Is it possible to NOT piss off all the Computer Players?

[Nikolai]

For some reason, my game of today was the first one ever that I didn't have at least one good friend... Remind me not to post in threads like this anymore...

[Cordelayne]

I never worry about this. I always refuse open borders. I always refuse demands for tribute. I never accept trade offers unless it favors me. My diplomatic secret? Make sure that on the stats page, the soldiers number is always 1 or maybe 2.

Incidentally, I have the impression that the power number is based on quantity of troops, not quality, so I don't kill myself and ruin my economy by trying to upgrade all my units. I'll still have lots of axemen sitting around in modern times, hanging out with armor units. In my last three or four games, the AI has never once dared to attack me.

[Volstag]

The AI relations can be quite intricate. As you've noticed, it's largely impossible to be friends with everyone. It's for this reason you have to pick your friends (and enemies) w/ care.

If you do want to be friends with everyone, you might try an aggressive campaign of missionary work. In my current game, 5 of the 7 AI civs have converted to my religion, and I'm expecting to "convert" one more. This has resulted in better relations overall, but it's still quite possible to annoy the AI.

[AoA]

Cordelayne: I've noticed the same things, lots of units, I think especially mixed types but not necessarily modern, seems to keep the AI at bay.

Me, I pick a religion and stick with it and reap the benefits.....until enough of the AI starts to get annoyed and then boom, I'm an atheist. Goodbye all those -3 heathen hits.

[drtechno]

I have both Napoleon and Alexander as strong friends (almost allies) and its been that way most of the game. The 3 of us versus the world. So it works.

[Cordelayne]

drtechno,You should know better than to trust Napoleon! He WILL attack you.

[CrapFactory]

In an 8 player game I made friends with 6 of the AI. Only one hated me. I made sure to not adopt a single religion as my state religion. That way they can't get mad at you for having an opposing religion.

[Nikolai]

Originally posted by Nikolai
For some reason, my game of today was the first one ever that I didn't have at least one good friend... Remind me not to post in threads like this anymore...

Heh... Update: I now finished the game(lost to Saladin ), and for the second half of the game I was friendly with all except the Japanese, who kept on attacking me now and then, only to loose a city or two each time... A pity really, as I for one wanted to keep on building my empire and not go to war all the time, and because we were on good terms initially, and I wanted to expand the other way really... Besides, the Japanse were the only other civ to share my religion, one should think that would count for something...

[khearn]

Re: Is it possible to NOT piss off all the Computer Players?

Originally posted by CrapFactory

Also they all seem to be so intertwined in their alliances. I just played a game where I had one guy hating me for no real reasons. So he starts a war and this pisses off his friend. Well I start killing him and his friend comes to save him. I kill his friend and his friend's friend is pissed. Etc etc...

Hey, this is very realistic. Have you ever read about the origins of World War I? Talk about intertwined alliances.
See the wikipedia article on the causes of WWI, particularly the summary of the web of aliances (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_...b_of_alliances)

[Diadem]

Diplomacy is for me still one of the major flaws of this game.

First of all, the AIs do not threat you the same as eachother. They keep asking me to stop trading with X, or declare war on Y, or to give them tribute, or whatever. If I don't do what they want, I get a relationship penalty. Ok, fine. But why have I never seen that kind of penalties for AIs amongst eachother?

I know they trade amongst eachother. But they never seem to do this constant blackmailing they do with human players.

That sucks. The AI shouldn't discriminate between humand and other AIs.


Secondly, it is really annoying that they make a certain demand, and then you have to say yes or no, without being able to check your diplomatic advisor screen. If Monty wants me to declare on Isabella, I want to be able to see how others think of Isabella and Monty, and why, and with which block I want to affiliate myself. Now, you just have to gamble. Or check the F4 screen every turn and remembering it all.

[Shogun Gunner]

Originally posted by Diadem
Diplomacy is for me still one of the major flaws of this game.

Secondly, it is really annoying that they make a certain demand, and then you have to say yes or no, without being able to check your diplomatic advisor screen. If Monty wants me to declare on Isabella, I want to be able to see how others think of Isabella and Monty, and why, and with which block I want to affiliate myself. Now, you just have to gamble. Or check the F4 screen every turn and remembering it all.

Yes, I noticed this as well. It's a pet peeve of mine. In the "Civ4 Wish List" threads that were built during the development of the game, I specifically brought this issue out. Pre-release news reported that this problem "had been solved". An it has to some degree. You can look at costs of science techs without getting out of the diplo screen, but the more important decisions about war, embargos, etc. cannot be checked unless you exit. If you do that, then immediately open a window with the civ again, sometimes they don't even want to do the same deal they just offered you

This needs to be fixed.

[Odin]

The way diplomacy is done is brillant. No more being able to buy everyones happiness. Massive amounts of Tech Whoring is gone as well.

[SpencerH]

I still havent managed to get Tokugawa to trade anything (at all) even after years of open borders and gifts.

[Nikolai]

Originally posted by Odin
The way diplomacy is done is brillant. No more being able to buy everyones happiness. Massive amounts of Tech Whoring is gone as well.

Indeed. But when you mention techs: I was disappointed when I read that the AI cheats with techs at Noble level... I thought the AI and the player were supposed to be equal at that level... I read it in the Civ4 thread over at Paradox's OT forum, but I guess they are as skilled in such as us here at understanding the game.

[JoeGator]

I usually keep my borders closed with all but one or two other civs, and I don't decide which civ to open my borders with until later in the game, when I have a good feel for who the strongest are.

I don't open borders with those of a civ who is worse than annoyed with me. I usually try to open them with someone who is strong enough to help me in time of war, but not strng enough to defeat me.

If I have founded a religion, I spread it through his state, then gift him Missionaries with the hope he uses them to spread our new religion to others he may have open borders with.

Depending on where I am on the tech tree and overall scores, I deny other state's requests/demands for assistance or tribute, but will then, a few turns later, gift them an old tech or some excess supplies.