Advice for first Deity win? AI with barracks and SZ

[krakedhalo]

After surviving until a Space loss in COTM 49, I'm putting what I learned there to use and trying for my first deity win. I'd appreciate some advice on this situation.

I'm heading toward a shot at a possible diplo win, doing very well compared to my only other deity experience in COTM 49. The only smear on my reputation is one RoP rape to get GLib, boosting me 1 full age. There simply was no other way, it was deep into the territory of my strongest competitor, Arabia.

So now Arabia is #1 in land, culture, score, and military strength. We're all in a 3 on 3 on 2 world war, and the Inca have Sun Tzu's. Their capitol, which has SZ, is right next to Arab borders, and just across the water from me. I've been on good terms with the Inca all game, and if they survive and I don't have to fight them, I'm counting on their vote. But if Arabia attacks them (currently not at war, but it's been on and off) they'll have Sun's, making any eventual wars with them much tougher. I think.

Question: How does the AI act with SZ? It's over an Age old, so Arabs would definitely have barracks all over, right? That means maybe it's not a big deal if they do capture it. However, if they do capture it, will they sell off their old barracks? That'd be nice - I could let them capture it, give them a few turns to sell off barracks, then capture it myself, leaving them w/o barracks. If that's how they act. Anyone know?

 

[Othniel]

I've never heard of AIs voluntarily selling improvements. I've never even heard the question raised that I can think of. Personally, I wouldn't bet on the AIs selling their barracks if they got Sun Tzu's.

 

[krakedhalo]

Thanks. I think I'll let them capture it (it would take an awful lot to stop them at this point) and not go for it myself. I'll RoP with Inca and surround a minor city of theirs, hopefully keeping them alive until voting time.

Do most human players sell barracks when they get Sun Tzu's? I always do if I'm not worried about subsequently losing SZ. It's an extra 100g or so, so why not? And why wouldn't the AI? Seems like a logical choice. Same thing with granaries and the Pyramids, though obviously there are many fewer granaries built by the time you get the Pyramids.

 

[dexters]

Don't know the specifics of your map so this may be difficult, but why don't you sign an ROP with the Incas and place your units on chokepoints to slow or even stop Arabian advance. If you want, even encircle the Incan capital

 

[krakedhalo]

Thanks dexters, that was my plan. I had a galleon full of cavs on the way to the choke, but the Arabs beat me to it. They ended up razing the Incan capitol that had SZ and the Pyramids. Not sure why, because with their culture, flips wouldn't be a problem. In the end I took an idea from SirPleb's spotlight GOTM18 and built them an arctic city I could easily surround. The Inca's last two cities are about to fall, but the one I gave them will stand. +1 votes for me.

The Arabs have a holy ton of infantry running around, but I managed to pull out ToE when they chose Rep. Parts over Scientific Method, and got the Hoover Dam too. So the plan is to build hundreds of bombers - I can reach their core from my peripheral cities, they can't retaliate that way.