Ultimate way to take down a civ (exploit)

[hyn]

I build a bunch of cities on useless land one by one and gift them to your rival civ. Further away from their capital, the better. After several cities the opponent's treasury is crippled.

Isn't this a major exploit?

 

[Scotty Mack]

An interesting strategy. Surely worth a mention.
Have you tested this technique then ?

 

[hyn]

I've given two of my flipped useless cities to an AI but it was hard to find out if it had any effect on them. I should probably do it 10+ times to get an obvious outcome.

 

[Fried-Psitalon]

I know you can't give the AI units below a certain income threshold to prevent this kind of exploit - I'd imagine it's in place for cities, too, but it's not impossible that it was missed.

 

[hyn]

What if I also gifted the AI enough gold per turn, enough to keep gifting 10 useless cities and then after that cancel the deal?

 

[Pbhead]

hehehe A bit to much fun there are we?
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I GOTA DO THAT!!!!

 

[El_Machinae]

It would be most fun doing this to a 'freedom-loving' type of government.

"GO! Enjoy the luxuries! Escape my tyranny! ... STARVE IN YOUR OWN HEDONISM!!!"

 

[Jsyudo]

This is such a cool plan! I never even thought of gifts as a trap for bankrupacy! Will seriously try it on Japan tonight. Those infedels ...

 

[alexchunha]

An interesting strategy. Surely worth a mention.
Have you tested this technique then ?

Interesting? Yes. A strategy? Most definitely not. As Hyn said, it's purely an exploit, and assuming that it works, it should be targeted for patching. There's no way they should let the A.I. fall for something like that.

 

[El_Machinae]

There are parallels in the real world ... but I can see how it's an exploit and a strategy at the same time.

 

[kulgan]

u could gift cities in civ 3 too, but the effect wasn't as impressive as grushing the budget. the worst that I experienced was a flip back from time to time.

 

[Zhahz]

Well I guess this leads me to list one thing I miss from Civ3. In Civ3 when a city flipped to you, you had the option to decline. Seems like one should have the ability to reject a flipping city or a gift.

 

[Romanichine]

Is this a good strategy anyway? Maybe if you are playing a duel or a few civs, but against many civs, your cities will be building settlers instead of growing and building useful improvements. Unaffected civs will benefits for this war (sort of) between you and your targets.

 

[Dragonlor]

What if you gifted a bunch of tiny useless cities, then had a military present to re-capture them quickly. Taking a bunch of cities from the AI might make them want to give you tech for peace...

 

[scienide09]

Is this a good strategy anyway? Maybe if you are playing a duel or a few civs, but against many civs, your cities will be building settlers instead of growing and building useful improvements. Unaffected civs will benefits for this war (sort of) between you and your targets.

I've got to agree with this. What kind of time are you dedicating to building settlers in order to lay down the cities that you plan to give away?
It seems to me that if you're dedicating that much energy to producing settlers, you're totally crippling your own growth. Remember that while building a settler, your city does not grow.
What difficulty level are you playing at? I suppose it's possible that, with the advantage that the human player has over the AI at the easiest setting, this might work. But playing at higher levels...

my two cents

 

[El_Machinae]

This is similar to MoOII where you'd give planets to your enemies, just so you could stellar convert them! Your poor citizens ...

Well, not really similar, but it reminded me of it ....

 

[MrCynical]

This has been a fairly obvious option from the start to cripple an AI, but I would never use it. True the exploit could be removed (mostly) by removing the option to trade cities except for peace (as in Civ 3), but if you really want to exploit the game you can always find a way. Personally I'd regard this as just ruining the game for yourself. Why not just open up world builder and remove all the AI's units? There's no real difference between them in my view.

 

[Polopapolo]

I find it a very interesting trade option, a single tile island in the middle of the ocean that is of little strategic importance. A gift to pacify or to crucify?!

If you have an annoying neighbour that got stuck building cities in tundra and ice then you could invade and give those cities to one your "allies" with whom you have good relations... cripple them with bureaucracy! Har Har!

You get combat promotions and money from pillaging and they get... the shaft! Could be fun to try for those late boring space-race games

Beware greeks bearing gifts... unless it's soap on a rope!

 

[robcheng]

I know you can't give the AI units below a certain income threshold to prevent this kind of exploit - I'd imagine it's in place for cities, too, but it's not impossible that it was missed.

I'm fairly sure this is in place for cities too -- you won't be able to offer them if the recipient is below a certain tech rate...