Why does the AI settle cities directly next to yours?

[Nares]

I believe it's a strategy programmed into the AI. They do it to each other too. It helps to stir the pot early in the game and guarantees a rivalry.

This.

 

[dasaard200]

Why do 'THOSE (*) (%) PEOPLE' settle as close as possible to YOU ??

So YOU cannot do it to THEM .

 

[reddishrecue]

The AI does it often and it is good strategy. Settling on land before the AI is one good way to prevent AI from settling next to your capital. Settling cities around your capital not only prevents AI or others from settling next to you but also also increases your overall troop limit capacity.

 

[Amrunril]

I would add that, if you're prepared to fight early wars for land, it often does make sense to settle the spots that are likely to be contested (those near opposing players) first. The more secure locations near your own borders should still be available for you to fill in later, and if you do have to fight a war, you'd much rather be defending your own city than trying to capture a city that your opponent built in the same place.
I'm not suggesting that the AI thinks all this through, just pointing out that the strategy it ends up using in this case isn't necessarily a bad one for an expansionist warmonger (within reason- the land in question does need to actually be worth having a city in for this to make sense).

 

[Nares]

Also worth pointing out that the AI doesn't calculate settling locations in quite the same way a human would.

From what I recall, they're fixated on resources, and if I'm not mistaken they're aware of the location of all resources, regardless of era or tech level.

And they're pretty much abyssmal at managing settlers. In the rare event they don't outright lose the settler, it's possible that in avoiding barbarians they wandered that much closer to your capital, before coming upon a location the AI deems worthy of settling, and is incapable of evaluating it as too far from their capital or too close to yours.

 

[historix69]

If you settle forward and leave gaps for later, there is often the downside that you cannot connect the city to your roadnetwork early, so you loose money and maybe happyness, and without road your military units travel longer between cities (longer military reaction time). If AI manages to settle in your gaps, it may block the route to your border cities until you conquered it (or trade Open Borders).

If possible, I prefer to settle my cities in a way that they form a kind of pearl necklace, all connected by short road to capital (linear or area, depending on geography).

In Giant Earth TSL Games I regularly see Greece founding its second city somewhere far away as St. Petersburg (that is the border between Finland and Russia up to the north) and Germany often settles 2nd city east of the Ural Mountains due to limited space in Central Europe.

 

[Jimdigriz]

I guess it is self explanatory. It seems to me that it will pass up better city spots to settle directly next to you.

Is is some kind of eventual war strategy or something? Because I sure don't get it.

I played a game last night where Morocco did this. I was getting ready to annihilate him when the Hawaiian snitch made his inevitable appearance and immediately became friends with him.

I can't count how many times I've had a city state next to valuable natural wonders or some civ like Morocco needed to be wiped out, when this jerk shows up as if he is the world's busybody - "I'm telling, I'm telling!".

Strange. Morocco came very near my borders on my current game with about 6 or 7 units - definitely an attack formation. Thing is, nearly all the units were injured. He then proceed to heal them right on my borders so I braced for an immediate attack. After they mostly healed, he then decided to go back home again! Weird. Ive never seen anything quite like this one - It was as if he was testing me to see if I had enough border guards.

 

[historix69]

I suppose he probably planned to attack you and by the time he arrived he re-evaluated the situation and decided to do something else ...

 

[reddishrecue]

I would add that, if you're prepared to fight early wars for land, it often does make sense to settle the spots that are likely to be contested (those near opposing players) first. The more secure locations near your own borders should still be available for you to fill in later, and if you do have to fight a war, you'd much rather be defending your own city than trying to capture a city that your opponent built in the same place.
I'm not suggesting that the AI thinks all this through, just pointing out that the strategy it ends up using in this case isn't necessarily a bad one for an expansionist warmonger (within reason- the land in question does need to actually be worth having a city in for this to make sense).

Yeah, exactly. Expanding towards other civilizations that may expand towards you first and then expanding to places that arent very competitive.

 

[Nares]

I suppose he probably planned to attack you and by the time he arrived he re-evaluated the situation and decided to do something else ...

