AI and Railroads

[Forwarn45]

My current game has progressed into the modern age. The odd thing I noticed was several of the AI players have not built any railroads at all. These includes: Mansa Musa, Frederick, and Louis XIV. Ai's Huyana Capac and Augustus DID build railroads, however. Everyone has had this technology for a long time. I found this very odd. Anyone know what's up?

[-FC-Commando]

no coal?

[Forwarn45]

Doh! I should have thought of that. An interesting side note though - the German AI has coal next to one of his cities on a peninsula, but didn't bother developing the space at all. There is no mine or road there. I think it might have been because of the location.

Anyway, thanks.

[sparkyal]

I've also noticed that the AI doesn't build railroads if it does not offer and ecomnomic or hammer increase.

sparky

[GeoModder]

I guess they only come to connecting their cities once they have free worker time .

[Prussia]

...Which is kind of stupid, if you think about it.

[diemex]

Speaking of railroads.... be carefull is you edit rails to give unlimited (or +100) road movement etc.

I've had my spies inside enemy territory so I could see troop movements and when I went to war every turn took up to 20 minutes becuase the enemy was moving cavalry units around in a somewhat randomlike circle untill it ran out of movement points. Ridiculous AI behavior, seems like the code is expecting/dependant on the unit running out of move points sooner.

[Adagio]

Originally posted by diemex
I've had my spies inside enemy territory so I could see troop movements and when I went to war every turn took up to 20 minutes becuase the enemy was moving cavalry units around in a somewhat randomlike circle untill it ran out of movement points. Ridiculous AI behavior, seems like the code is expecting/dependant on the unit running out of move points sooner.

I hate that behaviour. This is why I really hate naval maps, where the AI has to move all their ships in circles. The AI should just stop using their units if it serves no purpose

[Prussia]

The exact same thing happened in Civ 3, the AI would "flaunt" their units and basically send them around in circles, over and over and over again, then come back to a city and fortify.

If you could see most of the globe, turns took FOREVER. Luckily, even with railroads their units would eventually end their "mission," but it was so pointless and time consuming.

[Jaybe]

These AI "border patrols" can only be to: (1) confuse a human re the AI civ's military dispositions and strength, or (2) substitute for "thought out" unit movements.

Otherwise yes, they are a complete PITA.

Alexman, WHY do they do such things??

[Brael]

Just to point out, they did that in Civ 3 as well, and Civ 2, and I would assume Civ 1 (never played it).

[Prussia]

Originally posted by Prussia
The exact same thing happened in Civ 3, the AI would "flaunt" their units and basically send them around in circles, over and over and over again, then come back to a city and fortify.

If you could see most of the globe, turns took FOREVER. Luckily, even with railroads their units would eventually end their "mission," but it was so pointless and time consuming.

Originally posted by Brael
Just to point out, they did that in Civ 3 as well, and Civ 2, and I would assume Civ 1 (never played it).

[Dis]

I'd imagine the AI also uses it to patrol or scout regions to locate enemy or potential enemy units.

[Jaybe]

Dis, that would explain it only if they don't "see" within line of sight of their borders like the player does. Also, they often run around in circles -- multiple times in one turn. They only have to "see" something once, I would think.

[diemex]

Originally posted by Jaybe
Dis, that would explain it only if they don't "see" within line of sight of their borders like the player does. Also, they often run around in circles -- multiple times in one turn. They only have to "see" something once, I would think.

Exactly.

I can understand a unit doing a loop around a city once... for whatever reasons who knows.... but once I could understand.

But the AI will then take a different unit and repeat those steps.... and if able will repeat them multiple times with each unit untill move points runs out.

The AI decision making process is taking a hit somewhere regarding logical movement of troops... if that could be fixed the length of turns would be shortened considerably. Not that my turns last long... only when I have spys in so I can actually see the movement does it become an issue.