Why did the AI lie?

ltccone

ltccone

Prince
Joined
Apr 2, 2003
Messages
471
Location
Virginia, USA
The Romans converted one of my cities to their religion with a great prophet. I then asked them to stop, and they agreed. Two turns later that same great prophet converted ANOTHER of my cities. I tried to 'discuss' with them again, but the option wasn't even available.

What gives here? :mad:
 
Never trust AIs when you make a demand of them. They'll continue spying on you even if they agree to move their agents, and they'll continue to settle near you when you ask them not to. It's better to just potentially avoid a diplomatic penalty and let them do whatever they want while taking your own measure. That includes having your units block their prophets/missionaries, and simply stationing an inquisitor.
 
I've only had this happen on rare occasion, but Rome being the kind of aggressor they are, I imagine it's just a mirrior version of if one of us were promise to the AI to stop converting cities and then continue to do so.

Except I don't think they take a diplo hit from other AIs for it. They might from AIs that are friendlier toward you.
 
Chemical Toilet said:
I've only had this happen on rare occasion, but Rome being the kind of aggressor they are, I imagine it's just a mirrior version of if one of us were promise to the AI to stop converting cities and then continue to do so.

Except I don't think they take a diplo hit from other AIs for it. They might from AIs that are friendlier toward you.
Click to expand...

I took the diplo hit, and they denounced me. I have the Shoshone (they follow the same religion, and denounced me too) in my way, but I'm gathering my army, and I'm going to take both of them out!
 
Atinuviel said:
Never trust AIs when you make a demand of them. They'll continue spying on you even if they agree to move their agents, and they'll continue to settle near you when you ask them not to. It's better to just potentially avoid a diplomatic penalty and let them do whatever they want while taking your own measure. That includes having your units block their prophets/missionaries, and simply stationing an inquisitor.
Click to expand...

I've found inquisitors to be ineffective. They take other religions out, but don't put mine back in, so the cities end up with no religion.
 
ltccone said:
I've found inquisitors to be ineffective. They take other religions out, but don't put mine back in, so the cities end up with no religion.
Click to expand...

That's strange, usually when you squash out other religion it pushes the follower number up enough to make it a majority again.
 
ltccone said:
I've found inquisitors to be ineffective. They take other religions out, but don't put mine back in, so the cities end up with no religion.
Click to expand...
I think that Atinuviel's "stationing an inquisitor" refers to placing an inquisitor in one of your own cities, to neutralize the danger posed by AI missionaries and GPs. This is the #1 best way of guarding against AI conversion activities.
 
Lochlann said:
I think that Atinuviel's "stationing an inquisitor" refers to placing an inquisitor in one of your own cities, to neutralize the danger posed by AI missionaries and GPs. This is the #1 best way of guarding against AI conversion activities.
Click to expand...

I had no clue that stationing an inquisitor in a city would prevent conversion; I thought the only thing they did was remove a foreign religion.
 
ltccone said:
I had no clue that stationing an inquisitor in a city would prevent conversion; I thought the only thing they did was remove a foreign religion.
Click to expand...
Yep, they are invaluable in their capacity to prevent conversion. You don't even need one per city if you have an effective road network; just remain vigilant for encroaching missionaries/GPs and move your inquisitors around accordingly, and you'll be all set. It's actually kind of fun and, hmm, warm & cozy?, to watch AI missionaries scurrying about ineffectually.
 
Lochlann said:
Yep, they are invaluable in their capacity to prevent conversion. You don't even need one per city if you have an effective road network; just remain vigilant for encroaching missionaries/GPs and move your inquisitors around accordingly, and you'll be all set. It's actually kind of fun and, hmm, warm & cozy?, to watch AI missionaries scurrying about ineffectually.
Click to expand...

And they will die of attrition :)
 
And if you've been smart enough not to allow open borders, they will eventually suicide through attrition.

Great Prophets can keep you busy for a while though :/
 
ltccone said:
And they will die of attrition :)
Click to expand...
See? Warm and cozy. :)
Scott Jegg said:
Great Prophets can keep you busy for a while though :/
Click to expand...
Yeah, when the Prophets start coming over is when I consider getting an Inquisitor for each city and just ignoring them. GPs' lower movement makes them easier to control via intercity Inquisitor shuffling, but the AI will sometimes leave them in your territory forever, and I get annoyed at having to keep my Inquisitors on their toes.
 
Lochlann said:
See? Warm and cozy. :)

Yeah, when the Prophets start coming over is when I consider getting an Inquisitor for each city and just ignoring them. GPs' lower movement makes them easier to control via intercity Inquisitor shuffling, but the AI will sometimes leave them in your territory forever, and I get annoyed at having to keep my Inquisitors on their toes.
Click to expand...

That's when you lay a trap, and just when they think they're within striking distance of your Holy City, BAM, you bum-rush their prophet and trap the unit with 6 of your units.
 
It's annoying when they do that, yes, but I noticed in one game, when Ethiopia sent a prophet to my lands, I did the same thing. I asked him not to convert me and he agreed. Next turn, another city was converted. So I sent my next prophet into his lands and he asked me to stop converting him but I did not get the diplo penalty one normally gets for doing it. I guess at least the AI knows that its only fair when you return the favor.

I had a similar experience with an Archeology rush. I had open borders with Morocco and Egypt and there was a mad rush. Egypt and Morocco had both sent Archaeologists into my lands as they were vast. I finished digging in Egypt before he finished in mine, so he asked me to stop stealing his goodies, so I said OK. His archeologist actually left the site in my territory! I was shocked! Ahmad, on the other hand, told me he was too busy to stop stealing from me so I stole his manufactory with a citadel, hoping I would get away with it. He was not happy.
 
ltccone said:
I've found inquisitors to be ineffective. They take other religions out, but don't put mine back in, so the cities end up with no religion.
Click to expand...

Don't wait for conversion, just put inquisitor in your city, and it wint ever be converted. This way you can make incomplete prophet fences and herd them somewhere else.
 
After all AI's are in industrial era, I don't think they produce any more prophets.

Also, if your city is about to be converted, go to beliefs, check out the perks of the said enemy religion and consider the following:
- What is your fpt?
- Do you have or can you afford an inquisitor (NB: make sure it's been purchased in a city with your religion)?
- Does the said enemy religion enable your converted cities to purchase holy buildings? If so, let them convert, purchase the building and remove the opposing religion using the inquisitor you bought before city is converted.
- Does said enemy religion have just war? In that case, you have to do a lot of faith fighting to keep your cities clean of the religion that has it.

Don't bother about diplomacy. Instead, see the prophet as an opportunity to cash in on their benefits. If you have piety > religious tolerance, you will also get their pantheon belief.
 
Lochlann said:
I think that Atinuviel's "stationing an inquisitor" refers to placing an inquisitor in one of your own cities, to neutralize the danger posed by AI missionaries and GPs. This is the #1 best way of guarding against AI conversion activities.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I had no idea inquisitors did that. I have to read that useless help system once in a while. :lol:
 
They sometimes do listen, surprisingly. I had Egypt sail a prophet to my lands, convert a city (I didn't see him come in even, crafty guy, that), and so I asked him to stop it. He agreed and the prophet sailed back to Egypt, surprisingly.
But usually they'll lie through their teeth, yes.
 
The AI is trying to be Human.
 
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