SET_WGF.FLI COMMENTS

This file basically specifies the parameters under which the AI will prioritise its workday, wages and rations.

The programmer's comment is pretty self-explanatory.

// For example, growth_prod_gold_set_wgf means that you want the AI
// to set wgf to grow as much as possible, second to make as much prod as 
// possible, and lastly, to save as much gold as possible.

Further down however, I see what might be a serious problem, if I understand things right.

// up to turn 100; feed 5
	if( a0to100_turns )
	{
		lowest_food_max //means maximum range of rations is 5
		lowest_food_min //means minimum range of rations is 5
	}

As you know, default rations is 10. Monarchy default rations is 10, Theocracy is 12.5. Both these governments are available in the first 100 turns. Now its great to have rations set as low as possible, in order to increase growth, but how are you going to make up for unhappiness? Martial Law? More happiness improvements? No wonder the AI stresses on early military units so much. Wouldn't a better (and more human) approach be to lower rations slightly, and build more growth improvements rather than investing it in martial law units?

The problem isn't just confined to the first 100 turns:

// between 100 and 200; feed 7.5
	if( a100to200_turns )
	{
		low_food_max
		low_food_min
	}

// after 200; feed 10
	if(	a200to300_turns 
		and not yes_money_crisis)
	{
		average_food_max
		average_food_min
	}

// after 300; feed 12.5
	if(	not (a0to100_turns or a100to200_turns or a200to300_turns)
		and not yes_money_crisis)
	{
		high_food_max
		average_food_min
	}

I think the AI needs to be given more leeway in setting its rations - I realise that the programmers  intended that the AI pursue a low ration - high growth strategy. But it doesn't seem to be working, because in all my games I am the one who has the top 3 cities in population. In addition, the gap between my 3rd city size and the AI's is 3-4 population points e.g. 11 v 8. It is only later in the game that the AI starts to catch up and even so I continue to have top billing.

Perhaps it may be possible to relax these constraints a bit, get the AI to maybe build less units (which they seem to enjoy throwing in suicide pacts against your city walls) and build more improvements instead.

An idea might be to allow the AI to start pursuing higher ration strategies once it has more than 10 cities, perhaps a switch to production and more growth improvements. Certainly something that should be looked into.

TLL 13/6/99 - I tried changing those settings. It made absolutely no difference. In fact, even at the default settings, the AI was INCREASING rations and reducing wages. I'm just going to leave this section alone since it doesn't seem to affect anything. In fact, it doesn't even seem to follow its own rules - growth_prod_gold_set_wgf in the game seems to work more like gold_prod_growth_set_wgf - the exact reverse. Would it make a difference if the parameters were reversed I wonder.

Rest of file has parameters detailing when to switch rations depending on whether there is a money crisis (wages + maintenance = 0.8 of budget) - those ration switches there seem pretty logical. It is the turn-based range of rations that needs looking into.

END OF COMMENTS