When/why will AI attack you very early?

[Felton]

I've played a few demi-god level games where I will have little or no military, and the AI has hordes of units all over my space, but the AI wont attack me when I am in the early expansion phase (when I have 3 warriors out looking for contacts/mapping and nobody at home). On the other hand, I have gotten attacked alot lately very very early on monarch/emporer level, usually in PTW, not Conquests. If the AI runs 3 warriors on your capitol and you have 1 other city, and 1 or no military police in each, you might as well hit new game. And it can be hard to tell if they are coming to attack you or are just after a barb camp or are actually fighting somebody else you dont know about.

Any rule on this? I mean, at the higher levels the AI could wipe you out by turn 10 if they wanted to, yet they dont. But on Monarch, you could be doing the same thing to them, if you were inclined to plan such an attack from the beginning, so maybe its just "fair" and in the programming. Is the AI less likely to execute a pre 2000 BC attack the higher the difficulty level, or is it just something else?

 

[El Loco]

What u say is true. When the AI sees you are weak it takes advantage of the situation. Wish i could say more...

 

[juballs2001]

i have absolutely no answer, but i decided to post this...on higher levels the AI has a starting bonus of more warriors!...maybe, and this is just theory...the stupid Ai underestimates the human player. Since they have such an advantage early on they assume that they will have that same advantage over u in the middle to industrial ages... oh silly AI! lol

-Juballs

 

[El Loco]

It has more starting units (warrios, settlers and workers) not barbarians

 

[juballs2001]

thats what i meant

-Juballs

 

[Tomoyo]

Actually, they get more of not just warriors, but archers and spearmen as well (and hoplites) depending on their starting techs. The AI sometimes doesn't attack you because they see that attacking you won't give them too much in return,

 

[IbnSina]

The question of whether they attack or not depends on their aggressiveness (the Mongols and Vikings will attack with almost no provocation), the level of difficulty, and the opportunity provided. Only the nicest AI will pass up an opportunity to take your undefended capital at any time in the game. Moderately nice AIs will pass up outlying cities even if they are undefended. Moderately aggressive AIs will pass up a city defended by a warrior. The Mongols may well attack if they see a city defended only by a warrior. The higher the level, the more likely the attack. On chieftain level, the Mongols are your brothers. On diety, they'd sooner destroy you than look at you.

 

[Thunderfall]

The AIs also seem to attack early more often if they have an early unique unit...

 

[Hygro]

I can win demigod often by building tiny amounts of military and letting just about any civ run wild through my lands while I safely build infrastructure.

 

[bingen]

The AIs will usually wait until the land is settled before attacking someone. As long as you cave in to demands that someone is usually someone else.