What controls city state strength?

It always takes three turns for gifted units to arrive at the designated city state. That's what it says on the tool tip, that's what I've observed in game. Doesn't matter where the unit is. In fact, I'm 99% sure that I've gifted a unit given to me back to the same city state it came from and it still took three days for them to get it.

 

I've seen barbs spawn an paratrooper and warrior the same turn. It seems like they randomly choose between the most advanced unit and a warrior.

 

You know, this is a bit OT but I also wish the graphics for the barb camp updated. Poor bastards are stuck polishing their tanks in stone age camps.

 

It doesn't seem terribly out of whack. If you look at the modern day equivalent of Civ barbarians (insurgents/pirates/terrorists/guerrillas/revolutionaries/any other military group not associated with or employed by a nation-state), they generally aren't hanging out in posh surroundings. Any permanent encampments they have are usually very remote and lacking modern infrastructure.

Perhaps a slight update to the camp graphics would be appropriate; MREs and lookouts have replaced campfires and baileys, but these folks don't have military bases with airstrips and tank laagers.

 

Sometimes if a civ is too violent toward city-states, they'll all gang up on the civ and declare "permanent war" for their own survival. It happens to AI Napoleon all the time, silly little warmongerer