AI Civs Threatening Each Other for Gifts?

[Apollo]

I was wondering if anyone has seen evidence of AI civs getting things from each other through gifts or threats as is possible between an AI civ and the human player.

In the game I'm currently playing it's near the end of the Ancient Era. The Zulus are way back in techs but have a bunch of cities (half of which are in tundra) and are rated first on the Histograph. The reason they have so much in the tundra is because I've blocked them off to just the norther reaches of our tall and skinny continent, which means they will attack me soon when they run out of room. I keep close tabs on them to make sure I have a tech lead and will get to knights first.

While checking on them to see if someone traded Republic to them (which I had just researched and traded to Babylon) I noticed that in one turn they got four techs and only lost about 100 gold. I went back to the previous turn and traded them one tech for all their money, and the next turn they had still managed to get two new techs and hadn't lost anything! I looked at all the civs they had contact with before and after, and when they lose their 100 gold for four techs one other civ gets that gold, but when they don't lose anything and gain two techs none of the things the other civs can trade change.

The only way I can think of for this to happen would be if the Zulus either threatened the other civs to get those techs or were given them as gifts. If they did threaten the other civs I don't see any logic in those civs giving in because for the Zulus to attack they would have to go through my empire (there's no ROP between us), and then go across a large area of desert and jungle on this 256x256 map to the southern hemisphere where the four other civs on our continent are clustered.

Does anybody have an idea on what happened here?

 

[Alphidius]

Here are the possibilities:

1) Out of the 2 techs, they discovered one and used the newly discovered tech to trade for another thus having 2 in their hands.

2) They may instead of using Lump Sum use Per Turn to pay of their debts on the techs they received.

3) They may have traded resources for the techs.

4) They may have traded World Maps for the techs.

5) Any combination of 2, 3 and 4 are possible and attractive offer to other AIs.

The most possible route is the first where they got a new tech and traded it with other civs. In my game the AIs are not so far lagging in research usually one or two behind me.

 

[Apollo]

Originally posted by Alphidius
Here are the possibilities:

1) Out of the 2 techs, they discovered one and used the newly discovered tech to trade for another thus having 2 in their hands.

2) They may instead of using Lump Sum use Per Turn to pay of their debts on the techs they received.

3) They may have traded resources for the techs.

4) They may have traded World Maps for the techs.

5) Any combination of 2, 3 and 4 are possible and attractive offer to other AIs.

The most possible route is the first where they got a new tech and traded it with other civs. In my game the AIs are not so far lagging in research usually one or two behind me.

1) One of the two new techs they get is Monarchy which nobody else has to offer to me before or after this turn, so they must have just finished the research on it but didn't trade it to anybody. Also this doesn't explain the 100 gold for three techs the other time.

2) You can't use Per Turn this early in the game.

3) Resources available didn't change for anybody. I can see what is available to the Zulus and they have access to it all before and after this turn, so they didn't trade any of it.

4) I traded world maps long ago with everybody and the Zulus don't have anything new to offer except maybe a territory map update on their roads and mines. Also this is v1.21, so an updated territory map isn't supposed to be able to get you a bunch of techs.

Do you know if the AI civs get things from each other through gifts or demands? Other than that there doesn't seem any way for this to happen.

 

[akinkhoo]

simple, they cheated

 

[Apollo]

Originally posted by akinkhoo
simple, they cheated

I was hoping to find that it's caused by something that I can prevent, so I can keep the Zulus isolated not only geographically but technologically as well.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Originally posted by Apollo
I was hoping to find that it's caused by something that I can prevent, so I can keep the Zulus isolated not only geographically but technologically as well.

So long as they have communications with other AI civs, there's no way the human player can isolate them technologically. They'll simply somehow get their tech up, to the latest average lvl.

Since the AI goes to war with each other, I'll assume they trade/threaten each other as well.

 

[Alphidius]

1) Ok, so they didn't trade their tech discovered but they DID discover a tech so one down one more to go. I might be able to explain it later.

2) You can't??? Really??? Is there such a restriction???

3) So maybe they didn't trade resources.

4) Ok, so maybe they didn't trade maps.

There's another possibility though, minor villages. Not forgetting the Zulus are Expansionist civ which means they get lots of goodies from the villages.

They may be lucky enough to get the tech through there. And if they could get the tech from a goody minor village that would explain for the 300 of 3 techs. They researched one, get another from the goody hut and traded the third one for 300 gold.

Possible? Yes of course it is. Anything's possible that would mean they cheated too!!!
So don't worry too much Apollo. AI civs don't threaten each other, not that I know of (or any way of knowing for sure )

Also, I'll always go after the Zulus the first time I discover them. After getting rid of them I get this sense of relief, ahhhh

 

[Kilroy]

Originally posted by Knight-Dragon
So long as they have communications with other AI civs, there's no way the human player can isolate them technologically. They'll simply somehow get their tech up, to the latest average lvl.

Since the AI goes to war with each other, I'll assume they trade/threaten each other as well.

Even in 1.17 there were always a few civs that lagged behind quite a bit - even though they had numerous contacts.