Spies and AI's plots

Magean

Prince
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
474
Hi, I just wonder what AIs actually do when they're "plotting" against somebody. I have often been warned that X or Y was plotting against me, preparing an army or a fleet to attack such-and-such city... But nothing ever really happened.
So, do you know what these plots really consist of ?

Thanks in advance
 
I think plotting simply means that they're in a position diplomatically and militarily where they'd like to attack you (and are at least trying to set up such an attack).

It seems like 2/3 of the time this results in no DoW occuring. I'm not sure why, but my basic guess is that they never manage to get the right number of units in the right position to make the move they want to make.
 
There is 3 stages.

Plotting: That means they want to attack you.
Assembling: This means they are working on gathering troops for an attack.
Moving: Here the fleet/army is assembled and on the way.

One and two can be used to judge if you should do something to fix diplomacy.

Three should arrive, but what if it's pre-sea travel and they are border blocked... It will simply never go anywhere, so it might never get the route needed to arrive.
 
Plotting means they want to DoW you but lack the capacity to do so and are possibly building an army. If you build-up your army too much for them or they change strategies bc they see a bigger threat, the DoW will never come.

Moving an army to your city means they're guaranteed to DoW you... I've gotten this message and proceeded to buy like 5 units and post my super-teched guys on the border... they still attacked despite my army numbers now exceeding theirs by a lot.
 
My personal thoughts are that at some check the AI has to be plotting against someone, because the AI doesnt just have an army for nothing (from the AI prospective) so it just says the player because of some random choice at the time
 
There is 3 stages.

Plotting: That means they want to attack you.
Assembling: This means they are working on gathering troops for an attack.
Moving: Here the fleet/army is assembled and on the way.

One and two can be used to judge if you should do something to fix diplomacy.

Three should arrive, but what if it's pre-sea travel and they are border blocked... It will simply never go anywhere, so it might never get the route needed to arrive.

Does this ever happen in practice? All the plots I've seen so far have been false alarm, even if the AI is plotting against a neighbor.
 
Does this ever happen in practice? All the plots I've seen so far have been false alarm, even if the AI is plotting against a neighbor.

Do you tell the other AI about it? I always do, and possibly they're responding by positioning their troops and it discourages the attack. Total guess on my part there.

Pre G&K I have played games where I was DOW and destroyed and I wanted to see what would happen if I had a chance to position better so went back a few turns just before a DOW and lined up on the border to prepare for a DOW and... it didn't happen. Possibly the AI reacts (when it comes to DOW) to your troop positioning around where they plan to attack?
 
Plots can get mind-boggling insane.

"Attila has informed you that Montezuma is plotting against you, please share info"

"Montezuma has informed you that Attila is plotting against you, please share info"

"Nebuchadnezzar has informed you that Montezuma is plotting against you, please... your lands will make a fine addition to my own!"
 
Do you tell the other AI about it? I always do, and possibly they're responding by positioning their troops and it discourages the attack. Total guess on my part there.

Pre G&K I have played games where I was DOW and destroyed and I wanted to see what would happen if I had a chance to position better so went back a few turns just before a DOW and lined up on the border to prepare for a DOW and... it didn't happen. Possibly the AI reacts (when it comes to DOW) to your troop positioning around where they plan to attack?

I pretty much always share intrigue, so that could be it. Maybe I should try not to do it and see what happens.
 
I've definitely seen the AI carry through with attacks, although those are mostly the kind of "Elizabeth has a fleet heading for Somewhere" I guess fleets don't get stuck as often. I don't always share intrigue, if the Civ being attacked is one I don't like, I just let them get attacked.
 
I've definitely seen the AI carry through with attacks, although those are mostly the kind of "Elizabeth has a fleet heading for Somewhere" I guess fleets don't get stuck as often. I don't always share intrigue, if the Civ being attacked is one I don't like, I just let them get attacked.

I came across a large German army the same turn my spy learned of a sneak attack against an unknown civilization. Turned out not to be very sneaky - Bismarck parked a large army outside Pyongyang for a long time before doing anything.
 
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