Gifting Cities

[Rambuchan]

I've often read about gifting cities to rival or ally civs and have done so a few times. It's pretty good to get cosy relations with someone quickly. I've never got techs or cash for them, it's always been a gift cos they won't offer anything for it.

I'm wondering about using a gift city to bring two civs into conflict who are otherwise separated by distance. Is it a good idea to gift a city to a strong civ to try and get another to wage war on them for that city? If the city is in a sensitive place do they go to war with each other more often than not or would it be a waste?

What are the ideal kind of situations in which giving a city to a rival is a good idea?

 

[Tearor]

The computer will not go to war with itself unless their ideals are conflicting. They will not go to war over a gift city, or any city. They go to war over resources just as contries do in the real world but not over much else. The only way you can get an AI to go to war with another is through an allience. And the two AIs need to hae bad relations to one another.

 

[sealman]

Peronally, I never think it is a good idea to give away a city. You are only hurting yourself.

 

[vmxa]

They patched the game to make it so you cannot trade cities, only gift them. Any time you have a deal all approved by the advisor and add a city, it will say it can't be done.

I mostly just abandon cities that I get for peace that are far away. One reason is I do not want it to flip back to the civ I just took it from. The civ you give it to may send in workers and units. This could lead to war.

If the city was one I just conquered by force, I do not want to gift it as that will transport my troops home. This is an exploit, when you want them to come home and defeats your purpose, if you do not want them to leave the area.

 

[thetrooper]

I'm wondering about using a gift city to bring two civs into conflict who are otherwise separated by distance.

I have no hard evidence for this but if you settle within the (future) 21-tile border of another city (before the cultural expansion of course) and gift it away to someone else there will be conflict (or flip).

And Rambuchan, this thread is duplicate. Someone will find out sooner or later. Choose the one you want to survive.

 

[Rambuchan]

Hi thanks for the tips guys. I'll drop my notions of gifting cities to get two civs into war then. Fortunately I've never really pushed that approach.

Sorry about the duplicate. I'm still trying to work out how it happened. Too many windows open, guess I posted twice by mistake. Apologies, didn't intend to.

 

[zerksees]

What are the ideal kind of situations in which giving a city to a rival is a good idea?

When you have a runaway AI that is threatening cites you cannot hold. Sure you want to keep them but once it falls to the runaway it would only add to their power. Instead give it to another rival who is at peace with the runaway - preferably one that whose capital is near the city you are giving away.

Sure I prefer to keep them but since I know the city will fall I would rather pick the lesser of two evils.

I do not do this often but this technique has its place.

Although others might consider it an exploit, if I needed to quickly move troops back to the capital I would put them in a corrupt far-away city and gift it. Poof all troops come back home in time to save the capital.