Mooching techs from the AI Civs

[vormuir]

"Could you spare this for a friend?" It's the button you push when you want the AI to gift you a tech. Usually, they say no. Once in a great while, they say yes.

Why?

What are the dynamics of mooching? What makes an AI decide, okay, there's no harm in giving the stupid human a free tech?

Obviously relations play a part -- the more the AI likes you, the more likely you'll get the gift. But do other things come into play? Power? Relative degree of advancement?

Is there a random element, and if so, how does it work?

Do repeated requests affect your mooching? IOW, will asking every turn change your chances?

thanks in advance,


Waldo

 

[JimT]

Asking every turn would probably just annoy you.

From what I've picked up in the forums its affected by.
tech value (to AI)
relative strength
relative score
relations

Basically don't expect rifling from a wary neighbour. Horse riding late on might be ok though.

 

[Ecofarm]

Some time ago, I was curious if asking affected the chances. So, I saved the game before asking. I asked for an expensive tech, and the AI said no. Then I asked for a cheaper tech, and he said no.

I reloaded, and asked for the cheaper tech without asking for the expensive one first - he said yes!

I double and triple checked. There were no other variables. It matters (at least for the turn I conducted the experiment and several thereafter) - I'm not sure how long they remember (and are affected by) turning you down. I did, however, experiment with waiting a few turns after being told no to both, and he would not (even after several turns) give me the cheap tech. I got tired of trying to see if he would ever give me the cheap tech after turning me down for the expensive one, reloaded, and took what I could get. (It was early in my Civ4 career, was a premeditated experiment, and still - keeping the cheap one when I would have asked for the expensive one first bothers me as a moment of weakness

 

[DigitalBoy]

Some time ago, I was curious if asking affected the chances. So, I saved the game before asking. I asked for an expensive tech, and the AI said no. Then I asked for a cheaper tech, and he said no.

I reloaded, and asked for the cheaper tech without asking for the expensive one first - he said yes!

I guess this makes a little sense. If asking didn't affect the outcome of future requests, what would be the point of not asking a friendly civ for something every turn? (I don't think you get negative modifiers for asking for stuff from a friendly civ, do you?)

 

[Ecofarm]

The civ I was asking was probably friendly, maybe pleased, or I would not have bothered asking. There is no "-1 You bugged us about techs" in relations display, as far as I know.

 

[czechdude]

I read somewhere on these forums that every turn the AI has a 5% chance of forgetting your last request. If they haven't forgotton it is an automatic "no". Also leaders like Mansa and Hatty are more charitable.

 

[Solver]

The AI definitely remembers your requests. Normally, Pleased/Friendly AIs will give you gold if you ask them to, but won't if you ask them again soon.