Stopping AI Space Ship after Launch

[Sun Tzu Wu]

In the past I have succeeded in stopping an AI space ship after Launch by capturing its capital city.

I just tried this technique and it failed. I can't believe why it failed as I explain below ...

I included Cyrus and Darius I in a Time game. It was quick speed and I captured the AI's capital three turns after it launched its space ship. It did not retake its capital and 3 turns later the game announced that Darius I had won a "Space Race" Victory.

Cyrus founded Percepolis and Darius I founded Pasargadae. I just checked the turn when Darius I launched the space ship; his capital was no longer Pasargadae. It was Herat and Darius I still owned Herat when the space ship arrived at Alpha Centauri.

So either the AI built a new Palace in Herat, changing its capital. Or Cyrus captured Pasargadae and Darius I's capital moved to Herat, followed by Darius I recapturing Pasargadae. I'm certain it was the former; I'm sure I would have noticed the latter; neither of them ever captured a city.

Has anyone else noticed the AI building the Palace to move its capital?

Is there an easy way to tell which city is the capital of an AI leader? I looked at Herat close up, but could not see the Palace. The diplomatic screen should identify the capital city; I determined that the capital city was Herat, because that was the only city owned by Darius I that wasn't in his list of cities.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[azzaman333]

The capital normally has a star around its population rather than a circle, doesn't it?

 

[AutomatedTeller]

yeah - the cap has the star. It's pretty prominent.

 

[neilmeister]

^^ the star is usually quite prominent. I know because I always look for it when I am going to invade an AI.

I've never seen an AI move its capital, but that in itself doesn't mean anything.

 

[shulec]

Has anyone else noticed the AI building the Palace to move its capital?
Sun Tzu Wu

I recently played a time game where the AI moved its capitol. I had taken his capitol on the first spaceship launch. He then had his capitol on an island (Big/small map).

I was approaching the domination land limit, so I gifted back the mainland previous capitol after his second ss launch. He then built a palace to move the capitol back to the original capitol city.

I had a major build up on the islands ready to take the island capitol. I had to scramble a bit to get the new capitol destroyed.

Note that the game log on screen should announce that all progess of the spaceship has been lost or something to that effect.

P.S. That really stinks. I am sure you spent a lot of time milking only to have a surprise loss.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

The capital normally has a star around its population rather than a circle, doesn't it?

yeah - the cap has the star. It's pretty prominent.

^^ the star is usually quite prominent. I know because I always look for it when I am going to invade an AI.

I've never seen an AI move its capital, but that in itself doesn't mean anything.

Yes, thank you everyone that pointed out that the AI capital's has a Star rather than a plain circle for the Population number on the map.

I had actually go back and look at it. Even at all resolutions, that star is rather prominent, but I couldn't find anything about it in Sevopedia; even the Palace national wonder says nothing about a star. Some real world maps do use a star to designate capitals; thus I should have understood the significance of it (assuming I had even noticed it; Herat was far removed in the icelands).

I was blinded by all the Great Wonders in Pasargadae and it was the original capital.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

I recently played a time game where the AI moved its capitol. I had taken his capitol on the first spaceship launch. He then had his capitol on an island (Big/small map).

I was approaching the domination land limit, so I gifted back the mainland previous capitol after his second ss launch. He then built a palace to move the capitol back to the original capitol city.

Thanks for this report. I'm definitely going to be looking for that star when its the AI's capital that must be taken to avoid a loss.

Note that the game log on screen should announce that all progess of the spaceship has been lost or something to that effect.

Yes, I remember the message I had expected to see from a Time game I completed over a year ago.

P.S. That really stinks. I am sure you spent a lot of time milking only to have a surprise loss.

Luckily, I didn't spend any time milking score yet. It also wasn't a particularly good game either; I was playing Augustus and couldn't find Iron until about 1/4 of way into the game; I wasn't concerned that much, since it was to be a Time game anyway. I did sink a lot of time into it when I really should have re-rolled.

Still, I'm sure it would have taken first place in the HOF, if I hadn't botched a simple capital capture/raze. Your #1 Deity Time game is safe for a few more updates.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[AutomatedTeller]

Yes, thank you everyone that pointed out that the AI capital's has a Star rather than a plain circle for the Population number on the map.

I had actually go back and look at it. Even at all resolutions, that star is rather prominent, but I couldn't find anything about it in Sevopedia; even the Palace national wonder says nothing about a star. Some real world maps do use a star to designate capitals; thus I should have understood the significance of it (assuming I had even noticed it; Herat was far removed in the icelands).

I was blinded by all the Great Wonders in Pasargadae and it was the original capital.

Sun Tzu Wu

Anything we can do to help

 

[TheMeInTeam]

AI will occasionally move the palace if a secondary landmass has more cities than its original. It's a bit lethargic with such things but it happens.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

AI will occasionally move the palace if a secondary landmass has more cities than its original. It's a bit lethargic with such things but it happens.

I would guess that the AI is trying to get the maintenance for its pair of Palace and Forbidden City and that occasionally requires moving the Capital, especially if the original Capital sits on the edge of its Empire like it did in my game.

Thanks for your sage comment, TMIT. It is most welcome.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[cabert]

I had a failed attempt to kill an AI spaceship before.
And I can tell I took the capital, because when you get the message "xx launched", you can click on the message and see where it launched.
But I didn't check for the star when I took the city, so the AI may have moved the capital after the launch.

And yes it does stink.