why pay more than AI for RAs?

[guven]

it bugs me. when AI really reaaally loves you (or in early game) research agreements cost the same. but later in the game, even if the AI is friendly towards you, they ask for lots of resources, gold, and gold per turn. I usually pay them 2-3 horses or iron extra or +3 gpt if I'm dominant economically. Is it because I play in immortal? sorry if this was discussed before.

 

[swiharta]

I recently learned that they will ask for extra money, etc when they are behind you in tech, particularly (maybe only) when they are in an earlier tech era. Given that you have to be friends now in order to even sign an agreement, I don't know how much their "feelings" toward you might play into their requests for extra cash.

 

[Moriarte]

Yes, you pay extra for each era you are ahead. So, might as well "time" your RAs when (for example) you are about to leave renaissance, while other AI's are just entering it, so you won't need to pay extra.

 

[Asklepios]

If you find you keep getting very lopsided RA offers, thats sometimes a sign that you're playing the game at too low a difficulty level, as evidenced by massive tech leads.

 

[joncnunn]

Yes, it's a very bad deal in BNW with RA based on the minimum of both civs to sign an AI with the era ahead policy.

There's actually a certain point that your likely to get an era ahead of the AIs with a similar number of techs:
Moment that you build Oxford and pick Radio. So try to time signing your RAs before then.

 

[phillipwyllie]

It's 100 gold for each era you are ahead iirc. That 100 gold can be offset with 2 strategic resources(that usually would go for 90 gold).

 

[Makavcio]

Yeah, that's pretty dumb. I've learnt that RA are not worth it after you get the tech lead. It's often pretty obvious that you are pumping the most beakers in the world and even though RAs with certain civs will not help you much, you are required not only to pay the era-dependent fee, but also you need to pay your partner. A waste of resources.

But as Asklepios said, play on higher difficulty and the problem will mostly go away

 

[danaphanous]

On any difficulty level there are some friends that get a little behind even if some of the AI don't. I do it anyway. I've payed AI big gold on my end to sign one before. usually it's still like a turn or less of income in the information era unless they are way, way behind. Plus, you usually get the good end of the deal having rationalism completed and especially if you nabbed porcelain tower (stop signing with the AI that gets this immediately). Signing with a guy you are break-even with (especially in the in the information era) is actually not smart. Invest your money in the guys that aren't competing in the space race. Even if it helps them more than me, hey, they're an era or two behind, who cares? They aren't going to catch up and it does shave a few turns off your tech anyway.

I will sign with all my friends but who I'm competing with over the period of 50-30 turns out from launching even if they ask for gold and are reluctant. I obviously stop signing past 30 turns and save the gold to rush spaceship factories if needed. Then I will get a bunch of boosts as I'm completing the space race. Even 2 shaved turns is worth it. Don't be snobbish, they know they're helping you win and all they ask for is some cheap gold!

Side note: the AI will ask for resources, gold, and gpt, yes, if they are far behind but if you manually remove the resources and gpt I've found they always seem to accept just the lump sum which is far cheaper for you.