Whats up with Russia?

[KaptainK714]

My last 3 games on King level have all been going fine, until about 1200 AD when Russia suddenly builds 7-8 new cities. Now Russia was slightly bigger than other AIs and 2-3 techs ahead of me, but how can they suddenly pop so many new cities?

They dont have Printing Press yet so they arent able to build Theatres yet, so what have they done to get their happiness up so high?

 

[DemonMaster]

Perhaps they become religious, normally religion take a real good spread at that time and you also usually have some faith to go with it.

 

[Roxlimn]

It's plausible that they got a religious enhancement that made more happiness in preexisting buildings - Religious Center does that, I think.

 

[digrosz]

It's King, so they already get some sort of Happiness boost. They must also have gotten a belief that increases happiness, and don't forget that a colloseum in every city gives a massive boost.

Besides, it's Catherine. Just expect her to expand like crazy and become a runaway if you don't stop her in medieval.

 

[mintcandy]

My last 3 games on King level have all been going fine, until about 1200 AD when Russia suddenly builds 7-8 new cities. Now Russia was slightly bigger than other AIs and 2-3 techs ahead of me, but how can they suddenly pop so many new cities?

They dont have Printing Press yet so they arent able to build Theatres yet, so what have they done to get their happiness up so high?

The AI has massive bonuses to happiness, bonuses that are rarely matched by human players.

Haven't you ever noticed how it's nearly impossible to be first in happiness?

 

[Polisurgist]

The AI has massive bonuses to happiness, bonuses that are rarely matched by human players.

Haven't you ever noticed how it's nearly impossible to be first in happiness?

This doesn't explain why the sudden expansion happens at the time the OP mentions.

 

[mintcandy]

This doesn't explain why the sudden expansion happens at the time the OP mentions.

The OP is amazed that the Russia AI has so much spare happiness after the expansion, not that the expansion itself took place.

 

[FeiLing]

Like most AIs at some point in the game they will start to settle every single tile on the whole world, no matter how the location is. Happiness was never an issue, neither pre nor post bnw.

 

[joncnunn]

G&K (and Vanilla) :
AI plays on Chieftain level, which most importantly means the massive Cheiftain level happiness bonuses.

No real difference between Prince & King in this regard, but increasing levels from result in AI getting bigger happiness bonuses than Chieftain.

For BNW: AI instead plays on a new difficulty level which features: SETTLER level starting happiness + pop & city happiness bonuses slightly more than Warlord but without the +1 happiness per luxury that chieftain has.

Again, at levels above King, AI happiness bonuses get further increased.

Catherine has one of the highest expansionist flavors in the game; also one of the lowest happiness flavors; she's relying entirely upon the AI happiness bonueses and will tend to be negative happiness in any mod promoting the AI to Prince happiness.

 

[Polisurgist]

The OP is amazed that the Russia AI has so much spare happiness after the expansion, not that the expansion itself took place.

Oh, really?

My last 3 games on King level have all been going fine, until about 1200 AD when Russia suddenly builds 7-8 new cities. Now Russia was slightly bigger than other AIs and 2-3 techs ahead of me, but how can they suddenly pop so many new cities?

They dont have Printing Press yet so they arent able to build Theatres yet, so what have they done to get their happiness up so high?

 

[Octonde]

If the new cities connected luxuries, that would offset much of the cost.
Did they make new city state allies?
Maybe another civ finally connected excess luxuries, allowing Russia to trade for them.

 

[newarkinvaders]

I asume that Russia from this example has finished building everything it wants in its capital at about this point . It then switchs to a default build of settlers

 

[pilot00]

To be honest in BNW I havent seen her settle the vast expanses she did in the past.

 

[Strategist83]

G&K (and Vanilla) :
For BNW: AI instead plays on a new difficulty level which features: SETTLER level starting happiness + pop & city happiness bonuses slightly more than Warlord but without the +1 happiness per luxury that chieftain has.

This is interesting. I would love to see the specific details on what exactly this means for AI happiness. That the AI gets bonuses is obvious, but how exactly do they work?

The problem with these AI-bonuses is that, as was noted, it is nearly impossible to be first in happiness. This actually matters now that ideologies are in the game; it's extraordinarily difficult using Public Opinion(tm) to make an AI civ unhappy enough to switch ideologies because they're always just swimming in happiness. There's also a tier 3 Order tenet providing extra tourism if you have more happiness than the target that's also impossible to make use of for the same reason. It's a real problem for the game.

Catherine has one of the highest expansionist flavors in the game; also one of the lowest happiness flavors; she's relying entirely upon the AI happiness bonueses and will tend to be negative happiness in any mod promoting the AI to Prince happiness.

This is clearly to push Russia in the direction of becoming that gigantic Order empire like IRL - too bad the game's less-than-stellar AI-programming means it has to rely on these massive cheats to accomplish it.

 

[Falconiano]

Cathy has always had a big expansionist flavor, no surprise there.

 

[Polisurgist]

It's logical based on their UAs too, personality aside, Russia just plays wide.

 

[Past Redemption]

To be honest in BNW I havent seen her settle the vast expanses she did in the past.

I'd say this is true of most every civ, though.

It's simple really. Computers are flipping cheaters, and she gets a massive happiness boost. Someone said that she had probably finished her capital and moved on to settler spam, and I find that is likely the case here. If you notice, most AIs have a point where they'll hve sudden, rapid expansion. Likely, this is one of those, although I have to agree that 8 is a bit large.

You really do jut have to kill Catherine early. She turns bananas if she gets enough SRs...

 

[pilot00]

I'd say this is true of most every civ, though.

No thats not true. My friend Hiawatha still fills every nook and cranny. Same with monty

 

[Past Redemption]

No thats not true. My friend Hiawatha still fills every nook and cranny. Same with monty

I think Hiawatha would build cities with rebels spawning on his capital. I hardly think he's a fair comparison, although I find it amusing that he seems to expand much further than the Shoshone, who are made for it.

Monty isn't nearly as proliferate, although he'll still easily outpace human players, although that's easy.

 

[pilot00]

I think Hiawatha would build cities with rebels spawning on his capital. I hardly think he's a fair comparison, although I find it amusing that he seems to expand much further than the Shoshone, who are made for it.

Monty isn't nearly as proliferate, although he'll still easily outpace human players, although that's easy.

Are we talking territory or cities? Because Hiawatha wins every other AI in cities hands down. As for rebels to be honest I have never checked by he always becomes a runaway if left unchecked so I doubt he has that much of unhappiness problems.
On monty we agree.