Negotiating trades

[Sweetchuck]

I understand that a civ may play hardball by negotiating a trade (or hosing you for a tech if they're more advanced militarily), but later in the game - what is the basis for negotiating?

I noticed that, occasionally, when I'm at war and I contact a civ to try to milk them for a tech or something for peace, they'll offer it up - but sometimes (even within a turn or two) if they contact me, they'll be stingy.

I've also noticed that some civs will occasionally at certain points be very stingy during times of peace negotiations - even when I'm more advanced, tech and military wise.

It seems random to me where it would otherwise be more defined.

 

[Aabraxan]

I've heard it said that you shouldn't trade on the AI's turn, that you should trade on your turn. I'm not entirely sure why that is, but I think you get better deals that way. As to the occasional stinginess, there are lots of variables involved. With techs, there are tech costs, how many civs know the tech, and a few others. Lux trades will change as the size of your empire changes because you get (hopefully) more happy faces from the lux, etc. There's also the issue of what the AI can afford. If they're generous one turn and you don't take the deal, they could turn around and spend all their gold on something else.

 

[gmaharriet]

I've heard it said that you shouldn't trade on the AI's turn, that you should trade on your turn. I'm not entirely sure why that is, but I think you get better deals that way.

The reason for not trading on the AI's turn is that they may turn around and sell it to all the other civs before your turn comes up, leaving you with no one else to sell it to.

On your turn, if you sell to one AI, you probably should sell to all the rest (if they know each other), because if you don't, they will.

 

[Aceman101]

Something weird happened to me. I proposed a deal to England (Electricity for Medicine). And they were insulted by the deal. Then i proposed it to Persia and the deal turned out I gave them electricity they gave me medicine and 197 gpt. I know that the A.I will make better deals with me if their attitude is good towards me. England was annoyed and Persia was polite towards me. Does it make such a big difference though?

 

[gmaharriet]

Something weird happened to me. I proposed a deal to England (Electricity for Medicine). And they were insulted by the deal. Then i proposed it to Persia and the deal turned out I gave them electricity they gave me medicine and 197 gpt. I know that the A.I will make better deals with me if their attitude is good towards me. England was annoyed and Persia was polite towards me. Does it make such a big difference though?

More likely England was already researching Electricity, so they weren't as interested. Attitudes don't usually make much difference except in the way they talk to you.

If you want to test that out, try starting a game with the setting at lowest aggression level and all your inital contacts will be polite. Try another game with the same AIs, but set your agression to highest, and they'll all be annoyed. They'll still trade with you about the same either way.

 

[bryanwallace]

where do you change the aggression setting

 

[bryanwallace]

another prob i had is checking the status of active trades and when they are sched to finish...

 

[Aabraxan]

Look at the F4 screen. Click "Details" and select the AI whose deal you need to know about. It will say something like "Ivory (14)," which would mean a deal for ivory, with 14 turns remaining. If there's no number after the deal, it's run its full 20 turns.

AI aggression level is set up when you first start the game. To my knowledge (which is very, very limited in this aspect of the game), there's no way to change it after you start the game.

 

[Aceman101]

These are the attitudes. Click on the leader to look at the stats including aggresion.

http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3/civilizations/

 

[Aceman101]

More likely England was already researching Electricity, so they weren't as interested.

That's probably why England wasn't intrested in the deal .

If you want to test that out, try starting a game with the setting at lowest aggression level and all your inital contacts will be polite. Try another game with the same AIs, but set your agression to highest, and they'll all be annoyed. They'll still trade with you about the same either way.

ah yeah, good point . Btw Happy Birthday .

 

[gmaharriet]

Thank you, Aceman!!!

 

[bryanwallace]

what concrete effect does the aggression rating have on game??

if you set it low,does it make the game easier or just is there less fighting??

also how much effect does an opponents preferences for gov type have on their dealings with you.

 

[MAS]

what concrete effect does the aggression rating have on game??

if you set it low,does it make the game easier or just is there less fighting??

also how much effect does an opponents preferences for gov type have on their dealings with you.

It is a factor in the AI decision to declare war over something. I don't know how the odds work, but there is a random factor involved. A higher rating makes the declaration of war, by the AI, more likely.

It may sound a bit strange, but setting aggression higher makes the game easier.

This is because the AI always completely disrespects borders. They will be far, far more likely to declare war on each other than on the human.

When the AI fights each other, things become easier for the human player.

When the aggression rating is low, it is more likely the AI will build up its economy and forces in peace, and then still decide to declare war, at a later age, because other factors have now reached a point where war becomes more likely.

This is why civ with a naturally peaceful setting (e.g. Ghandy) are widely know to suddenly, back-stab their alleys and nuke them in the modern age (if they make it that far) While naturally aggressive AI, like Shaka, or Ceasar, are less likely to do such a thing.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

particularly ghandi - religious and commercial, it turns out, are reasonably good traits for the AI, so he tends to be pretty strong in the middle ages... plus, he can always build his UU...

 

[seanos08]

Ghandi pulled a beautiful reverse ROP rape on me with his elephants. I was china and was sending all my riders through India to attack the Netherlands on a ROP. He declared on me and wiped out all my riders with elephants while they were unfortified in indian territory. He then took 3 of my cities with 14 war elephants. Luckily I got my GA and was able to build a swarm of Cavalry to take them out but elephants are hard to kill even with cavalry.