Bluffing Spanish

[Thomhasj]

In a game (a CG map, easiest level, German civ). On an isle I was sharing with Empress Isabella with the Spanish. This time I was very peaceful. But they were not. As time passed, some incidents happened and after 200 years (a few turns before the Great German-Spanish War) I had conquered two Spanish cities and I rallied up many Dragoons to wipe the Spanish out if they provocated me once more.
And yes they did, as the most advanced civ in the world, stole a technology. So, with my, in their eyes, advanced force of dragoons and cannons, I quickly captured/destroyed many cities and after a few renewed attacks and counterattacks, my army stood before the very last stronghold of the Spanish, a very small city, Bilbao. It was defended by a few Warriors and nothing more. Yet, in their negotiations they demanded money!! It took a few turns to conquer the city and every turn they negotiated with me, demanding more and more money. Do you get it?

 

[Terrapin]

I play MGE, where the diplomacy is pretty screwed up, so I do not use it much and know lkittle. But from what I have seen, there is little rhyme or reason to the ai's efforts at negotiation. If you read the D+2 succession game thread, you can see the ai Zulus handing over (cumulatively) thousands of gold to the (human player) Chinese, who return the favor by beating the Zulus to every significant tech and wonder.

I started a thread a few months ago to get people's opinions on why the ai is so stupid. I understand the inability of ai to generate a good overall strategy, but you would think that it could at least play logically. In your situation, the ai should offer anything it has to get peace with you. Instead, they took diplomacy lessons from Saddam Hussien and launched the mother of all butt kickings...

 

[RegentMan]

Wow... The stupidity of the AI is one of my few quirks with Civilizaton II.

 

[Nylan]

Remember, this is an early 90's game. The AI isn't intelligent to make appropriate decisions/pleas/demands.