[NFP] [1.0.6.9] (FIXED1.0.8.4) AI unwilling to buy up to max. strat. ressource storage limit in one deal

[Pfeffersack]

Initially reported for 1.0.1.501

Sometimes an AI having less than the 40-unit-maximum of a ressource type stored will not buy the entire quantity it needs to reach 40. However, if you sell them what they are willing to pay for, they will happily afterwards by the rest Needed to get to 40 in a 2nd deal.

In my example, you can see that Monetzuma has no Iron in storage at all, but for some unknown reason he will only pay for 32 units of Iron, if I offer him a deal:

If I offer him 33 Iron and charge only a single Gold more, the deal will not be accepted anymore:

However, if I sign the accepted 32Iron-for-217Gold-deal, he will afterwards agree to buy 8 more Iron for
54 Gold:

IMO, that behaviour does not make sense - if it is intended that he wants less then 40 Units (maybe because he has own Iron sources), then the 2nd deal shouldn't be possible and if not, it would save a lot of pointless clicking to fix what likely is some error in the formula.

To reproduce with the attached save:

Load it, call up Montezuma, try the deals shown in the pictures.

 

[Pfeffersack]

The 4 "late" strategic ressources Coal, Oil, Aluminium and Uran are affected by the issue described above as well and for them, it happens regularly:

Spoiler :

Also it is worth to note that for those ressources the purchasing limit for the AI is lower than for the early game strategics - 22 units in total, if you take the initially accepted and the follow-up deal together. I guess the reasoning for this is that that there are no high upfront costs for unit building associated with these ressources, but I'm not sure if that justifies a lower limit. The per-turn-consumption of those ressources can be quite high and such a low willingness to keep a healthy storage means that AIs without enough own sources constantly run out of them and incur combat penalties. I often found myself supplying AI allies every second turn with 20 units of Coal or Oil to keep their economy running and their units fighting.

To reproduce with the attached save:

Load itand offer Montezuma the shown deals (you might also have a look on the ressources situation of the other AIs in regard to my thoughts about lifting the trading limit for said ressources)

 

[Pfeffersack]

This is still the case in v1.0.3.31:

Spoiler :

I don't see any logic in this behaviour:

1. Either the AI is supposed to buy 40 units of Iron - why does it need two deals then? Apart from some rounding issues, the price of both transactions (6.92 Gold per unit for the 1st deal, exactly 7 Gold p.U. for the 2nd) is the same, so this is just needless clicking.
2. If the AI is *not* supposed to buy that much...why do they accept the 2nd deal?


To reproduce with the attached save:

1. See that TR has no Iron and should be willing to buy up to 40
2. Offer TR 27 Iron and see that he is willing to pay 187 Gold
3. Offer TR 28 Iron and see that he is still only willing to pay 187 Gold. Charge 188 and he will refuse.
4. Sell him 27 Iron for 187 Gold.
5. Now you can sell him another 13 Iron for 91 Gold.

 

[Pfeffersack]

This still happens in 1.0.6.9

Amanitore has already 3 Coal and should be willing to buy 19 more (as here purchase limit for Coal is 22 units, as you will see in the end) - however, for some reason she will not accept more than 15 Coal here:

Spoiler :

Offer 16 and ask for 1 more Gold and she declines:

Spoiler :

However, if you sell here first that 15 Coal, then she will happily buy 4 more in a separate deal:

Spoiler :

I don't see the reason why the game forces me to do to the trading in tranches. It is just unnecessary clicking. If you feel that I'm exploiting the AI here, either lower their purchase limit or the price they are willing to pay per unit (I don't think this is here an issue though - the price feels decent and I would rather argue for increasing the limit for Coal, as the AIs constantly run out, when having no own sources) I'm still hoping to see this fixed one day

To reproduce with the attached save:

1. Offer deal as seen in the 1st pic and see that she would accept
2. Offer deal as seen in the 2nd pic and see that she declines
3. Do the first deal
4.See that now you can sell 4 more Coal

EDIT: Added the save I first forgot when posting.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Not explicitly mentioned in the changelog of 1.0.8.4, but this one seems to have been fixed (with the Uranium staying the sole exception - see my separate thread for this)

 

[PiR]

I also noticed the switch from 40 to 22. They are not interested above 22.

 

[Pfeffersack]

I also noticed the switch from 40 to 22. They are not interested above 22.

No, the limits haven't changed - they are (and were) just different for the various ressources: 40 for Iron/Horses/Niter, 22 for Coal/Oil/Aluminium and (very likely, as I wasn't able to test that explicitly with 1.0.8.4.) 62 for Uranium.