What are some of the best ways to improve relationships with AI? I'm asking about ways other than the obvious ones, such as enabling Open Borders, agreeing to anything the AI asks for, having the same religion and civics. But what about giving free gold or technology? Is that really worth it? And is it better to give more in quality or quantity, such as giving one piece of gold for ten turns each, or 10 pieces of gold in one turn?
Suggestions on how to best improve relationships with AI?
- Thread starter Gary King
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TwoShedsJackson
Chieftain
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- Jul 27, 2007
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- 63
You can get an easy +3 or +4 from most leaders just by gifting them one tech, and most of the techs you can gift them will make very little difference to how or when you win the game. Obviously there are some exceptions i.e. I would almost never gift a military tech that would make their life against me any easier, same for strategic resources, the notable exception being if they are in a war on another continent and I'd like to level out the playing field to keep the two of them hurting each other for longer.
As to whether it's 'worth it' or not, it's very situational like many things in Civ 4. If you want or need this guys's friendship now, it probably is, if it's not essential, think carefully about it. Best is usually to cultivate two good trading partners that you think you can keep a good relationship with for most of the game, and stick with them. Better to have solid friends and a couple of real enemies, then be on the fence with everyone.
As to whether it's 'worth it' or not, it's very situational like many things in Civ 4. If you want or need this guys's friendship now, it probably is, if it's not essential, think carefully about it. Best is usually to cultivate two good trading partners that you think you can keep a good relationship with for most of the game, and stick with them. Better to have solid friends and a couple of real enemies, then be on the fence with everyone.
dirtyparrot
Upholding Brannigan's Law
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- 1,841
I suggest that you pick and choose who your friends are and not to try to please everyone. Things that help:
1) sharing religions
2) sharing favourite civics
3) Open borders
4) Trading resources
5) Tech trades
6) Events
7) Gifting cities
8) Not trading with their worst enemy
9) Avoiding close borders
10) Shared military campaigns
11) Giving into demands
There are probably more that I've forgotten to mention. In many cases the relative bonuses will vary from AI to AI.
1) sharing religions
2) sharing favourite civics
3) Open borders
4) Trading resources
5) Tech trades
6) Events
7) Gifting cities
8) Not trading with their worst enemy
9) Avoiding close borders
10) Shared military campaigns
11) Giving into demands
There are probably more that I've forgotten to mention. In many cases the relative bonuses will vary from AI to AI.
Sincro
Thou hast no Cu, again...
The important thing is as TSJ said, pick a couple civs, who like each other, and get on their good side, and then discipline yourself to tell everyone else to pretty much go spit.
You cannot please everyone, and in fact unless the entire world runs either the same religion or no religion, the task is impossible. The most common mistake I would make is trying to trade with everyone, and ending up having worst enemy red modifiers for everyone, which completely negated what I was trying to do.
In a perfect world, the couple of civs you pick to be buddy buddy with, will not be civs you plan to go to war with later, especially if you are doing a lot of resource per turn trading with them. Nothing worse then finally going to war with a civ, and then realizing that the instant you go to war you lose 20 gpt of trade, plus 2 or 3 each happy and health cap trades. That can hurt worse then war weariness.
-Sinc
You cannot please everyone, and in fact unless the entire world runs either the same religion or no religion, the task is impossible. The most common mistake I would make is trying to trade with everyone, and ending up having worst enemy red modifiers for everyone, which completely negated what I was trying to do.
In a perfect world, the couple of civs you pick to be buddy buddy with, will not be civs you plan to go to war with later, especially if you are doing a lot of resource per turn trading with them. Nothing worse then finally going to war with a civ, and then realizing that the instant you go to war you lose 20 gpt of trade, plus 2 or 3 each happy and health cap trades. That can hurt worse then war weariness.
-Sinc
TwoShedsJackson
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2007
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- 63
Any time I've gifted tech it shows up instantly, it comes up under the 'our trade relations are fair and balanced' or something like that (yes they would think that when they get something for nothing!). If they come asking for a tech and you give it to them, it comes up as a +1 'you gave us help'.
I'm a big believer in the military plus. If the AI you want to be friends with goes to war, join in. I often don't even send any troops, don't initiate any fighting, and the other opponent is usually too busy with my friend to want to worry about me, so net result is good for my relationship with my ally, and bad for my relationship with my opponent. The plus goes up depending on how long you and the AI share mutual military struggle. The big warmongers really like that tactic a lot and give big plusses for it. It's the only way I've found to actually get to Friendly with Ghengis or Montezuma.
I have to be really careful about the diplomacy, though. It does give a hefty negative modify with your opponent and his friends.
I have to be really careful about the diplomacy, though. It does give a hefty negative modify with your opponent and his friends.
I also like to gain the military bonus w/o a real war as Marigwen said above.
I have seen on these forums people who sent a settler off to settle marginal land next to tokugawa just to gift the city to him for diplo reasons. Really worked well too, if you're lucky enough to have a few things going your way map wise, you can stick an AI with a city that will struggle to pay for itself, need to be defended, and gain close borders diplo hits with his other neighbor.
I have seen on these forums people who sent a settler off to settle marginal land next to tokugawa just to gift the city to him for diplo reasons. Really worked well too, if you're lucky enough to have a few things going your way map wise, you can stick an AI with a city that will struggle to pay for itself, need to be defended, and gain close borders diplo hits with his other neighbor.
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