When I first started playing I was trying to just figure out the game and did a lot of reloading. So I would sometime go after a wonder, then reload and not go after the wonder.

What I found was that when I went after a wonder I would be attacked by the AI. When I just put out settlers I wasn't.

Has anyone else had this experience? Is wonder production tied into the AI of the computer that causes them to start a war with you? Seems to make sense that it would. A little cost benefit calculation by the AI can change dramatically when a wonder is involved.

When I first started playing I was trying to just figure out the game and did a lot of reloading. So I would sometime go after a wonder, then reload and not go after the wonder.

What I found was that when I went after a wonder I would be attacked by the AI. When I just put out settlers I wasn't.

Has anyone else had this experience? Is wonder production tied into the AI of the computer that causes them to start a war with you? Seems to make sense that it would. A little cost benefit calculation by the AI can change dramatically when a wonder is involved.

If you are using production for a wonder, you are not using it to produce soldiers. The weaker you are, the more likely the AI is to attack you, everything else being equal. In addition, once you've put a wonder in that city, the value of taking it has suddenly become worth the cost to the AI Civ.

After all, wouldn't YOU like to capture the city that contains the pyramids?

Tom

I haven't noticed the trend in any of my games. One question I have is when you are going for the Wonder, what is the state of your military? Early on in the game building a wonder could put you behind in the arms race and that /might/ be why you are getting attacked. Basically your neighbors are looking at you and seeing fresh meat. Creating Settlers bumps you up in the power rankings, while they are wandering around the map I think they count as a unit and then when they become a city your population takes a jump. This is especially true if you start building military units once you found the city.

My army sizes are the same.

Like I said, it makes sense because the benefit for the attacking civ increases.

Just something I don't see talked about when considering when to build a wonder or why the AI attacks.

I never noticed it. I tend to go military in the beginning of the game so I miss out on the extremely early wonders like stonehenge and the oracle. By the time I start building wonders I'm usually #1 in the power rankings and anyone would be stupid to attack me.

On games where I've gone diplomatic I still build up a reasonable sized military and don't start working on any world wonders until my second city is at least size 2 and kicking out settlers and military units.

Building wonders is turning into a money making activity for my games. It just uses too many resources and that city is shutdown for a long time while other cities would have less production to support the army. Failing a wonder will give me enough money to support a large army for a very long time and taking cities will pay for reduced research.