is no point for the AI to build cities like this and I really wish it wouldn't.

 

[mirrek23]

Very aggravating but is it possible that one additional reason for the AI to do this is to gain access to terrain not in its home area -- that is, the future potential site for oil, saltpeter, etc. -- essentially the same strategy I've seen advocated on this board for human players?

 

[eyrei]

I think that the AI simply colonizes wherever there is open land, not for any strategic purpose. What are the chances of oil appearing on one of the 3 or 4 squares one of these cities will control? As far as employing this strategy for human players, I think it is not quite useless. A much better, and much more satisfying strategy would be to wait until the resources appear, and then take the necessary steps to procure them. This is actually just about the only reason I ever start a war.

 

[LKendter]

I already saw oil appear on a 4 square island! You never know what those junk spaces will give

 

[Ohwell]

Hopefully the computer cannot see future rescources they dont have the tech for, but I dont think that is so. The Computer settles in every nook and cranny it can find, for 2 reasons. One, to aggravate you, and Two, to make a city because they cannot reason that well, you must know. It cannot REALLY see the difference between a tundra and a hill. Sure, it favors grassland over desert, but its drive for expansionism kicks in and it settles wherever there is ample space. It is just a computer game, you know. It is not as smart as you think.

 

[Dragon2]

This is another aspect of the AI's greatest weakness, that it attaches great value to useless, indefensible cities. When one of these cities reverts to you, don't raze it -- sell it to the highest bidder. When you see a useless tile just outside of your borders, plop a city down there and immediately sell it. Apart from the money, tech, and other goodies that you get, you can make sure that the city is on a square with no defensive bonus.

Frequently I have found that the AI puts no defenders in these cities, so that they are useless for invasion purposes.