Why doesn't the AI protect its border cities better?

[Skirmisher]

I've noticed that the AI can have up to 15 units in its capital, and only two or three in its border cities. Would it not make sense for it to spread out the units more?

In a recent example (Warlords, Catherine, emperor) Judaism had been founded by Isabella in a border city. It was very weakly defended by only 2 axemen. Since Judaism had spread to nearly all my cities, and I had a prophet, it was too tempting to take it, and with 5 chariots it was easily taken in one turn of war. Then I made for the capital just to see what was there, and it had a huge (over fifteen unit army of axemen, spearmen and archers, bud she then made a halfhearted counter attack with only two elephants but sued for peace after around five turns. Had that army marched towards me It would have caused me a major setback.

This does not strike me as very effective AI programming. Surely loosing a potential shrine city is a major set back. And just having an army sitting around in the capital doesn't help much either.

Or is this just the way Isabella is programmed.

I generated a great general, could that have anything to do with her interets in peace?

 

[Shillen]

If the AI didn't more heavily defend its capital then it would be even easier to take advantage of it. Even with the capital more heavily defended I often go straight for the enemy capital anyway just because it's such a crippling blow. Once they lose their capital it's just mop-up work the rest of the way.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

Is this true? Does the capital city act as a juncture for all trade through the civ? What makes it so special besides possibly having the largest pop? I am still a borderline noob so take it easy on me

 

[romelus]

no that was only true in civ3. in civ4 i don't go for the capital in the middle of another civ right away because it strands your army. once you take it, you have to expend units to defend it from all sides. and your city border will be completly closed in. unless you are looking to raze it, there's no point in marching to the capital first. it's just the AI's best city, but it's also defended the best

i also don't think AI is defending its cities optimally. human players shift defenders to cities under threat. AI will happily watch its cities taken while sitting 15 units in a nearby city, or take units away from a threatened city to try sneak attacking by sea

 

[automator]

Generally, the AI stinks at the art of war.

They seem to defend cities based on population size (like one unit per 2-3 population size) instead of exposure to attack or importance to the empire.

They seem to use poor attack strategy: if they do use a stack against a city, they'll attack with a unit before using any bombardment/suicide artillery. So they end up attacking a fortified, city garrisoned unit inside a city with a defense bonus of 80%, rather than knocking down the defence and suiciding a few units. Other times, they'll send solo attackers into your empire in a trickle. Or they'll land on your beach in a stack, then separate the stack -- both of these tricks makes it SO EASY for you to plink them off ... and then they'll wait another ten turns before sending another amphibious assualt.