oooh, AI`s a bit fiercer since the Patch.

[Socratatus]

Started on a large map with 22 random Civs and decided to use Shaka`s template (with my name of course). Usually I play England, but got tired of it.

Anyway, set up my first city, started exploring, set up my second city and met Alexander, "Hello!" he says in his disarming jolly way, with his jolly horse.
"Great to meet you, let there be peace in our time, " says I, because even though I`m using the Zulu Civ I actually mean to play a peaceful game.

He goes his way, I go mine. I meet the Assyrian chap and say a simple hello then meet the Queen of Spain, so polite and chaste, in fact we agree on a Friendship agreement pretty fast!

Anyway, barely 2 turns have gone by and Alexander pops up, "Hello!"
"Hello, my friend," I say warmly, "How are you-"

"I never liked pretending to like you -It`s WAR!" he replies, even his horse looked mean.

"Whaaa? Where did that come from? What happened to peace and being nice and all that?" I reply before he gallops away, laughing.

I call on the Spanish Queen`s help, "Ohh, no. I can`t risk war with Alexander," she says, "Sorry."

Immediately I prepare my meagre forces which are woefully unready and his prepared troops take my 2nd city quickly, to my chagrin (annoyance to you others).

Then after a few turns where I expected him to sweep into my last city he pops up and says, "peace, man, just peace, no other demands. Ok?"

Gritting my teeth, I had no choice but to smile and agree to peace, I should consider myself lucky, I intended for revenge, but I just had to live with it for now...

Then I noticed a New city really close to my Capital- Alexander had plonked a city right next to me! He`s taking the mickey, so I contacted him, "Look Alexander stop settling cities next to me!"
With a big, friendly smile he says, "NO WAY! I settle where I please!"

Right, that does it. I can`t be having this! I focused on using my faction ability to start recruiting lots of Zulu archers and spearmen and a catapult. then I get a visit from the Assyrian chap I met earlier, "Haha! World domination for me! WAR!"

Great.

Alexander pops up, "We`re at War again! hoho!"

"Waaaa??!"

Luckily I had enough forces by now to blunt Alexander`s attack and crush the insult mini city he`d built right next to mine, razing it. The Assyrian leader`s army was nowhere in sight (luckily). I had no idea where else Alexander was so marched forward and bumped right into the Assyrian Capital and immediately sieged it. Apparently I get huge warmonger penalty, but I don`t care.

Just wanted to say, I`m actually enjoying this game, which I though was going to be a boring grind until the Renaissance!

Er.. that`s it, sorry for the waffle.

 

[Koiranputki]

Nice story....interesting to see how others react to these AI "provocations".... I've been there lots of times...you start out trying to be peaceful....at least until you can get things built up and then you have to deal with Alex...

When he drops those cities right up close to your capital I tend to take the view that it's the game's way of telling you that whatever you may have thought, you will be going to war soon, either because the AI thinks you are expanding "too aggressively"... Or, because the only way you are going to get anywhere is by taking them on as soon as possible.....

In one recent game as the Mongols [I was not planning a peaceful game... .] I was struggling to get up to the Keshiks tech and trying generally not to fall too far behind in overall techs...and at the same time I was trying to box in William, but he managed to slip a settler past me and past even a Barbarian camp...... Once I had Keshiks I quickly built five of them and along with the previously built Horseman, I decided it was time to go for it....

William was totally eliminated... The next civ was Alex who foolishly DOW'd me with my five Keshiks close by....in two stages he was also totally eliminated. My plan had been to let him survive in a snow city, but he still had a ridiculous amount of influence with about six CSs.....so I figured eliminating him was better overall.... I was hated by the others anyway.

I suspended that game with the elimination of Alex....I might go back to it again, but it will be a tough slog to go to the other continent and start on the AI over there.....The Keshiks will probably have run of steam before I could make much headway....

 

[njmfff]

From what I read, I have to say:

Playing all goody game with Zulu - you're doing it wrong. Shoot some leaders in the head. Then shoot them some more. Then shoot them even more. Then go for the kill.

Alexander is a He's your buddy, but if you have no military, he'll pay a visit. So go and shoot him in the head quickly. Then bring others to Wild West.

Assyria attacked you because you were the "weakest link", but considering he didn't bring his military, he probably didn't even want to attack, he was most likely bribed by Alex or some other civ. If he asked for peace exactly 10 turns after he dow(ed), that's probably it.

and once again, go for the kill with Shaka. Your UA lets you simply overrun Greece, because you can horde up twice the army Greece will have in early games.

 

[Socratatus]

Yea, I know Shaka tends to be taken for his military. I`m different, the challenge for me is to play with Shaka as a peaceful `son`, who will only use his army in defence. I will prove it can be done!

 

[bbbt]

Assyria attacked you because you were the "weakest link", but considering he didn't bring his military, he probably didn't even want to attack, he was most likely bribed by Alex or some other civ. If he asked for peace exactly 10 turns after he dow(ed), that's probably it.

The AI will bribe other civs to attack, without attacking themselves?

 

[EK834]

The AI will bribe other civs to attack, without attacking themselves?

They sure do, especially when they hate you and are too weak to even denounce you. They either get a strong ally to come with them (and let him do all the job) or they bribe a Civ stronger than you.

When a civ attacks you but don't do much, and the turn the deal would be over they sign a white peace and are very soon want to be friendly again it's often because they've been bribed to DoW you.

 

[Socratatus]

They sure do, especially when they hate you and are too weak to even denounce you. They either get a strong ally to come with them (and let him do all the job) or they bribe a Civ stronger than you.

When a civ attacks you but don't do much, and the turn the deal would be over they sign a white peace and are very soon want to be friendly again it's often because they've been bribed to DoW you.

Interesting, if you`re right.

 

[phillipwyllie]

In my last game I settled my 3rd city about 10 hexes away from Izzies Capital. She asks me not settle near her and IU tell her to fork orf. She denounces me and I let that go. 10 turn later she DOWs me and comes at me with her ancient wall of doom which nets me some nice faith. I take no cities nor do I denounce her. 3000 years later she sues for peace.....

I'd say the AI is mad post-patch

 

[EK834]

Interesting, if you`re right.

I vaguely remember someone posting the code that showed the AI can use the "bribe for war" feature once.

 

[Jampine]

I've been playing on king, and the AI does seem to be a fair bit more aggressive lately....however, they still fail at ocean combat. Shaka got DoW'ed By about 5 civs at one poitn, after I weakened him (with no help from anyone else ) to a single 4 pop city on an island. So the Zulus only had caravel to defend them selves with, against the mighty navy of the 5 allies, which consisted of......nothing. Over the course of about 40 turns, not a SINGLE ship went near the Zulu island. This also seems to happen when I have an AI helping me in a war, be it on sea or land.

GUYSSSSSS, you know, to kill people you ACTUALLY HAVE TO PUT EFFORT INTO IT! The only time the AI is good at taking cities is against each other when I haven't met them yet