Which Civilization is the most helpful?

[Mr-You]

This topic is a sort of balance to the "Which is the most annoying" topic.

So, as an AI-controlled nation, which is generally the most helpful in Civilization III?

My vote goes to Egypt. In almost all the games I've played through they've been a very valuable trading partner nearly the entire time. Sometimes they'll even help me in a war or two.

 

[Spoonwood]

In a fast research game, probably Sumeria, Greece, Korea, or the Byzantines (followed by Persia and perhaps the Ottomans and the other scientific tribes). France can also make a good trading partner, as well as other commercial and seafaring tribes... but they don't give you free techs. Since I've started playing a banking sort of strategy in some war-mongering games lately, I've actually developed a list of non-scientific commercial/seafaring tribes as opponents, in the hopes that they'll have a slew of gold in the game, without them popping Nationalism their free tech. I haven't played a game like that yet, but I might soon.

 

[Aabraxan]

Welcome to CFC, Mr-You!

In a standard game, I always find the Inca quite helpful as a trading partner. They don't get a freebie tech at each new age, so I'm usually limited to taking gpt for my techs, but they usually have quite a bit of it. . . at least if they're on the other continent. If they're on my continent, well, they're just in the way. (This may be true of all of the commercial civs & maybe I just notice it more with the Inca.)

Fast research games? I don't play that many of these, but I'd say the scientific civs, for the change-of-age trading round.

All-War? Whoever happens to be my neighbor.

 

[Bucephalus]

The weak civ next-door with an abundance of luxuries.

 

[thetrooper]

Sumeria, France and of course the Ottos (for 'always' racing up to Monarchy - I wonder if that's hard-coded). That's as far as tech trading goes.

Edit: and welcome Mr-You!

 

[FrozenTitan]

I usually find France being one of my main allies (whether they're weak-which is usually the case-or strong). They're always very helpful to me in trades and alliances against my enemies.

 

[TheOverseer714]

France can be an excellent market for research if you can stay ahead of them. All the Commercial tribes are better cash sources. Industrious tribes can build lots of juicy wonders for you to take over.

 

[Spoonwood]

The weak civ next-door with an abundance of luxuries.

Hmmm... not many of them around now... if they get the luxuries, they usually end up strong, don't they?

 

[iambenben]

whichever civ babysits the best land for me, then i just grab some units and pay a visit to their cities.

 

[Spartanism]

Theodora always seems to be happy to make friends to keep the barbarians at bay.

 

[Marsden]

In Military alliances, Zulu seems to be the best to actually fight for you, I've had plenty alliance where the AI engaged in it's own phony war but usually the Zulu like to throw everything they've got at them.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

I like Babylon and France as AI. They are both fairly peaceful civs, with economically strong Empires, and yet are not too hard to conquer. And especially the Babs seem to have a knack to defy the high chances of getting Monotheism and Nationalism at the age changes in C3/PTW.

 

[Bowsling]

I seem to ally myself with the Maya quite a bit. I remember one domination game as Babylon when I was about to conquer the 2nd strongest AI in the game, Hittite, after the fall of Inca and Korea. the Hittites were on a continent with the Iroqouis and the Maya. They were too strong for me to take over on my own from an early middle age invasion and i had recently fought a skirmish with the Iroqouis which resulted in me gaining a two square island city, so they wouldn't help. So I asked the Maya to help, they did, then they helped me fully conquer the Iroqouis after the Hittite invasion, then I conquered them.