When does the AI establish an embassy?

[ivory]

When does the AI establish an embassy on my block? There have times when I did not establish with everyone due to lack of interest, money or both. Then it may happen that the AI establishes one in my capital after a few hundred or thousand years. Having seen the impressive studies some of the forum members have done into AI behaviour, I was wondering if anyone knew what the mechanism behind this might be (so I might be able to save a few gold pieces and still get the benefit ).
Once, I was at war with the Greek, I hit them back into one city on the corner of the continent at which point I made peace just to see whether my newly acquired cities would flip. They didn't, so I was confident my cultural superiority. But instead of Alexander hating me for the rest of eternity, in the next century the freak established an embassy! That surprised me so much that I remember to this day.

[sealman]

It all depends... I started a thread about a week ago alleging that the AI never opens embassies with the human player. That was the case in my games. Others reported that the AI does open them in their games, useually when it wants something.

UPDATE ON THE SEAL SITUATION: In my latest game, the AI DID open an embassy in my capital so I now believe all of you who have said that it does happen.

[Mercade]

Hmm.. I've never seen a message about AI opening an embassy with me, but perhaps that's because I usually open an embassy with the AI as soon as I have writing... But then I guess the AI still has to make an embassy with me if they want the same benefits?

[TheNiceOne]

Originally posted by Mercade
Hmm.. I've never seen a message about AI opening an embassy with me, but perhaps that's because I usually open an embassy with the AI as soon as I have writing... But then I guess the AI still has to make an embassy with me if they want the same benefits?

No, as soon as civ A has established an embassy with civ B, the option goes away for civ B, but civ B gets the same benefits (it can ask for a MA with civ A etc.) The only difference is that that civ A gets to investigate civ B's captital when the embassy is established.

So since you establish embassies ASAP, the AI will not be able to establish one with you afterwards. That's why you never see the message.

[ivory]

Any guesses why the ai opened that embassy then in your latest game, sealman?
Any major differences in your stategy compared all those games when they (and you) didn't?

[Louis XXIV]

He robably had a tech they wanted to steal

[Bamspeedy]

I'm sure there is a random factor. Early in the game, the AI never has much money, so of course can't establish an embassy. When they do get money, they probably spend some of it establishing embassies in other civs (if they don't blow all their money buying maps or rushing stuff when they get out of despotism).

I have had the AI establish an embassy with me, but not very often.

[handyandy]

I have found that the ai builds embassys when thay have at least twice the gold nessary but it may be only couisadnce(sp)