I'm confused

[EternalSpark]

This seems like an simple question, but I did a search or 10, and I couldn't find the answer.

I'm playing a game (Civ 3 Gold), and the whole AI-Patrolling-All-The-Frickin-Time thing is annoying me. So, I look at the readme, and it says there's an INI fix that'll change that. NoAIPatrol.

Well, I did a search: no INI files.

The only mentioning of 'patrol' is in the readme, and in the Civpedia.

Where is it? Is it because I'm not patched? If so, why does the readme say it? That, and what patch would Civ 3 Gold need?

[Theseus]

That's weird... I could have sworn that option was introduced with PTW. Some kind of mix-up in releasing Gold?

(yeah, like that would be a huuuuge surprise )

[vmxa1]

NoAiPatrol=1, not sure if it works in CivIII. Anyway you only have an INI if you played the game. So if you have Civ3 and PTW and only play PTW, you do not have an INI in Civ3.

[gunkulator]

Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is "AI patrolling" and why is it considered a bad thing? Thanks.

[EternalSpark]

Update: turns out, I had typed something in odd, and there is an INI file. The things like NoAIPatrol weren't there, among others, but I added those manually - and they stopped patrolling.

Originally posted by gunkulator
Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is "AI patrolling" and why is it considered a bad thing? Thanks.

AI patrolling is only done when it has nothing to do with the units. Sorta like how a player in SMAC will do redundant things with their formers - building forests where it may soon expand to, just to use them - the AI will use Workers/Units pretty much to run around to use them. If you have a free-movement agreement with 'em, they tend to do it in your territory - which makes it longer between turns for you.

That, and I was planning on soon going to War with an empire that was doing a lot of patrolling, and I didnt want them happen to have units near by bases when it happened.

[vmxa1]

I seem to remember moaning in Civ2 while watching some calv unit roam in a circle on some tiny city they still had left.

[Baron von Funk]

No INI files? Are you sure? It should be conquests.ini or something like that. Have another look in the folder.

[vmxa1]

If you have C3C and only play C3C, look in your directory and you will not find an INI for anything but C3C.

If you play C3C and CivIII, but not PTW, you will have an INI for CivIII and C3C, but not PTW.

I found this out months ago when I was working with Firaxis on a problem I was have. They asked me to alter the INI and I did not have one.

[Dis]

Originally posted by EternalSpark
Update: turns out, I had typed something in odd, and there is an INI file. The things like NoAIPatrol weren't there, among others, but I added those manually - and they stopped patrolling.



AI patrolling is only done when it has nothing to do with the units. Sorta like how a player in SMAC will do redundant things with their formers - building forests where it may soon expand to, just to use them - the AI will use Workers/Units pretty much to run around to use them. If you have a free-movement agreement with 'em, they tend to do it in your territory - which makes it longer between turns for you.

That, and I was planning on soon going to War with an empire that was doing a lot of patrolling, and I didnt want them happen to have units near by bases when it happened.

I figured they at least had some purpose, like recon. It's a good idea to check your borders to look for intruders and probe teams (whoops- wrong game )

[Kuciwalker]

In C3 you don't need to check your borders

[bobbo008]

that can get annoying when you've got AI cavalry running around in circles (literally) near your border and youre forced to sit through it.

[TheArsenal]

Once in a blue moon, it’s helpful. I’ve had an occasion or two where the advisors will tell me the strongest unit an AI has is, say, a Knight and a patrolling Cavalry will come roaming into view. Besides wondering things like “I’ve seen your treasury, how in the world can you afford to trade for the salt peter you didn’t have?” it can be a good pre-invasion head’s up.

But most of the time it annoys me.