Why oh why does the poor AI ...

[joncnunn]

The german AI on the verge of a space race victory (all space techs and lacking only three parts) voted to make me, who is still a few turns away from completing the Apollo Program, the Sec General?

(Prince Level Diplomatic Victory in 1902 AD, "Great Plains", normal speed)
Apprently my leadership skills are up there with Augustus and so it's time to move up a level.

[Axxaer]

If I'm correct in my recollection of my one diplomatic victory, being Secretary General is separate from this, isn't it?

[Strategist83]

This is a general problem with the AI. It appears it cares nothing for winning. In the same way you could leave your flanks wide open, defending cities with a minimum of units and the AI still will not attack just because it is 'friendly' towards you.

Can we have an AI that is a bit more opportunistic, please? Make the AI actually care about winning!

[TheHateMale]

The AI will attack you regardless if necessary - for example if it's on a peninsula and you encompass it. The deciding factor is usually military strength.

[Aro]

Originally posted by Strategist83
This is a general problem with the AI. It appears it cares nothing for winning. In the same way you could leave your flanks wide open, defending cities with a minimum of units and the AI still will not attack just because it is 'friendly' towards you.

Can we have an AI that is a bit more opportunistic, please? Make the AI actually care about winning!

The AI doesn't even know it can win. An AI take this game seriously, and play to get civilized. After all, it's a way of life for it, not a comp game.

Think about it. Does it make any sense?

[joncnunn]

I of course mean whichever UN option in Civ IV results in you winning the game via diplomatic victory if the motion passes. The terminology in Civ III used to be elected as Secretary General.

Originally posted by Axxaer
If I'm correct in my recollection of my one diplomatic victory, being Secretary General is separate from this, isn't it?

[joncnunn]

I don't think it would be that difficult to add a rule to the AI that says if I have the most space ship parts, don't vote for anyone other than myself to win the game via UN.

[Yaga]

As much as I like the notion of a diplomatic victory, I'm not sure the present implementation works.

On its most basic level, anyone voting for someone other than themselves is voting for their own loss.

Instead of a "diplomatic victory" button, would it be possible to have some sort of accrued "diplomacy" score, in the same way there is a cultural victory score? The UN would still be useful as it would allow you to get additional diplomacy points, but so too would a number of other things.

Perhaps most importantly, the individual deciding factors wouldn't be zero-sum : ie, you get X points if your 'favored' civic is universally adopted, regardless of whether you forwarded the resolution. This would also balance out the more warlike civ's advantages of more easily wining domination or conquest victories -- if slavery is one of your favorite civics, you're probably not a diplomacy-minded civ.

And, to get back to the initial point of this thread, it would turn diplomacy into another race, like the space race, rather than an, "Oh, you can just win. I'll stop now" sort of decision.

Of course, the other side of this thread is whether or not we want the AI to collectively gang up on the leaders for a given victory condition, and if so, when. I don't want every civ on the planet suddenly attacking me just because I built the space elevator, nor do I want them coming after me if I build the UN. Of course, if I own half the world via conquest, maybe they *should* all gang up on me...

Regardless, I concur : What civ in their right mind would help another civ automatically win?

[Nacht]

Originally posted by Yaga
What civ in their right mind would help another civ automatically win?

Well, when you have no chance of winning anyway... just to end the pain.

[joncnunn]

Here's the pesdocode I would use for voting on diplomatic victory:

//first the duh rule
Am I a candidate? -> vote for myself else continue

//now the am I close to winning
Do I have apollo program built? -> Abstain else continue

Do I have at least one legendary city? -> Abstain else continue

Is my military superior to both candidates? -> Abstain else continue

//note there is no need to check close to domination here because I'd already be a candidate

//now the oh well, I'm not really in a position to win at this time so lets see if I have a perfered player

Am I at least "pleased" with the candidate I have the better relation with -> continue else abstain

Do I like the player I'm pleased with at least 4 points better than the other player -> vote for the player I'm pleased with, else abstain.

---
I would bet dollars to doughnuts that the vote for myself and also the do I have a perfered player are already there in some form.
What's missing is the checks to see if I'm close to winning in the other ways.

Originally posted by Yaga

Regardless, I concur : What civ in their right mind would help another civ automatically win?