Loaded in the AA

[Optional]

A few times I've read that the AI doesn't have a lot of money before Currency. Well, this is how much Abu Bakr had:

Spoiler :

I was quite surprised. This is by far the most I ever got from a civ still in the AA. Arabia was on the other continent. I met Abu with my curragh. Currency was still unknown there. A bit earlier I had sold them Republic, in the hope it would make them wealthier. Don't you just love Seafaring civs?

 

[Spoonwood]

What level? I think they mean gpt. Still, I know that on a few Deity huge pangea maps I've found AIs with money before they had Currency, Monarchy, or The Republic.

 

[capnvonbaron]

Yep, sometimes the AI just gets a good start and ends up rolling in dough. I just had a monarchy archipelago game where I ran into Shaka via galley where I sold him republic for polytheism, 250 gold + 30-some gpt. He had the GLib, so was probably saving up all his science bucks. I also found out he was the reason for the "Indians have been destroyed!" pop-up that appeared well before I had met anyone else.

Well, that is, before I had met anyone besides Cleo and Monty and created two of those same pop-ups. Too small of an island for even just me, let alone me and two others

 

[Taras Bulba]

I've seen rich AIs on Regent/Monarch games I've played in the AA, especially after the Republic

 

[AutomatedTeller]

I bet he is in his GA and just switched to republic.

 

[Optional]

Well, I'm not betting with you, AutomatedTeller, because you're right.

I didn't think of a Golden Age, because it was before the Ansar, and the Arabs were behind. But Abu had gone straight up the Polytheism path and had managed to build the Temple of Artemis. That in its own causes a Golden Age for Religious civs. And I had sold them Republic a bit before this, so yes, he had just switched to Republic.
The map situation also must have helped. Abu shared his continent just with Tukogawa, so he had had lots of space for his expansion. Arabia and Japan were the largest civs in this game at this point. The continent I was on was a lot more crowded.
So I think there were very specific circumstances that caused this Arabian wealth. I'm not expecting to see this in every game.

 

[Marsden]

Arabia is expansionist, they could have gotten money and techs from huts and sold to the other AI as well. Were barbarians on?