blatant AI faux pas?

[iapetus556]

If I find a 1-square wide strip of land connecting two larger land masses, I'd always try ot build a "canal" city on it, to give my ships a shortcut through it.

Something that always frustrated me about the Civ2,3 and SMAC AIs was that they never seemed to appreciate this, and would often build a city next to such a point, so that it not only didn't provide such a route, but prevented anyone ever building a "canal".

Has the Civ4 AI learned to appreciate "canals", or is it just as bad?

[Qwertqwert]

Well real intelligence can see that it's not a good idea, though artificial intelligence can't.

[joncnunn]

Actually, the 10% coast bonus is for coastal WATER, not land.

the defensive advantage of being one tile in is that the enemy forces have to land instead of attacking directly. And since most units have only 1 MP, if you had an artillery type unit nearby, you can damage the stack first.

Originally posted by Urban Ranger

Building one tile away isn't all that much of a defense, considering that the coast gives you +10%.

[padillah]

AoA
Often it seems that the blue circles are great choices considering that the AI knows where more modern resources will appear.

Willem
No they don't. That advantage was removed with Civ 4.

Originally posted by LordShiva
Or so they claim...

Nope, they don't know. I tested at least the "blue circle" suggestions and have no idea how they are decided.

I can't find the thread anymore but it's out there.

I built a map that was grassland coast and ocean then played a couple of turns nting where the "blue circle" appeared. Once it went to a tile I wasn't even sure I could get to.

Then, using WorldBuilder, I placed resources in the FOW and then resources that had not been discovered yet to one side of the peninsula... the blue circles didn't care.

Tom P.

[Dis]

I noticed that. And the blue circles they recommend you settle at are the same way. One square away from the coast. What's the point of that?

[johnmcd]

Nothing wrong with a tile away from the coast, if I need a production city and I can build one with a couple of good food resources and four or five mines then what do I care if it's one away from the coast?

I can load men to boats without being on the coast, the city is for soldiering, being on the coast is nothing for my plan for that place.

If the intention is for commerce then yes, it might well be worth moving - but we all know the value of specialist towns and compromising the purpose of a special city for a few coast tiles is not wise, in my opinion.

[Dis]

I never seem to have enough good coastal cities in which to build ships. So that's why I like coastal cities. Sure I don't need to build a navy, but I like to anyways.

[Nacht]

Originally posted by Dis
I never seem to have enough good coastal cities in which to build ships. So that's why I like coastal cities. Sure I don't need to build a navy, but I like to anyways.

I had the same before. I now always plan at least one reasonable productive city along the coast.

[eluciv]

Nobody has mentioned Harbors. Lighthouses are fine, but harbors are most beneficial IMO.
Whether or not the AI utilizes them, I have no idea. They are, however, a huge commerce boost. Easily the better option vs. just about any resource you'll find on land for a larger city. I find the game is usually decided before oil plays a factor - and choosing sea over land doesn't exempt you from oil anyway. Other than the early iron (and probably horses) to carry you through to chemistry/rifling, the minute grenadiers/riflemen come online, resources are pretty much moot for the rest of the game.

Perhaps my "bugger" with this AI tendency is because my civ plays with logical intelligence and I expect the comp would do the same. I guess this just proves that the AI is not constrained by the same things humans are. They don't need the commerce to keep up, as was mentioned earlier...

[samspock]

The AI does indeed fail to recognize the usefullness of a canal city. I played a game where I destroyed rather than kept a city that was one square away from being a canal city so I could found one that would. Another AI player got a settler there before I could and founded it on a different square still one square away from being a canal.

They do other dumb things like taking a large part of a defending garison out of a city under siege and move it to another city that has yet to be attacked. Love it when they do that!

[Older than Dirt]

The AI seems to prioritize special resources and city growth potential when selectin city sites. It obviously doesn't consider strategic position potentials. I always give the blue circles serious consideration before selecting a city. After all, even Homer nods (i.e., even the greatest philosopher makes simple mistakes in logic - but computers never do!)