AI is So Touchy!

[B52]

I have played Civ II for years but only recently tried it on Prince level. I got into immediate trouble because I ticked everyone off and all the AI civs started to attack me. Basically, I thought I was being a pretty good neighbour, keeping to myself, but every few turns or so, an AI dip would steal technology from me. I ignored these insults and went about my business. Well, one turn, I thought I would return the favour and send a guy into a Greek city to steal some tech of my own. Well, all hell broke loose! Every nation on Earth decided that I was worse than Hitler for daring to do what they all did on a regular basis!

Not only that, but it has turned into a really nasty vandetta against me, with every AI bent on my utter destruction. They send me regular messages about how they plan to "rid the world of me," and any treaty I sign with them is torn up the next turn when they sneak-attack me from all sides! I have become the world's pariah. And it all started with a little tech theft!!

Luckily, I am always a step ahead of them technologically, and after losing a few cities I have finally solidified my defenses with impregnable walls. Also, I have now got flight, so the rest of the world will soon be at my feet. Now, it seems the hunter has become the hunted!! :saiyan:

 

[TimTheEnchanter]

This probably just means you are the supreme power. The AI has a tendency to get a little jealous when the human rises to the top of the heap. They eventually will do it all the time, even if you keep your reputation spotless and resist the temptation to steal their techs.

Look at it this way...it keeps the game interesting.

 

[funxus]

I get the feeling your a little touchy too.

This game requires some amount of intelligence, and you can't blame the AI for being smart. To cover up for their stupidity they cheat instead. Just because they are allowed to do something doesn't mean it's okay for you. When they stole a tech from you, I assume that you got an option to declare war or leave it. Had you declared war and then stolen techs, the other civs wouldn't have cared and you wouldn't have lost reputation.

 

[B52]

Really? So, if I had chosen to declare war at the time when they committed their transgressions, it would not have adversely affected my reputation? I must remember this in the future. I was thinking that I was doing the friendly thing, by overlooking their theft!

But, would you say that the way the AI automatically harrasses the human front-runner is almost an "AI Stupidity"? Because it is really counterintuitive. If I were in their position, facing a military and economic juggernaut with a penchant for kicking heinie, I would probably tread softly around them. And if this powerhouse offered me an alliance, I would jump on it like Bill Clinton on a co-ed! Hey, I would want to survive and regularly flipping the bird at the biggest military machine on Earth does not seem like a prudent foreign policy!

If real life worked like CIV II, Botswana, Monaco, Iceland, and Sri Lanka would form an alliance to wipe out America, and attack them in wave after wave of suicide attacks! I can see Barbs behaving this way, but for a true civilization it seems rather odd!

 

[Ace]

Thats the way the AI operates. Just one of its problems. As for the tech theft, when another civ steals from you, you get the option to declare war on them, literally, for free. Stealing a tech is considered an act of war, so it has no effect on your rep if you decide to declare war. This is a great way to take advantage of the AI when you are in a democracy. The AI gives you the chance to declare war and it leaves your rep spotless.

 

[Marlos]

Originally posted by B52
...regularly flipping the bird at the biggest military machine on Earth does not seem like a prudent foreign policy!

Osama, if you're reading this, please take note. Pack up your marbles and go home.

 

[The Mass Leader]

I had some serious trouble with the AI behaviour when I reached the Supreme power of the world.

But while some people would say it´s a stupidity to attack the world major power, I say it is not. I was attacked by the English, Spanish and Vikings at the same time (I was playing the Celts, in a real europe map). Basicly, england was england, spain was the entire westerns ans eastern wurope and part of asian Russia, and the vikings were the rest of Russia and the jutland peninsule.

Well, I was attacked and lost my biggest city.

And then, what happened? I was thrown to the 2nd position of world powers.

After that, english and vikings made a peace treaty with me. I changed from monarchy to communism, and made peace with the rest of the world.

With time, Persians took my place, and I was the 3rd then. The persians were attacked then by the japanese, mongols and vikings, and the spanish were attacked by the english, vikings ans persians. I declared war on both spain and persia, but remained far away from the hostilities.

Now I am just playing this way: I remain in 3rd place, but I keep my military busy while avoiding Persia of being defeated by the spanish, and Spain from being destroyed by persians. I want to be no more the major world power, but I do not want a rival too strong. So, I won´t let any of the 2 biggest nations to conquer the other. it would build such an empire I would not be capable of facing in the future.

Of course, things will be a lot more easy than before. I am not the world public enemy, and when I saved this game for the last time, yesterday afternoon, I have just became the first, one and only (by now) country with a nuclear missile.

So, let the world "Supreme power" come and see what happens.

 

[addiv]

You can beat everyone, how strong they may seem to be, with howitzers! (and with spies, it become a piece of cake). I never bother saving AI civs from being destroyed by other AI civs, I know I'll be able to defeat the strongest AI Civ in the end anyway.
Being supreme can be difficult when you have a bad reputation and you are next to a few strong AI civs. So I (almost) always make sure my reputation keeps at least excellent (occasionally I need to go to honorable though ). But when you have Eiffeltower and/or UN you will be fine.
So B52, when you know how to deal with the AI, you won't be in much trouble.