Trading Cities for big $$$ and to create wars

[MykC]

I'm finding that often when a civ wants peace you can trade cities to them for big $$. I'm not sure what determines the value they place on the city but in general it is the size of the city but there are other factors because I found that a size 7 city was getting a larger offer than a size 10 city.

In one scenario, I was in a war and the AI offered peace. I offered peace plus 3 cities bordering another civ, sizes 5, 8 and 6. I received 1560G + 156G / 30turns, 1 luxury good and open borders.

It wasn't much longer before the AI two civs were at war with each other.

Just seeing if you guys had any strategies for this. I'm find its a good way to make money in lieu of razing cities becaues you can't afford the happiness.

 

[LD1977]

It is actually too easy.... meaning, no point in doing it really. AIs hugely overvalue cities in trading so it is easy to profit massively from this strategy.

 

[dashwinner]

that's weird. when i try to offer cities to AI and click "what will you give me for this", they usually say there is no way to make the deal work...

 

[Slowpoke]

They say that a lot kind of randomly. Basically you gotta just haggle.

 

[juckie]

that's weird. when i try to offer cities to AI and click "what will you give me for this", they usually say there is no way to make the deal work...

I've noticed you need to change the numbers in gold a lot, to get something out of those deals where they say that.
Somewhere, they got a bad script to translate things into gold, and then make an even, or wanted deal.

P.S. In most of the cases, you either offer too little, or too much.

 

[atteSmythe]

They say that a lot kind of randomly. Basically you gotta just haggle.

I've found two places they'll say it consistently - if you don't have enough to make the trade worthwhile them, or if in their opinion, they don't have enough to make the trade worthwhile for you. I think cities fall under this category. Since they'd never trade a city to you, flipping that around, they never think they have enough to possibly make you give a city to them. By you proposing a deal, they'll accept it, even if it's one that they would consider so 'lowball' that they'd never propose it themselves.

 

[MykC]

that's weird. when i try to offer cities to AI and click "what will you give me for this", they usually say there is no way to make the deal work...

Yeah, its often either they have say 500G and 50G/turn and you offer a city but they the value the city above what they have so they say, "There is no way to make this work".

Or, its random, and they have the funds but they don't want to make an offer so you gotta kinda just put and say, "What will make this work." Until they respond appropriately.

A AI civ will always pay some amount of money for a city in my experience. Its just random as to how much and it seems one civ will value a city high and another low. I think its based on the resources inside the city borders and if that civ is without that resource.

I've found that in the mid game that small CIVs will pretty much give you everything they have for any city that is like size 5 or above with or without resources. Which is another reason why maritime cities are so good because they are essential in growing puppet cities.

I had 10 pop city fetch about 1200G vs a 5 pop city with wine getting like 3000G.

 

[bryanw1995]

that's weird. when i try to offer cities to AI and click "what will you give me for this", they usually say there is no way to make the deal work...

there is "no way to make it work" because they don't have enough gold for the city, not because they don't want it.

 

[Slowpoke]

No, I've seen them say that even when they have gobs of gold. It's just broken or soemthing.

 

[vmxa]

Whoops wrong forum.

 

[Slowpoke]

Well I've seen the "what will you give me for this" broken for even open borders.

 

[atteSmythe]

Well I've seen the "what will you give me for this" broken for even open borders.

Now that you mention it, I've also seen it with Open Borders, where asking gave 'no can do,' but offer something and the haggling can begin. Hmm.

 

[biohazard72]

I'd rather keep the cities and buy them into wars with each other, but if you're going to lose them anyway, this seems like a nice idea.

 

[MykC]

I'd rather keep the cities and buy them into wars with each other, but if you're going to lose them anyway, this seems like a nice idea.

Yeah, there been times where my troops were out of position and a AI all of sudden has like 20 guys along one of my borders and then declares war. Its hard to protect cities as is, but might as well sell them.

I've also used selling certain cities to try and block the path of AI by trading a city to another AI who I hoped didn't have open borders with (like one who has recently suggested a pact of secrecy against)

 

[GfxJG]

I usually seem to find that it's the AI offering cities for peace, not the other way around xD Last game, Rome was turning runaway. I was playing as France, roughly the same empire sizes. He declared war, even though I'd trashed him twice before, taking a city or two each time. But this time, I take 2 cities, and then he offers me peace and every city he has, except capital xD I accept, and as soon as the PT ends, I take his capital xD

 

[neilkaz]

I've sold cities that were about to fall to the AI a few times on Immortal, and once sold an out of position puppet to a weak AI when I was approaching -10 happiness.

However, unlike the OP, I've never received any significant gold at all. The most I've ever received was a paltry 113 gold !

I've also seen that while selling a city or two that is under attack or too give the attacking AI a border with a different civ does usually throw a monkey wrench into that AI's attacking plan and can give you a critical few turns breathing room, the AI's so often give each other OB, and then the aggressor's army comes right thru your former cities and after you anyhow.

I guess I need to trying city selling more often, but my results so far haven't been stellar.

.. neilkaz ..

 

[generalwar]

AI never wants to buy cities from me, or not for such a big sum.

 

[MykC]

However, unlike the OP, I've never received any significant gold at all. The most I've ever received was a paltry 113 gold !

...

I guess I need to trying city selling more often, but my results so far haven't been stellar.

.. neilkaz ..

I find it random on what they value as a lot as I said above. Different civs will put a drastically different price on the same city and cities that appear to be better cities (size) can be fetch a low price compared to smaller city.

Its really perplexing, I haven't really found a consistent pattern, like I'm not able to say hey they CIV will definitely offer me a lot of money for this City. Its basically trial and error each time.