How persistent is the AI?

[Killroyan]

I guess being somebodies worst enemy makes the AI very persistent. I was playing a game last night as Willem. Dropped a bit power score since I was wonder hugging too much. So Peter declares on me and conquers a city of mine (Maastricht) on a lone island (Archilopea). I build up military and kick him out of my city. At this time I was running around with destroyers and he had frigates.

So after I take back my city I think I can ask for peace but he refuses. So I think, lets bring the war to him. Start pillaging all his sea food. Ask for peace. His answer: NEVER!!! unless I hand over Maastricht (the city he conquered). I sink his whole navy (about 12 frigates and 8 galleons) and still he refuses to accept a cease firy. Only again if I hand over Maastricht. Now I wasn't in the mood to war too much so I didn't invade his land but I kept bombarding his cities, put up blockades, made sure nobody traded with him anymore, sink more of his ships, etc.... But the little bastard still only accepts peace for Maastricht. Now I was leading in score (like twice his points) and was kicking his behind. So what did drive the AI to think that he could even demand my city. The sheer arrogance

Does anybody know how this works? Is being somebodies worst enemy a part of this? (I am not even sure if I was his worst enemy) I know how I could have ended it by just conquering on of his cities (infantry and canons versus curassiers and riflemen is not a match) but I wanted to see how long it would take to just have him accept peace. In the end the WW became so big I just gave him liberalism to end it. I however do suspect that his power score was a bit higher then mine. So more units would have propably sealed the deal also.

 

[Babibo]

Most AI's fight to the point where war weariness is unmanageable, or when you took half their cities and your power graph is much higher than theirs.

Just finish him off and vassalize him.

 

[r_rolo1]

I however do suspect that his power score was a bit higher then mine.

Yup......

They think they are in control of situation, so why not be arrogant?

 

[Killroyan]

Lol, indeed, I was afraid of that. I thought however that loosing a lot of ships was enough to get him over the edge. However my power graph was rising like mad in that time since I was pumping out destroyers and infantry like mad, but noooooooooooooooooo Peter still thought he was stronger with riflemen and frigates. It could be that was because he got cossacks and was still thinking I was playing the standard game where these buggers have 18 str and not beyond the sword Should have allocated a bit more spy points towards him propably.

About vasalising him, I was playing a game with the trader theme, so as many trades as possible, as much great merchants as possible, etc..... And war is not good for trade. Also wonder hugging as much as possible (sometimes so difficult to kick this addiction ).

 

[TheMeInTeam]

If their power is higher, the only way to get them to take peace willingly without giving them something is to kill more of their units than you lose.

Of course, that something given doesn't have to be a city. Even when they ask for a city, they'll often take a tech or even (laughably) a surprisingly small sum of gold instead!

 

[Killroyan]

Oh I killed of a lot of units and he dropped considerably in score after loosing his whole navy. The small sum of gold was not an option (and I had about 700 gold or something). He wouldn't take it. Liberalism was the first he would settle for instead of my city.

Well, I guess I have to watch the power graph better I guess. Peter even made a colony in that time, loosing about 4 cities, so that would make him drop also a lot in power or do colonies also count towards your power score? Should check that game again for those things.

 

[pangu]

I don't think being a worst enemy (on its own) while warring an AI makes it harder to force the AI onto the negotiating table.

From my experience, there are a few things the AI considers when deciding whether to talk peace:

1/ Military tech advantage - AI seems to be more interested in talking peace if I have a military tech advantage, e.g. It seems more interested to talk if I have infantry than if I have rifleman.

2/ Power - The higher my power rating or the lower his power rating, the easier it is for the AI to accept peace. Interestingly, I once spammed tons of ICBM against Alex, nuked every single one of his cities in another continent and got him to capitulate even though I did not fight any of his troops at all and did not capture any of his cities. I did not even have a transport, I just nuked him into capitulation in another continent.

3/ Joint war effort - If another AI DoW on my enemy, my enemy seems to be more willing to talk peace.

4/ AI personalities - Certain AI seems willing to talk peace soon after the war, others like to fight till almost the bitter end.

5/ Relationship - If the AI is at pleased or even (on rare occasions) friendly towards me, it seems more willing to talk peace.

 

[Killroyan]

About 4, I have never experienced Peter to be so full of bitterness and willing to fight till the end to be honest. That was one of the things I was most surprised of. If it was Alex or Napoleon who would do such a thing, ok, I could understand that, but Peter??

 

[CivCorpse]

I have found that if you don not have any troops on their actuall soil, they don't give up. I had a civ that wouldn't stop demanding a city. I sent a small pilliage stack over the borders. i didn't pilliage or kill anything that turn and neither did he. next turn he suddenly was willing to have peace for a pitance

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I have found that if you don not have any troops on their actuall soil, they don't give up. I had a civ that wouldn't stop demanding a city. I sent a small pilliage stack over the borders. i didn't pilliage or kill anything that turn and neither did he. next turn he suddenly was willing to have peace for a pitance

I was about to point out that nukes are an exception, but in civ those are technically "troops".

It's REALLY funny when enough of them force capitulation though, or in the occasional obsolete game where he nukes opposing pop down so hard that he wins UN due to opposing votes' pop reduction .