What is exactly the difference in AI settings?

[PvK]

I think the AI does need to search, and does so. That is, I have taken over provinces from AIs, and sometimes they have found some sites there, while other times I search where they have been for a while, and found sites that they apparently didn't find.

I also see the AI making what seems to me a reasonable number of mages, which would match the sites I have seen found by the AIs.

PvK

[Bowlingballhead]

I do not know that I trust the evidence of taking over enemy provinces and finding sites. I find pre-visible sites in independent provinces as well, but do not seem to find pre-visible sites at all more often when I take over AI land.

[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by Bowlingballhead:
I do not know that I trust the evidence of taking over enemy provinces and finding sites. I find pre-visible sites in independent provinces as well, but do not seem to find pre-visible sites at all more often when I take over AI land.

I have found many sites such as tar pits, and mazes, which are always invisible until searched in AI territory, so they definetly perform some searching. They also cast far too many spells to not have boosted their gem income by searching.

[Bowlingballhead]

They have access to sites, definitely. Indeed, that's part of why I'm not sure if they have to search. I have a good idea of how many sites I find and how many gems I produce making a strong effort to find them (Acashic Record, especially, is My Friend). The computer seems to have access to gems as if they had full access to their sites, but that's not easy to get.

[SurvivalistMerc]

Bowlingbawlhead,

I notice that the computer only knows of the sites that its mages are able to discover.

I don't know if it has to search or not, but it doesn't get Acashic Record-like site discovery unless it has Acashic Record.