I've grown weak and soft...

[Cironir]

It Feels like they have personalities now, and I feel like that killing one or two off is a huge loss.

Yes, the AI in Civ4 seems much more human-like than in prevous games. This works both ways, too. Last night, the Japanese attacked me rather unexpectedly, and in a bit of a backstabbing manner, and I found myself sitting here and yelling at the darn AI. I guess that's what makes the game great, though. Most strategy games almost force you to play online because the AI is so sterile and dumb. Civ4 is quite refreshing in that respect.

 

[snizzake]

I wish I had that problem, for some reason I do nothing but piss off my neighbours

I was playing a game as Washington, had 0 wars going till modern age, I was prepping to do some late land grabbing with 15+SEAL's,15+Tanks, choppers and arty like crazy too. I was sitting outside the border of Saladin with my units when all of a sudden Catherine who was on my other border declared war on me. She had my religion, was a defensive ally AND was pleased with me nearly friendly. She was cautious to saladin too I think... my senses tell me someone paid her off to attack me! (I love the new AI and diplomacy so unpredictable) Next thing you know I literally had over 50 Cossacks pour into my lands (she had been warmongering the whole game)

Needless to say Navy SEALs are overpowered

 

[deKoven]

One word: Tokugawa! That fat Nipponese had the sheer GALL to object to:
1. My religion
2. Trading with my next door neighbor
3. General dislike of my admittedly superior face and features.

I wasted him in 11 turns (was fairly early in the game.)

 

[Polopapolo]

I had this issue when I started playing CIV III, but when long-time allies started declaring war for no reason, despite gifts and such I got the picture: the object of the game is to lead YOUR civilization to be the best, brightest and most powerful...

Invading your neighbours is a great way to get an early lead in the game. By capturing their cities, you add to your own and get more flexibility in terms of terrain expansion and production diversification. You can set your core-cities to develop while getting your conquered cities to build settlers and workers.

Leave some far away civs alive for trade and trample the rest!

Hmmm... maybe I should give Ceasar a try...

Your only friend is duty...

 

[pvzh]

To the thread starter:
You problem is Russians, so go fight them and bring your neighbours as allies. Unlike Civ3 there are no true core cities. All cities are equally productive. Your maintaince would be obviously higher if you capture distant cities, but there are many ways to deal with it. Look at an increased maintaince as a a payment to ensure loyalty of your allies.

 

[PennHead]

I knew I'd gone soft when I went to war to aid an ally, captured one of his lost cities and gave it back to him.

 

[narmox]

I knew I'd gone soft when I went to war to aid an ally, captured one of his lost cities and gave it back to him.

even worse, I once captured an English city in the far south africa (I was Egypt) and gifted it to the French who had only 1 city!!

edit: no, this is nothing to do with french vs english, but all to do with gifting a city that AI had never owned before

 

[MattJek]

One time in civ3, Greece was getting trounced by the egyptians on a far off continent. I knew they were gonna get destroyed. (egypt was basically taking over the whole half of the eastern portion of the map). I then gave greece one of my crappiest cities, I even renamed it "Free city of Athens". All the rest of their cities were then captured a few turns later.

 

[Stuie]

I think part of the ally caring thing in Civ 4 is actually having the green/red relationship modifiers available - so you KNOW why the like you. Makes it that much harder to stab them in the back when they're going on about being brothers in faith and good trade relations and such.

 

[Shigga]

man Saladin already threatened me 3 times to cancel all trades with Hatshepsut... but she's all green and I just can't resist those lips ^^

Thanks Firaxis for giving the AI players personality - awesome job!