diff --git a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
index f034a263..866dd739 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
@@ -1161,7 +1161,7 @@ func _command_unit(unit: Variant, player: RefCounted, game_map: RefCounted) -> v
 				break
 		# Score current tile quality
 		var site_quality: float = _score_site(unit.position, game_map)
-		if too_close or site_quality < 3.0:
+		if too_close or site_quality < 1.0:
 			_explore(unit, player, game_map)
 		else:
 			if _world_map != null and _world_map.has_method("_select_unit"):
diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd b/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd
index 410ec84c..e3c5a98d 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ static func _decide_founder_action(
 	if far_enough_from_own and clear_of_enemies:
 		# Check tile quality — only found if the current tile is decent
 		var quality: float = _score_city_site(unit.position)
-		if quality >= 3.0 or dist_own >= FOUND_MIN_DIST_OWN + 3:
+		if quality >= 1.0 or dist_own >= FOUND_MIN_DIST_OWN + 3:
 			# Good site, or we've wandered far enough — settle here
 			return {
 				"type": "found_city",