Other civilisations and war trade

[Lira]

I couldn't find a previous thread about this topic, so I'm posting a new one. I apologise in advance if it's a repost.

Now, playing with the Arabs for the first time opened my eyes to something really awesome about trade in Civ 5: If I can't be arsed to go to war with an enemy for whatever reason, I can simply pay another civilisation to lay the smack down for me. This is well worth it, because it doesn't seem like I waste my warmongering cookie points when I send someone else to war.

Yet, the AI has never approached me and offered anything for helping them battle their foes. Come to think of it, no has ever AI offered me to make peace either, which is also well weird. What gives? Is it a terribly bad idea and I'm too slow to notice it?

 

[Polisurgist]

Depends. It's pretty great in that it gets the AI to declare war in your stead, but all it really gets you is the declaration, it's not a guarantee of significant action. Paying for peace is nice if you need to keep an ally alive, though.

I think the AI doesn't do it because it doesn't quite know how to value war and peace, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't exploit it.

 

[Cedbird]

Thanks for the post . I forgot about the fact u can pay others to go to war for u . Actually I used it a few games back but I constantly forget about it . Yes it is very useful .
U point out also that the Ai does not give u an offer of mercenary war . Another good point . I wish they would do things like that more . Diplomacy would be alot better . Also if the Ai did defensive pacts also . Makes things really really interesting when that happens .

 

[Sabrina]

For me, it only works when they have a significant military advantage over the ones you pay them to declare war. Most of the times, he AI will just take your money, sit on it and maybe capture one or 2 distracted workers from the enemy that happen to be on their range.

 

[WarIsPeace]

A related trick is that you can sometimes get an AI to pay you to DOW someone. If you're planning to DOW someone already, you may as well get some money for it.

 

[SYKOJAK]

A related trick is that you can sometimes get an AI to pay you to DOW someone. If you're planning to DOW someone already, you may as well get some money for it.

I like that tactic myself. Its always an extra bonus when some other civ will give something extra for doing something you are all ready set up to do!