I believe the status of units, including current health and any upgrades, is included in the military score, and it's the military score which the AI measures before declaring war.

Strange. Morocco came very near my borders on my current game with about 6 or 7 units - definitely an attack formation. Thing is, nearly all the units were injured. He then proceed to heal them right on my borders so I braced for an immediate attack. After they mostly healed, he then decided to go back home again! Weird. Ive never seen anything quite like this one - It was as if he was testing me to see if I had enough border guards.

That doesn't sound typical of the AI. They usually declare before moving forces. Was there a second AI past your opposite border that it could have been targeting? Or a city state? Or possibly a barbarian camp quest?

 

[beetle]

I believe the status of units, including current health and any upgrades, is included in the military score, and it's the military score which the AI measures before declaring war.

I am pretty sure that upgrades do not factor into the military score, and that in turn is a factor in the AI overestimating its chances against the player. Humans value xp highly, and are strategic with promotions. Have you looked at the promotions the picks for its units? Seems to be healing every time.

You are probably correct about health. The AI seems to let units heal when it can, but almost to a fault.

 

[Aristos]

I am pretty sure that upgrades do not factor into the military score, and that in turn is a factor in the AI overestimating its chances against the player. Humans value xp highly, and are strategic with promotions. Have you looked at the promotions the picks for its units? Seems to be healing every time.

You are probably correct about health. The AI seems to let units heal when it can, but almost to a fault.

Upgrades, yes. Promotions, I am not so sure. Not clear which are you referring to.

In the case of upgrades, it's easy to prove: just look at your MS before a mass upgrade of your units, and then after. You will see the change.

 

[reddishrecue]

Upgrades, yes. Promotions, I am not so sure. Not clear which are you referring to.

In the case of upgrades, it's easy to prove: just look at your MS before a mass upgrade of your units, and then after. You will see the change.

What does MS stand for?

 

[MarauderCH]

I never accept an embassy or become friends with an AI Civ until after I have all my cities settled or close to it. If a Civ that is very far away asks that stuff and I am close to being settled, I might accept it. They ask for an embassy so they can see how strong your capital is so they can assess whether they should attack you. They ask to be your friend so that if you accept it, they can forward settle you. Then if you start a war to take back land you want to settle, you take a big diplo hit. So don't accept embassies or become friends with anyone until you are settled in. Except for Venice since they cannot settle cities...

 

[SeedenGreedens]

The AI has to settle towards you to survive. Settling in front of people is always a fit characteristic that is considered as an attempt to get your civilization to survive the obstacles that may get in your way which also includes other people's cities.

 

[vesp3r1987]

its more like how someone said before... they rush to get border-to-border with the closest civ mimicking the process in real world... 4000 ears ago there were for sure unsettled lands but do you see now a piece of dirt that doesnt have flag on it? It also gives opportunity for either war or friendship. For me it usually leads to war. I often wait for the AI to grow those towns a bit and then i rush to take them with the less turns possible

 

[Nares]

Promotions, I am not so sure.

I meant to say promotions. It's been awhile since I last played CiV.

In the case of upgrades, it's easy to prove: just look at your MS before a mass upgrade of your units, and then after. You will see the change.

Now that you mention this, I want to say your military score is a byproduct of the cumulative strength of your units. Upgraded units have higher strength, hence your score increases. That probably means promotions, or at least most promotions, do not adjust your score.

Have you looked at the promotions the picks for its units? Seems to be healing every time.

It's programmed to do that. I believe it was an intentional decision.

What does MS stand for?

Military score.

 

[Matthew.]

I always got the impression it just looks at surrounding resource tiles, distance isn't really a factor. If there are pearls way on the other side of the map and no one has settled it yet, it will send a settler off in that direction.

In the latest iteration of the game, the game's suggestion for city spots after you build a settler seems to basically be what the AI uses. By far, any time an AI steals a spot before I get to it, nearly always on the tile not only the game suggests but where I was going to settle anyway. (Game also seems to like to spawn barb camps on those locations, too)

So I'd say something along the lines of confirmation bias. You are going to recall the games where d-bag Washington forward settles as close as possible, but not really remember the game where everything goes your way.