being a peaceful builder

[Takhisis]

Better just build new units and use the old ones to hold the line against barbarians and the like.

 

[scratchthepitch]

I find barbs disappear by the middle of the Ancient Age in the games I've played. Anyway, I usually only encounter them out on the borders, where my newest units are. The older units, the last to get upgrades, are back covering the core*.

* To defend against those massive 3 unit AI seaborne invasions.

 

[creamcheese]

Better just build new units and use the old ones to hold the line against barbarians and the like.

I would say that upgrading is a situational thing. If you have plenty of production and not enough gold, you should just build more units and use the old ones as suicide units, pillagers, or MPs in the core. If you have more gold than production and, even better, if you have Leo's, then upgrading makes a lot of sense.

 

[tR1cKy]

With money you upgrade and, at the same time, with shields you build units. This way, you have two modern units instead of just one. It seems a no-brainer for me.

 

[Raliuven]

In GotM 116, there was Persia on the other continent, with no safe route to my landmass. According to the power graph i was about 3x stronger than them. My military was also stronger.

I sold them a tech for their whole gpt income. A few turns later, they made an outrageous demand and declared war upon refusal.

I remember the same thing happening in at least two more circumstances, but it's long ago and i don't remember the details.

I have the distinct feeling that when the AS get hard goods for gpt, they're more likely to demand and declare upon refusal. The AS seem 'smart' enough to factor in the broken gpt deal and 'realize' that it would be a win-win scenario for them.

I rather agree. I have had many a game where I fleece the AI for gpt and empty their gold. When I receive a DOW from a gracious AI, guess what? They owe me the largest gpt deals.

I think if you both empty the AI for gold and gpt and it starts to run a deficit it will immediately go to a demand/DOW stage. I don't know that it is really calculating anything since the AI will attack you even when they are 1/10th your size and it is virtual suicide. All it knows is that without xyz it will be in default and that is not allowed.

But then I never understood why the AI would DOW on me when I am twice their size but there is a neighboring AI Civ that is weaker than them. Um . . . wouldn't you rather devour your weak neighbor before taking a swing at me?

 

[Ataxerxes]

I rather agree. I have had many a game where I fleece the AI for gpt and empty their gold. When I receive a DOW from a gracious AI, guess what? They owe me the largest gpt deals.

I think if you both empty the AI for gold and gpt and it starts to run a deficit it will immediately go to a demand/DOW stage. I don't know that it is really calculating anything since the AI will attack you even when they are 1/10th your size and it is virtual suicide. All it knows is that without xyz it will be in default and that is not allowed.

But then I never understood why the AI would DOW on me when I am twice their size but there is a neighboring AI Civ that is weaker than them. Um . . . wouldn't you rather devour your weak neighbor before taking a swing at me?

The AI DOW mechanics confuse me as well. Sometimes I get DOW's from AI's I've forgotten about because they're so weak. My favorite is when they find some city that'd be useless to them undefended when you have 4x their power. Once after playing CivIV for a while I signed ROP with a neighbor while in Representation. Sure enough, the AI had a death wish.