Which city the AI attacks is currently super predictable (closest city). It's so predictable that I don't even build walls or station any defenders in my other cities. One strategy I use is to establish a forward city in a good defensive location, and put all my troops there, then laugh as the AI suicides itself against me all the while aware that I'm dead if the AI just marches for my capital which is not defended with no walls. But the AI never does that and I feel like I'm cheating a bit. It feels like the AI would be 10 times stronger if it chose its target not by distance but cities have the weakest defense.

Hi emnaki,

Thank you for your feedback. As it stands, the AI should already take into account the vulnerability of its siege target (fortification, militia and defending armies). I'll have a closer look at that part and perform some extra tests on my side. In the meantime, do you still have a save file showcasing this kind of behaviour by any chance? It would make my life easier if I could look at it.

Cheers,

Alex.

I've attached an example to show what I mean Full Game 07.ctr

War starts in half a dozen turns I think, I proceded to move all my forces into Dur-Sarrukin , the AI will keep attacking Dur-Sarrukin until it loses the war. As you said the AI will evaluate the strength of Dur-Sarrukin's defense before it attacks and in this case it doesn't take into account the geography as this city is nearly impenetrable. But this mistaken evaluation is not the problem I am discussing. What I mean is that the AI should not only consider attacking Dur-Sarrukin and go for other cities as well. At the start of the war I convert Sus with influence, but even though I only have one defender there most of the time, the AI never attacks it. I think if it took Sus and then marched on to my capital Assur which was undefended, there won't be anything I could have done to save my game I think, as I remember the AI had at least three times my forces in the war. Maybe you might say this is only one example. But I have never in my many games been wrong footed, overwhelmed yes but have never misplaced my troops. The AI has never tricked me with a sneak attack, it just charges at you like a bull. 

If I was to play as the Harappans in the reverse side, I would siege Dur-Sarrukin with half my forces, not attack it and just sit outside there and lock the enemy army and send the other half of my forces to Assur, thats guaranteed checkmate.