Tech for peace - Fact or Myth?

[aviator99_uk]

Heading says it all.
I know for sure its never happened to me so I was wondering just what circumstances apply for this to happen, or is it a Myth?

 

[kamigawan]

Heading says it all.
I know for sure its never happened to me so I was wondering just what circumstances apply for this to happen, or is it a Myth?

Yup, when you are at war, as soon as the other leader stops "refusing to talk", you can try to negotiate peace. If you have a military advantage, the AI will offer you things in exchange for peace - if you are at a disadvantage, they will demand something for peace.

To see the maximum they will offer, make at trade proposal and ask, "what is the price of peace?". Also sometimes they will randomly appear to offer something or demand something for peace.

The order is roughly, City > Tech > Gold > World map. Other than military situation, two other factors have a big impact on the peace offer. First is which leader, because peaceful leaders like Mansa, Hatshepsut, etc. will try to end the war sooner. Crazy ones like Monte, Napolean, and Isabella may still demand your cities even if they are clearly losing. Secondly the length of the war will make a difference. I assume the AI suffers from war weariness as well, so the longer the war goes on, the more favorable the peace offer becomes.

 

[kingjoshi]

Don't forget that if they think you'll just kill them off in ten turns, they'd rather die and take their knowledge with them instead of giving them to you. Makes sense. So it's not easy to get techs. But certain leaders and situations, it's possible. I've gotten cities, techs, etc for peace.

 

[Crighton]

Personally I have yet to see it offer or demand a city. I've often demanded cities, and my demands have always gone unfullfilled

 

[Landmonitor]

I'm hammering Catherine in a war, takig Moscow, St. Petersburg, another early city, and burning down three others. She took an island colony from me and immediately offered it for a treaty. I renegotiated asking for artillery (a fairly cheap tech at this point, 4 turns for me to research, almost everyone has it) and she said no way. Too bad for her, I just built my first dozen or so bombers this turn.

 

[Mordraken]

I have got a city in exchange for peace (from Tokagawa), but it was a small unproductive city on the fringe of his country. I think it was a size 4 city (on a coast) when most large cities were in the 10-12 size range. I had already captured 3 of his cities (size 12, 6 and 4) and had a dominant military strength.

I have never got techs in exchange for peace, because either I had all the techs they did (and more) or because I was the one giving the tribute (i.e. I was losing)

 

[opensilo]

If I'm just barely winning the war, I'll ask for techs for peace. Especially early in the game when I can't keep the catapult numbers up.

If the war is close, the AI often sends a strike force by galley to my supply lines. If my reinforcements can intercept it, that's great. If it looks like he might get in behind my lines, I try to take a city, pillage whatever valuable improvements I can (horse archers are great for this), and then sue for peace all on the same turn. I start demanding all his techs, then gradually remove them until he accepts. I try to get the highest beaker value of techs, unless he has something crucial like iron working.

When you have him beaten down to a single city and will obviously overwhelm him, my experience is the same as others': he'll take that knowledge to his grave (which you'll soon own).

 

[·Imhotep·]

Tech for peace is quite common if you have captured a city from your enemy. If you're beating the devil out of him some will surrender a city too - I've had this twice now, in the same game even . Surprisingly it was "I'll never give you anything" - Tokugawa who gave up the first city. It were crap cities of course, but hey - it's for free...

LT

 

[atreas]

Of course it's not a myth, but if you wait to get a "late" tech that way you will wait forever (at least, at higher levels). But in all levels the early techs are there for taking - and not only one tech, even more sometimes.

Probably it's the way AI values techs: early techs are "cheap" in beakers so AI doesn't think much of them. But late techs are expensive...

 

[aviator99_uk]

A variety of results there, from the "quite common" to "never seen it happen".

My latest example: Monarch war against Mansa, he' got 7+ techs I haven't but no Iron so I can invade his Island with my galleys and swords (and then cats) vs his skirmishers, problem was his first two citys were on hills and I was going to loose lots of troops because I was still a couple of turns away from cats so I did some pillaging and looked set for a long war. Took first city asked for peace, wasn't going to happen, took second city, still no sensible offer, took a third city which was a single island city which was defended by a couple of skirmishers and took about 4 cats to reduce to the point where a couple of swords could take it, at least now the first two citys have a supply line and get all my health & happyness resource bonuses and become viable. Parked a stack of 8 outside his pop10 capital still no peace offer including and tech. Start bombarding his capital, get an offer of peace with gold & map from him, reject it, see what he'll offer on my turn--- and I can't even get the offer he made out of him. Take the capital, still no tech offer and he's now down to 2 citys, take the last city on the island, now he's down to one city on a 3 tile island off shore, and I take peace for squat gold and worthless map just to get out from having to run 20% happyness to keep red faces at bay.

Personally I think it's a Myth and want a screenshot before I will believe otherwise.

 

[aviator99_uk]

Maybe the possibility of tech for peace is dificulty dependent?

If anyone has seen this mythical beast happen, can they say what dificulty?

 

[voek]

i have had techs multiple times (on Emperor). It depends on the leader and (war)situation. I think time in the game (early tech more easier) also matters. Will make a screenshot if it happens again. But it certainly happens,

 

[bharder]

I've seen it happen on Noble & Prince.
It's not a myth.

 

[Aegis]

I have had it happen on Monarch level. I am usually the tech leader, but sometimes I neglect Horseback Riding. In the case in question, I got it while ransacking with War Elephants and Macemen.

 

[AngryPants]

I get techs for peace on Noble with reasonable frequency. Unfortunately the AI often reaches a point where it would rather die than give you any techs.

 

[atreas]

Is Immortal high enough for tech taking? In my last Immortal game I got all "religious" techs (Polytheism, Meditation) I have skipped, plus Fishing and Sailing.

But I repeat: I think the crucial point is the VALUE of the technology. I have never taken anything else except Ancient techs, at least in levels above Emperor.

Also the leader may be important: these techs were taken by Hatty and Washington.

EDIT: Yesterday I got for the first time something more recent, but it was again Religious tech: Divine Rights (by the time I got it it had no importance of course, with Versailles and Spiral Minaret already built long ago). Immortal again, from Isabella.

 

[Pete2006]

On Emporer I am rarely offered quality techs for peace. Usually it's crap like polytheism when I'm currently researching currency. They'll never give me a military tech (horseback riding/feudalism) - trading for these is tough enough. I've gotten some cities for peace but they are usually 1-2 pop cities on ice or tundra.

 

[Armorydave]

On Monarch I get tech for peace offers frequently when I am pounding a tech superior opponent but almost never city for peace offers (expect some arctic or desert wasteland that I have no interest in occupying). I did get a civ to give me their second to last city once which was quite a surprise as it was not terrible (it had a building or two even). Ten turns later I ended their pathetic existence.