Portuguese UHV

[dagriggstar]

Is it even possible to get open borders with 12 civs ? I mean, my last game there was 14 other civs alive in 1650, including the Inca (no contact), Japan (notorious for no open borders, very late contact), the Mongols (no contact) and well you get the idea. Get open borders with one civ and another goes all angry because "you have traded with our worst enemies" so you can't get open borders with them. Just incase your wondering about my last attempt at it...

Open Borders
France, Spain, Germany, Ottomans, Persia, India, Khmer, Ethiopia, Netherlands

No Open borders
Inca (no contact), England (-4 attitude for trade enemies), Russia (-4 attitude for trade enemies), Mongolia (no contact), Japan (contact in 1640)

Had the 12 if you count collapsed civs though...

 

[Cethegus]

You know the olde saying, "Friend in the foe's enemy"? Civs are surprisingly willing to open borders once you enter a war on their side, even if you were on the different side of the planet and didn't do anything but the declaration of war. That way, you could get 2 more if you get lucky and place your intrusion well but it unlikely. I suggest restarting the game, possibly from the 3000 BC start.

I'm sure you went Free Religion ASAP, too? Gifting a measly tech is also an easy way to get open borders, and in your case worth it too. You could also fiddle around with the Leaderheads.xml file in the RFC>Assets>XML>Civilizations folder under LEADER_TOKUGAWA entry. They need a little adjustments anyway. (But that counts for cheating, even if it's justified.)

 

[Panopticon]

It is certainly possible. You should make discovering Oriental and New World civs your priority as Portugal. It should be possible to OB with every European civ if you are lucky. If not, all but one Euro should be possible if you agree OB in the right order (i.e. start with the civs with lots of worst enemies). Inca should be willing to OB after you trade them a hugely advanced tech like Theology. Do the Oriental civs like Cethegus suggests: ditch state religion and join in a war.

 

[blizzrd]

Don't worry about Free Religion, just don't ever adopt a state religion. Gift money (10g) immediately on contact and almost every civ (except Arabia and Japan) will become Pleased with you and allow Open Borders.

 

[AnotherPacifist]

The gifting of money only works in RFC (it's bugged in RAND), but if you give them Divine Right they'll be happy. And it doesn't work in Emperor. Just don't ever make Isabella angry and you'll do fine.

 

[synyster]

Gift money (10g) immediately on contact and almost every civ (except Arabia and Japan) will become Pleased with you and allow Open Borders.

Turkey doesn't seem to want to OB with me at +4 after gifting something

I find its hard to do unless Turkey is at war with Saladin as i can OB with everyone but Japan, Arabia & Turkey, and, A civ you OB with dosen't collapse. Which I haven't managed to get yet

 

[AnotherPacifist]

I think Rhye has already made the Portuguese criteria more reasonable in RFC RAND (not a strict number but a fraction of the alive civs).

 

[blizzrd]

Turkey doesn't seem to want to OB with me at +4 after gifting something

I find its hard to do unless Turkey is at war with Saladin as i can OB with everyone but Japan, Arabia & Turkey, and, A civ you OB with dosen't collapse. Which I haven't managed to get yet

Turkey only easily signs OB before it adopts a State Religion, usually only the turn in which it spawns. After that, yes is becomes much harder to OB with Turkey.

 

[AnotherPacifist]

Bribe a civ to war with the one that you want to OB (e.g. bribe Turkey with optics to DOW Arabia or vice versa) then DOW on your common enemy and OB. I do this routinely with either Japan or China, and sometimes with Mongolia and Khmer thrown in if vassalized. Of course you don't want to destroy any OBs you already have (e.g. China is reasonable after you trade resources with them), and you want OB with a stable (not collapsing) civ (which Arabia may be on the verge of doing when Turkey spawns).
Portugal is a good test of diplomacy.

 

[synyster]

I just managed the portugese UHV's, i didnt OB with Japan, Arabia or Turkey & there were enough other civs, so i guess i got lucky!

Just a bit of determination I guess