What price reputation?

[ainwood]

What is the general view on the importance of maintaining a spotless reputation?

I generally find that a spotless reputation does not help the gameplay much (I can not normally get anyone to ally with me, and more often than not I get stabbed in the back by the AI by them breaking cease-fires and peace treaties regardless of my reputation). The only thing I notice is when I do ask for an alliance, they say no as they have heard how I treated the XXXX.

Can anyone give some pointers on how to coerce the AI into forming an alliance (I have tried giving tributes and techs to "enthusiastic" small AI civs whilst having a spotless reputation, and they still say no.

And why does the AI go so quickly from "enthusiastic" to attacking me without provocation?

I don't think reputation helps your score either.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

I think it'll also depend on who you are negotiating an alliance with. From personal exp, I find it next to impossible to ever ally with those aggressive expansionist civs like the Greeks or Zulus but it's possible to do so with more peaceful ones like the Indians or Babylonians etc.
Also your position in that game can have an effect. If you are the supreme power, everybody will not want to ally with you. Most will turn hostile. War is usually imminent. Even your longtime allies will break the alliance and become hostile.
It doesn't matter what your rep is; it's embedded in the AI of the game. Lots of us have complained about this seemingly inability of the AI civs to regard you based on your past conduct and rep.

 

[slothman]

In my current game I already have a questionable rating but will sneak attack and get poor. Does anybody think this is a good idea? I have 1 ally, 3 enemies, and am supreme. Will the worse rep remove my ally?

 

[starlifter]

What is the general view on the importance of maintaining a spotless reputation?

Personally,I only do it because the AI needs the advantage of me keeping my word. It forces me to do better planning, too. But Spotless will help when asking for alliances. Civ II MGE is evidently a very warlike AI, and it s harder to get alliances as you get more powerful.

The AI will normally not ally with you if you are allied with its hated enemy, or if you are in mid/late game. Your best bet is to get alliances early and keep them if you want them. Only if you are very low, like pathetic, but science rich, do you stand a chance of allying with everyone in Civ II MGE. I've done it in OCC, but never in a big 7 civ deity game.

You can keep most alliances, even if supreme, as long as you plan your contacts and have science superiority, and give in to the demands.

 

[Magnus]

I try to ally with every civ upon first meeting them (mostly tio get maps and a gift) - and then try to maintain that alliance afterwards - but after that first shot, no more mister nice guy - they had their chance! I dont care about reputation after contact with all civs has been established. I can win by being a meanie just as easily (or more so) than being a sweetheart.

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

According to a couple of hint guides from Prima Publishing, having a spotless reputation allows you to operate in a Republic or Democracy easier. They say that having a spotless reputation makes it where the senate will agree with your choices more than if your reputation was lower.

Also, once your reputation gets to a certain level, the Ai will not become an ally, now matter how friendly they are towards you. An even lower reputation and they will not form treaties with you at all.

So, even though it plays a minor role in the game, it is still mainly a choice that the player makes to keep a spotless reputation. Playing 'spotless' is just like kicking up the difficulty level of your game. You have to learn how to manipulate the AI better. Starlifter and I are the only two, who I know, that constantly maintain a spotless reputation. To most people it just doesn't matter.

 

[ainwood]

Historically, I have also tried to maintain a spotless reputation.

However, I am sick of the secret alliances being made against me (even when I have NEVER attacked any civilisation at all, or even contacted the civ sometimes), and the amount of times the AI breaks cease-fires with me. I wondered if it was all worth it.


Cheers,


Andrew

 

[jomey]

Originally posted by ainwood
However, I am sick of the secret alliances being made against me (even when I have NEVER attacked any civilisation at all, or even contacted the civ sometimes), and the amount of times the AI breaks cease-fires with me. I wondered if it was all worth it.

No sympathy cos it means you're the most powerful civ.

Price you have to pay for being successful..

 

[dreadhead7]

I keep my reputation Spotless at all costs, though I never make alliances, only treaties.

 

[Magnus]

Well I just got finished playing a game and on one of the later turns, I took out the Mongol Capitol and captured the Eiffel Tower, which I almost never build. I never build it because I never noticed it did anything - like before I built it all the AI civs hated me and they still hated me afterwards - I thought the wonder didnt do anything on MGE because the AI is so angry all the time... HOWEVER I just figured something out - before I took the city my reputation was 'Despicable' (as is my typical style of play in the Modern Era when I am clearly #1) well wouldnt you know as soon as I captured it I went all the way up to 'Excellent'!!!! I coudlnt believe it - hmm maybe it is a Wonder for the treaty breaker types after all!