Is it impossible to trade or discuss with the AI?

[oPunchDrunko]

I can never make deals with the AI, no matter what I do. I can't trade or form any pacts with them, they just simply refuse everything. The only way I can make a deal is if they approach me with a deal first. Has anybody else encountered this?

 

[Doctor Phibes]

The diplomacy is just screwed up. Don't bother talking to the other civs is my opinion, just talk to the city states, they offer good deals.

 

[drachasor]

What sort of deals are you trying to do?

It's easiest to start with trading luxuries, research treaties, and the like.

 

[mmmfloorpie]

I never talk to the other civs. It's totally pointless. Why do deals have to last 45 turns!?

 

[SuperJay]

Apparently the XML files contain a lot of conditions for the various leaders to hate you, the player. Things like the amount of wonders you have in comparison to them, or your military strength compared to theirs, or whether you've ever won a battle, ever. Unfortunately, to the player this often just feels completely irrational and random. I was actually a proponent of the more 'masked' diplomacy, but I'd like there to be some kind of logic apparent in the other civs' behavior.

But yes, I've been able to successfully trade with various civs before, it just seems really sporadic. Early in the game it's easier, but in the late game I've apparently tripped enough of those random hidden switches with the AI civs that nobody really wants to listen anymore.

 

[caracarnn]

Often I contact AIs when we meet trying to get open borders. They all refuse. Next turn they all contact me and want open borders. Happens all the time....

 

[leafs43]

I hate the trade with the concurrent AI.


How many times has it been like this:


Trade gold for whales?

I find that deal unacceptable!

What will make this deal work?

You have to give me gold, ivory, dyes, 150 gold and open borders for whales.

 

[SuperJay]

^ Make sure you're not asking for their only iteration of a specific resource. If their Luxury Resource list says "Gems (1)" - they're not going to give you their only gem source. (I found this out the hard way when I traded away my only sources of silver and furs.)

 

[Davor]

I can never make deals with the AI, no matter what I do. I can't trade or form any pacts with them, they just simply refuse everything. The only way I can make a deal is if they approach me with a deal first. Has anybody else encountered this?

You are not alone. I suggest a co-op pack it's refuesed and exactly as I hit the end of turn, they come back asking me the same thing. 3 different games, same results. Very frustrating indeed. I don't even bother iniating diplomacy now, because it is a joke.

I just let the AI Civs do all the iniating since it is the only way diplomacy works. I would like to hear some stories of a human player successfulyy getting a co-op pack working that dosn't deal with recources or what not.

 

[Doctor Phibes]

It's broken. I think you either ignore them or go to war. Diplomacy is supposed to occupy the spectrum in between and that spectrum isn't there, just a binary switch. I suppose I should quote Clausewitz, but I can't be asked...

 

[greggbert]

I can never make deals with the AI, no matter what I do. I can't trade or form any pacts with them, they just simply refuse everything. The only way I can make a deal is if they approach me with a deal first. Has anybody else encountered this?

You need to start pestering them as soon as you encounter them. Ask for Open Borders first, then pact of cooperation about 10-20% of the time they'll say yes to that.

Next when you have over 250 Gold ask for research agreements (they usually say yes to those).

NEXT, as soon as you have one spare resource that they need (number higher than (1)), and they have a spare one that you want (Number higher than 1), then propse that deal. In my experience they almost always say yes.

Keep looking for more resource opportunities every 5-10 turns or so, and renew all agreements that cancel. And every time you can, spend 200-250 for the research agreement.

Keep renewing deals as soon as they expire, their non-desire to renew the deals is pretty much the only way you can find out if they are starting to like you less.

Also keep in mind that not everything works, such as DEMAND, and that if they percieve you as not having enough military units, then they will be much less likely to make deals with you. So make sure you have at least one unit for each city you have.

 

[greggbert]

There are weird ways to alienat them but you don't have to give up. Diplomaciy works fairly well as long as you:

1) Keep in constant contact do any deal they will take, ALWAYS trade luxuries if you can.
2) Keep a large military so that you are in the top 2-3 on the "pointy sticks" list
3) Telling them to not settle near you WILL tick them off.
4) Keep pushing cooperation and research agreements.
5) Keep about 500 gold on hand if you can, I think they tend to deal more when you have gold

 

[teks]

Due to a bug I would suggest against any open borders. The AI can simply converge all over your capital, and declare war. Whats worse is you can see this happen, and can't do anything about it, since you can't cancel open borders, and thanks to another bug sometimes open borders never expires.

 

[jahsoldier]

I say no to open borders due to the AI's habit of plonking units over your resource points and clogging up your roads... definitely needs fixing

 

[GeneralMayhem]

don't worry. in 6 months, you can buy Civ 5: Diplomacy for $19.95

 

[whomybuddy]

I can never make deals with the AI, no matter what I do. I can't trade or form any pacts with them, they just simply refuse everything. The only way I can make a deal is if they approach me with a deal first. Has anybody else encountered this?

............If you have highest point, everyone will deal with you. Secret pact, defensive pact, declare war against. all that.
...........If you have the lowest point, AI [why would i want to form a pact with you weakling?]

 

[jahsoldier]

don't worry. in 6 months, you can buy Civ 5: Diplomacy for $19.95

Oh, come on. For $19.95 they'll at least throw in two new city-states as well.

 

[DaveGold]

The AI will decide whether it likes you. While it does you can make deals, any sort of deal. If they've nowhere to expand and you're next to them then they almost certainly won't like you, whatever you've done. If they're far away and find any spurious reason to dislike you, such as your building a wonder or having a military unit near its scout, then it'll dislike you so intensely that'll all deals will be cancelled anyway and war will come sooner or later. Seriously.