Are favors completely useless?

[misterchief]

I feel like the favors system is a great idea but it isn't complex enough yet. Most of the time when I receive favors from the AI, I immediately just cash them in for energy. I don't see the point in waiting, considering that the AI generally hates you more and more over time, so favors generally lose value over time.

 

[player1 fanatic]

But then why do them favors anyway? You lose stuff to get them and then convert them back to stuff, while losing some value in progress.

 

[Chaleb]

They won't lose value unless they denounce you. In fact I think they gain value from Cooperation Agreements

 

[misterchief]

But then why do them favors anyway? You lose stuff to get them and then convert them back to stuff, while losing some value in progress.

Honestly, I accept them out of laziness . I don't like "negotiating" with the AI by making a bunch of counteroffers to try to get the most optimal trades possible.

That's a problem I have with Favors as a feature though - since they're essentially worth an amount of Energy, adding the feature just increases the need to micromanage to play optimally, without really adding something that enhances gameplay. So far it seems like Favors mainly just add more clicking around in the trade screen to achieve a deal that could be done in Civ 5 with fewer clicks and time spent (at least with respect to Favors that are received from the AI).

 

[Cromagnus]

One possible value of favors, aside from the diplomatic boost, is for future resources. If they currently don't have gpt or gold or any resources you need, they may eventually have it. I called in favors to get resources I needed in the endgame in my last game. However, once an AI denounces or DoWs you, a favor is pretty worthless... so I'm not doing favors in serious games.

 

[Chaleb]

Honestly, I accept them out of laziness . I don't like "negotiating" with the AI by making a bunch of counteroffers to try to get the most optimal trades possible.

That's a problem I have with Favors as a feature though - since they're essentially worth an amount of Energy, adding the feature just increases the need to micromanage to play optimally, without really adding something that enhances gameplay. So far it seems like Favors mainly just add more clicking around in the trade screen to achieve a deal that could be done in Civ 5 with fewer clicks and time spent (at least with respect to Favors that are received from the AI).

If you're looking at it as the AI just asking for favors once in awhile, then yeah it doesn't add much. But there are cool things you can do with favors that trading can't do. I've had the AI ask for favors and then declare war on me a few turns after, for example.

 

[player1 fanatic]

They won't lose value unless they denounce you. In fact I think they gain value from Cooperation Agreements

They always lose value due to conversion and how much AI puts value in trades in diplomacy.

How much AI values stuff when they "sell" favor to you, for your stuff is always less then for how much value you can get back for selling that favor back to them.

In fact, money is better, since favor is more like money coupon that can only be banked in single store.

 

[Chaleb]

They always lose value due to conversion and how much AI puts value in trades in diplomacy.

How much AI values stuff when they "sell" favor to you, for your stuff is always less then for how much value you can get back for selling that favor back to them.

In fact, money is better, since favor is more like money coupon that can only be banked in single store.

What I find weird is that 1 favor is equal to 100 Gold, but the AI will ask for 3 strategic resources usually for 1 favor (3 strat. Resources are worth 135 gold). You can also immediately the next turn trade them the same resources but for the gold instead.

Really it's up to what you want, the extra 35 gold or the diplomatic boost and chance to force them to go into war.

 

[Quineloe]

Favors may be the single best improvement over BNW.

The second highest reason I autoreject all DoF in BNW (highest being insane diplo penalties with anyone who dislikes your new friend) was all the begging that followed the DoF.

However, when you reject a trade for a favor, you get the same message you got in BNW when you rejected a begging. Hopefully a bug.

 

[Ryika]

The message doesn't have any meaning, it's purely for immersion - neither in BNW nor in BE will you get a negative modifier for not giving in to their begging (you did in Vanilla-Civ5 though).

 

[alpaca]

What I find weird is that 1 favor is equal to 100 Gold, but the AI will ask for 3 strategic resources usually for 1 favor (3 strat. Resources are worth 135 gold). You can also immediately the next turn trade them the same resources but for the gold instead.

Really it's up to what you want, the extra 35 gold or the diplomatic boost and chance to force them to go into war.

You can actually trade 2 strat resources for each favor. Not sure what the AI asks for, but I usually sell my strategics when I don't need them

 

[Chaleb]

You can actually trade 2 strat resources for each favor. Not sure what the AI asks for, but I usually sell my strategics when I don't need them

Oh well that's quite interesting, essentially since straight selling two strat. resources is worth 90 gold, you can get 10 gold more than you would usually by selling their favors right back to them. Of course, that's a few more clicks that I don't really feel like doing so I'll probably just sell all my resources straight.

 

[Wolfbeckett]

Oh well that's quite interesting, essentially since straight selling two strat. resources is worth 90 gold, you can get 10 gold more than you would usually by selling their favors right back to them. Of course, that's a few more clicks that I don't really feel like doing so I'll probably just sell all my resources straight.

I think this depends on the speed or difficulty of the game, I'm playing a Marathon game right now on... Koz(something something)and the AI is perfectly happy to trade 1 favor for 1 strategic resource.

 

[Mysticforce]

Favors are useful for when you ask the AI for something in the Discuss or Demand menus. I was able to spend 7 favors to get an AI to not colonize the area I set aside for Earthlings in one game.

 

[alpaca]

Another thing: the AI will trade a favor for 1 science per turn if you have a cooperation agreement. So you can get 100 gold lump sum for 1 science per turn.

 

[player1 fanatic]

Favors are useful for when you ask the AI for something in the Discuss or Demand menus. I was able to spend 7 favors to get an AI to not colonize the area I set aside for Earthlings in one game.

How that actually works?
I never got similar option.

Do you need to have number of favors higher then some value to make this happen?

 

[Mysticforce]

How that actually works?
I never got similar option.

Do you need to have number of favors higher then some value to make this happen?

I don't know why I got the option, but it's probably triggered by 1) AI relationship with you, and 2) number of favors. You probably need to meet a minimum of both for that to happen.

In my example it was an Apollo game, where I had traded with Elodie all game. We had different affinities, but I basically said yes every time she asked for anything. I was about to win via Promised Land when she suddenly moved a colonist to an area I set aside for the settlers (my empire is between Elodie and this empty piece of land). I thought I had to beat her down, but it tried diplomacy first.

After I pressed the "don't settle near me" option, I got another option where I was able to spend all 7 favors I had stockpiled to convince her. She said yes, moved her colonist away, and saved herself from a smackdown.