Strange/Stupid AI behavior

[Achinz]

Although interactions and military units are less numerous than in Civ2, there seems to be scope for unusual and less than intelligent AI behavior.

For starters, while playing as the Dutch on the given American map (Amer2.mp) I came across the French in the silver-rich Inca inhabited southern Andes. When I explored the Falklands Island, I found a French Petty Criminal fortified on the one-square mountain island. Talking about an isolated prison - a French Alcatraz!

 

[Achinz]

Perhaps others may be able to confirm this impression on the random behavior of rival units when exploring.

They seem a bit like their civ2 counterparts next to the goody-huts. They don't consciously seek to enter the rumors although I've seen a French treasure train traversing through a terrain I've explored (as the Dutch) with its Dragoon close by!

 

[bvd]

Ostensibly, in each game played on the Americas map, every European power tries to send a petty criminal to the Falklands area and fortify. I've seen Dutch, French and Spanish players do it; it's really moronic.

I think that the AI's unit movements were modelled on the Civilization AI and resource management was put in as an afterthought. If you cheat and reveal the map, you'll find that its colonies are starving, are building without lumber, etc. The AI is barely capable of transporting goods to/from Europe, and often you find a galleon, laden with several cargoes of tools/muskets, circling aimlessly along a coast as if imploring your privateers to sink it.

 

[Achinz]

I can confirm the stupid aimless movement of French and Spanish caravels (with me as Dutch) although most of the time they indicate no cargo (with zero on their masthead). Unfortunately if they do this around your coastal colony they have a tendency to blockade it if you have only one inlet to your port!

In my games the English seem super-purposeful with their ships sailing in and out of port, deftly avoiding my Privateers wherever possible.

 

[Achinz]

I wonder if this is normal behavior for the French. With the withdrawing Spanish colonial possessions ceded to them, the normally Indian-friendly French seem to have acquired Spanish traits. In my current game, they are frantically burning the Apache villages and sending home the plundered treasure.

 

[Achinz]

AI colonies seem adept at using wagon trains to trade with Indian villages. I wonder if others have seen food being traded? A wagon train I captured had food in it - can't ascertain whether this was bought or for sale!

 

[covok48]

The AI constantly puts colonies in unproductive areas and pours money into them. They put a colony at the very edge of a peninsulla boardering a swap and have 7 expert fisherman in the colony with nothing else.

In the mac version, they constanly grow food doing little else. I'm surprised that they even make money!