What exactly is Saladin doing?

[iamnleth]

He seems to be spamming archers... and he has not built a single worker or settler?! Is this the Better AI?!

I sent a squad of chariots to make sure he doesn't hook up that mine... but all of these protective archers are going to make it very hard for my chariots to take the city. Point is, what is Saladin trying to accomplish? I thought it may have something to do with the unhealthiness from all the floodplains.

Edit: If I can take Mecca... It'll make one hell of a production city!

 

[Cabay Jet]

You mean that the unhealthiness is going to his head?

It looks like the AI is taking advantage of its protective trait, but I wonder why it hasn't built any workers yet...

 

[Kietharr]

In every game, I notice that while most of the AIs do much better than in warlords, others make very dumb moves and end up getting taken out. In my latest game, Justinian had three warriors by 2500BC and I already got Izzy who kept working a clam tile even though she could have made a warrior by changing to a forested hill to prevent me from 3850BC rushing her.

I almost think this is intentional, so the dumb AIs can get stomped by the smarter ones so that the smarter ones provide the player with more of a challenge.

 

[Welnic]

I think there is condition in the AI where it won't build workers or settlers until it reaches a certain population. In this case the city is unhealthy enough that it can't grow to that size in order to make a worker.

 

[uncarved block]

Another possibility is that he hasn't researched a worker tech besides the Wheel yet: 67 turns, founded two religions, and teched to Archers. He may not even know that Bronze is there yet . . .

 

[Weird Piggy]

On another note, that is a nice city location.

 

[Cabay Jet]

Indeed, that is the ideal location to build a levee. Look at all those river tiles!

 

[pumpkin]

It looks like the AI is taking advantage of its protective trait, but I wonder why it hasn't built any workers yet...

I saw a similar thing in my current game which seemed just too stupid of the AI. I was at war with Brennus who initiallt was much weaker than me. I took my time and made a slow march towards on of his cities.

He wisely reinforced but just as I had 1 turn left to completely bombard his defenses he had 6 units somewhat weaker than my 5 units ready to attack after the 2 cats suicide mission to begin the next turn.

I am attacking from the North. In this situation he moves out a chariot to somewhere else in the fog of his land (Catherine was in the war as well so perhaps he needed the chariot elsewhere) but more stunningly he moved his best upgraded unique unit one tile South so that its guerilla upgrades could kick in fully - i.e. it was a better place for that unit to defend in.

The only thing is that now I was able to take his city without much ado while his defender that could have made the difference between the city holding fort or not was just standing by looking on one tile away. And it did not attack later either when my units in the city were weakened. Very weird behaviour I would say.

On the whole though I think the AI is much improved since it now attacks in larger numbers and makes it more difficult to defend even though it makes a few weird moves every now and then,.