Religious Fanatic Suicide Pact

[Moonsinger]

I think I just discovered another AI weakness. I assume that you already know how the AIs like to protect their resources...by pretending to come after their resources, they may abandon their fortification to come after you. Although this was a good trick, it doesn't always work. You see...if your stack is too big, they won't take the bait. Anyway, I think I just found something better; I call this one "Religious Fanatic Suicide Pact". Basically, if you camp a large stack of your force (on a hill top) right next to a holy city of their state religion, they will invoke their religious suicide pact. Now, just turn on some music, sit back, relax and watch them die endlessly at your feet. I once emptied a holy city which was heavily defended by longbows and axemans without fire a single shot. According to the combat calculator, my stack had less than 3% of chance against their fortified bowmans. Thanks to their suicide pact, they all came out trying to storm my hill. In the end, they left a spearman to guard their city.

 

[DaveMcW]

Do you have a save from the turn before?

 

[Moonsinger]

Do you have a save from the turn before?

I believe I do. Since I'm currently zillion miles away from home at the moment, I will post them tonight.

 

[MetHimPikeHoses]

found something better; I call this one "Religious Fanatic Suicide Pact". Basically, if you camp a large stack of your force (on a hill top) right next to a holy city of their state religion, they will invoke their religious suicide pact. Now, just turn on some music, sit back, relax and watch them die endlessly at your feet. I once emptied a holy city which was heavily defended by longbows and axemans without fire a single shot. According to the combat calculator, my stack had less than 3% of chance against their fortified bowmans. Thanks to their suicide pact, they all came out trying to storm my hill. In the end, they left a spearman to guard their city.

I like the sound of that. Will try it out tonight... I've been wondering how to best dispose of Aunt Cathy and her Buddhist ways.

 

[Moonsinger]

Here is the most recent one. Note: just load the game and end turn, then watch the computer throwing themselves at my little stack of swordman by the little hill next to Bombay. I also include the screenshot of what type of defenders I was dealing with. In this case, I have 1 axeman, 1 spear, and 5 or 6 swords in my stack attempting to take Bombay. I definitely wouldn't dare attacking the city, but I was hopping for them to attack me. Got exactly the result I was hopping for.

 

[fluffyflyingpig]

Yep, I've noticed that too. Sometimes the AI empties the city defences for random cities in suicide attacks as well for no reason at all, but holy cities are much more likely to get that sort of response. This is problematic for you when there are cats defending the city. Other times the AI remains bottled up in the city and doesn't suicide the cats on the stack, allowing you to kill the cats easily, which is also a bug. AI city defence is rather random and needs some work, since its impossible to predict which response you'll get. Logically, the AI should be throwing whatever collateral damage units it has against you when you get outside the ciity pretty much every time once the siege weaons become obsolete as actual defenders.

 

[DaviddesJ]

Logically, the AI should be throwing whatever collateral damage units it has against you when you get outside the ciity pretty much every time once the siege weaons become obsolete as actual defenders.

Well, that's not so clear. Throwing away their seige weapons doesn't do much good if you just wait another turn or two to heal the damage they inflict, before you storm the city.

 

[fluffyflyingpig]

But much more good than sitting inside the city as 5 str defenders not causing colateral damage when facing granadiers/rifles/cannon. I've had 5-6 catapults mixed with other defenders inside cities and the cats just sit there when suiciding the cats would allow the AI defenders to kill my stack or have enough time to move more troops into the city while my stack heals. Yeah there are exceptions, but I've been encountering a lot of cases of purely absurd AI city defence descisions.

 

[playshogi]

I had a stack of 5 quechas outside the AI's only city which was defended by 5 archers. I figure I need 2.5 unpromoted quecha per archer to be certain of success, so I was surprised when 3 defending archers vacated the city for no reason. (well, I did have an undefended scout lurking behind the lines). I've also seen the AI build a settler while under such a seige and then take 2 archers to escort the settler out of the city. When faced with an attack by quechas I would hope the AI could adjust to building warriors and not more archers. Finally, if the AI has a workboat in the city, it won't move it to the sea resource, if its under attack by land.

 

[fluffyflyingpig]

Yep, the AI also leaves their fleet, not just work boats but galleys and higher tech boats as well, in besieged cities, even when I have no navy to speak of. And I've seen the settler push while under siege phenomenon as well. Free worker for your quechas!

 

[Shoot the Moon]

From what I have seen, the AI never switches production, which could acount for that type of stuff (like building a settler when under attack, because if the AI were building a settler before you attacked it would continue building it.)