Who do you sign RA with?

[Selous]

im in a game (emperor level) and playing on a marathon game speed, so not many of the AI have got the cash for an RA (750G), I am currently coming 3rd on 220 points and the leader (egypt) is starting to run away with 330 points, he also has a nice tech lead of 4 or 5 techs, but he is the only one that afford a RA (but i already have a RA with another civ down in the pack, not sure about him)

so my question is, who do you sign RA with?

I always sign with people below me in points, even with civs that are close neigbours/rivals, but do you sign with the game leaders?

 

[PhilBowles]

Where possible, the civ that's least technologically advanced. Failing that (if I have an agreement with them, I'm at war with them, or they don't have the cash), I select the civ with the least cash that can still afford an RA, since it limits their ability to sign agreements with other civs (for which I gain no benefit and a rival does) or to buy units/buildings or city-states.

Other considerations are how likely the civ is to go to war with me - again if the civ has no spare cash, it will be at more of a disadvantage if it goes to war before the agreement completes than I will. If it's Oda, he always declares war whenever possible so it's generally not a great idea to get research agreements with him (particularly since the Japanese UA makes them dangerous if they become too advanced). If the civ is on another continent it's safe - the AI very rarely attacks over water, and never if more than a few tiles away by sea. It's also generally safe if the civ is on your continent but not close. Civs don't often declare war if they can't/won't attack, and if they do they won't usually send their forces very far outside their own territory.

 

[NotSure]

I don't know how the Marathon speed games are, but at standard pace I watch for civs that are just below the going rate for a luxury. If you wait for them to get 250 gold lets say (Renaissance Era RA), they will surely blow it on a luxury they don't need just before you get the chance to propose the RA. So, when they are around 200 or so, I ring them up & ask them what they want for 2 GPT. It will usually be enough to get them the 250 they need. Then you propose the RA.

I would only discriminate against a civ likely to declare war. If you're doing it right you're going to get far more out of the RA than the advanced civ you signed with and you will soon pass that civ.

 

[Tabarnak]

Everyone excepted my neighbors(4 tiles or less). Unless you maintain a superior army. In most cases i sign RAs with everyone if i pursuit a peaceful victory.

RAs are by far the strongest tool to climb the tech tree. After the ren. era, RAs can fuel for more than 70% of your total beakers until the end.

 

[Soronery]

If I am doing a domination game, usually I'll start signing RAs when I have cash with eliminated civs(no capitol) and weak civs. I'll try to force the stronger civs into war with other people and never sign RAs with them.

 

[gozpel]

RAs are by far the strongest tool to climb the tech tree. After the ren. era, RAs can fuel for more than 70% of your total beakers until the end.

Until the AI breaks the deal on turn 29, and declares a meaningless war.

So AI.

 

[joncnunn]

Myself, I never sign RAs with my closest neighbor(s). (Those are the ones that like to "pretend friendship"). Also I avoid any civ that's showing a negative modifier as well.

Other than that I'll sign an RA with anyone in the same era that I'm in when I have the cash. If I don't I'll tend to pick civs I suspect are less advanced within the era.

 

[sparkyal]

I'll sign an RA with anyone with a pen! (read enough cash)..///the two notable exceptions are Oda and Monty....you will never finish the RA...they will attack. Sometimes the Mongols will go after you after an RA too...it depends on how friendly they are to you. I do not care what era they are in or if they are neighbors or anything like that.

but, near the end game they will not sign with you anyway....they will all hate you.

 

[King of Prussia]

I don't sign them. I find them "cheap". but when I did I usually tried the coutries far away or my friends.

 

[Gort]

Sign with everyone you can, but do RAs with the most powerful players last.

Think of it this way - in a six player game, when you get a tech boost, you and the person you signed the RA with have just gotten better compared to four other players. If you refuse to sign, you're damaging one other player but actually helping four.

The only time I wouldn't sign is if someone's gone rationalism AND got the Porcelain Tower.

 

[Helmling]

Okay, I don't sign them for a long time. Beeline to GL, use it to get Philosophy, build the Oracle, head toward theology, get the Hagia Sophia right around the time I get a great scientist, use it to pop University, use the GE from Hagia on Porcelain tower...wait for it...as soon as Renaissance opens up, crack open Rationalism.

Then RA with everyone you can find. At this point, you don't even have to worry about whether or not they're a point leader because with the two bonuses, you're definitely getting more out of the deal than they are.

 

[gozpel]

Not with my nextdoor neighbour, never again Monty!

I suppose patience is a virtue after all? You really don't have to rush into early RA's, you should use them on expensive techs and on your fav techline.

Better to bribe a couple of CS, to make them give you quests. Yep, that is much better in the very early game, even buying another worker is more worth it in the early part.

And then, what Helmling said. It opens up the game and your path to victory, you can decide here.

 

[Helmling]

Not with my nextdoor neighbour, never again Monty!

I suppose patience is a virtue after all? You really don't have to rush into early RA's, you should use them on expensive techs and on your fav techline.

Better to bribe a couple of CS, to make them give you quests. Yep, that is much better in the very early game, even buying another worker is more worth it in the early part.

And then, what Helmling said. It opens up the game and your path to victory, you can decide here.

Yeah, I almost always play as Greece, so I fill out the Patronage SPs right after liberty. I often only do one big round of RAs after that and jump into the modern era. After that surge, the AIs usually want me to kick in an extra 100 gold for the RA, which I'll only do if I'm ridiculously wealthy and have both Porcelain and Rationalism bonuses.