Does the AI even need resources??

[Predatorprey1]

At first glance i would want to say yes..

But i question because i spided on the enemy a few times before. They were building units with out needing the specific resources that was required.

Like they were building tanks but thye never had oil!!! I kidna thought that was weird..

Anyone else getting the same thing?

[yin26]

Are you sure they didn't get the resource via trade?

[Altuar]

Use the foreign advisor to see who they have active trades with. Offer them enough and they will initiate an embargo against the object of your woes.

[The Templar]

Also look under their cities. In my first game, as the Americans, I created a coal monopoly. Nothing like sinking frigates with a fleet of ironclads. Nor could the AI players build railroads (the AI builds them like mad when it is able - when I had the coal monopoly, they didn't). Next, I moved to secure an oil monopoly and had every visible oil on the screen in my borders. One English city was sitting on top of oil (a fact it took me awhile to figure out after looking at the terrain of several city squares). Now whether or not the AI can create its own resources, I don't know. Still, they never build railroads in my game ...

[Badtz Maru]

In one of my games the English had rubber on an island with 4 cities. They didn't have any harbors in any of them, and could only build infantry in those 4 cities. They need the resources.

[cort]

easy way to figure out;
start a trade session with them, if you are not able to offer oil, it means they are getting it somehow.

on the other hand; it might be possible that they had oil for some time & build units & now they dont have oil & you are seeing pre-build units

[Zanzin]

I think this is one "cheat" the AI doesn't get. They really do need resources to build certain units, in my experience.

[Indiana Jones]

I went to war with the Russians and gained control of their only saltpeter resource. They stopped fighting me with Musketmen and switched to Longbowmen, since they could no longer make gunpowder units.