AIs don't intentionally keep a settler on hand. What happens is they see open land and build a settler, but then the settler waits for military escort and somebody else gets the site first. So then the AI has a surplus settler that sits around until they explore another site to send it to. If the land fills up, then those extra settlers stay at home.
We humans would react by using the settler for a cramped plant either aggressively or backline filler, but the AIs don't revise their site selection based on the presence of a surplus settler.
We humans would react by using the settler for a cramped plant either aggressively or backline filler, but the AIs don't revise their site selection based on the presence of a surplus settler.
