Do you Open your borders?

[Nugog]

I do open borders, but not with everyone. I will for those civs further away, but usually not with aggressive civs.

It does just depend on the situation for me.

[fed1943]

Originally posted by Smellycowsquid


I don't believe in befriending them, they all end up the same way, dead.

But, blessed by Our Holy Shrine, they shall dye in peace (while we got the great inteligence advantage).

Best regards,

[PaganPaulwhisky]

In the beginning expansion phase I usually do not open borders with my neighbors in order to discourage them from settling too close. I also refuse to open borders If I have sealed off a sizable chunk of land for settling. Once that passes and monotheism comes around I usually open borders to everyone I can.

This does cause the AI to settle in tiny places within my area that I deemed unworthy of founding a city. This does not bother me since the site is usually terrible and I will probably end up culturally absorbing it or taking it by force later (and razing it). This has actually cost me in several games, because the AI tends to stock alot of units in these cities. Once I declared war on the offending civ and totally forgot about their ill placed city near my capital (I assumed it had a few defenders, but he in fact had about 8 knights). He captured my capital, and it took me 5 or 6 turns to get it back.

Open borders are absolutely crucial for the religion spread phase of the game. I tend to place a high priority on this, so I want access to as much land as possible. It is well worth the minor annoyance of having the AI settle within my area.

Occasionally the AI will beat me to a really good city spot. This pisses me off to no end and usually results in me declaring war to take the city. The one thing I am not very flexible on is AI demands. I tend to refuse them all since I just hate giving the AI my hard earned tech for nothing. On principle I just won't do it. This has cost me some games on higher levels.

[padillah]

Originally posted by Ijuin
Even with open borders, the AI can not settle anywhere inside your borders without declaring war. However, they could still pass through your territory and plop a city in that spot just past your borders where you were planning on putting a city of your own later on.

That's exactly what I hate. I do a lot of work on city placement and then the AI comes in and plops a city one square off from where I want it. Now I have to debate whether to raize a city I don't have to settle or keep a city in a less than optimum spot.

Arggh!

Tom P.

[Arrian]

I see no conflict between OB and warmongering. Warmongering means YOU start the war. Thus, having good relations with the AI so they don't declare war on you (when you're not ready) is a good thing. Maintain those relations until such time as you are prepared for war, and then dispose of them. :shrug:

-Arrian

[Bhruic]

I rarely do OB during the early expansion phase of the game. I've got burned by the AI settling "my" territory too often to allow that any more. Once borders are somewhat established, I generally try and pick one or two Empires to focus on getting good relations with (generally ones sharing my religion), and go for OB with them. That gives me decent trade opportunities.

Bh

[Tomb.]

I open my borders to all civs asap.

If someone comes along an plunks a city in "my" backyard, i can built units instead of a settler .

Thats on emperor/standard/pangea.

[Adagio]

I usually have open borders, though not with enemies who has the "wrong" religion, to avoid making my friends mad*
Having open borders gives me two advantages: A diplomacy bonus, and the possibility to explore enemy lands

*Ok, at the beginning I open borders for everybody, but when an AI with the same religion as me asks me to cancel the deal, I do... but at that point I hopefully have already explore their teritory

[Yosho]

It's also worth mentioning that I generally don't open borders to people on another continent before I can trade with them, unless I'm planning to send missionaries over. Having open borders but no astronomy and no trading dosn't seem to help relations with that person, but it will hurt relations with everyone who considers that person an enemy.

[Eomer]

At the beginning of the game, I open borders with everyone- as long as they allow me to. Then, in the next few years I figure out who's worth having as a friend and who's not. Whether based on religions or mutual friends. Somewhere between the beginning and the middle of the game, the civilizations have already formed cliques. Generally a particular group befriends (and has open borders) with each other, while loathing the other group. Although there can be an exception, which does not bother me unless it interferes with my war plans.

But I find the Open Borders to be very helpful. It adds a diplomatic bonus. But more importantly if you're friend is bordered with your enemy, you can use their land to harbor units and to attack from. And if those two are enemies, they are not able to come over into your land.

[Addled Platypus]

only OB with those that are close

nothing worse than an Island game and you have not found all the AI, but they found you

and ask for OB


I hate every time a AI civ will ask you to stop dealing with..xyz

if you stop you lose

if you keep going they get upset ( others have declared war because of this)

[cynyck]

If I refuse to cancel an OB, I get "you refused to stop trading with our worst enemy!"

If I agree to cancel an OB, I get a penalty from the civ I closed with.

What if no one asks me to close borders with a civ, but I decide to do so on my own. Do I get a penalty from that civ?

Also, I know I can cancel a trade at any time without a penalty. But, if I am asked to stop trading with a civ, I get a penalty from that civ and a bonus from the requesting civ, correct?

[Blaupanzer]

Go for open borders. Big trade, exploration, and diplomatic bonuses. If someone does sneak in a city you will eat it either culturally or by attack. If it's in the wrong place, burn it. In my case I work around both barbarian and culturally seized cities. Saves me building settlers, both for the hammers and for the slowed growth while building. As I mentioned in another thread, open borders give early warning, as the AI always cancels the OB pact at least one, and usually a few, turns before their sledgehammers show up.

[Yosho]

Originally posted by Blaupanzer
Go for open borders. Big trade, exploration, and diplomatic bonuses. If someone does sneak in a city you will eat it either culturally or by attack. If it's in the wrong place, burn it. In my case I work around both barbarian and culturally seized cities. Saves me building settlers, both for the hammers and for the slowed growth while building. As I mentioned in another thread, open borders give early warning, as the AI always cancels the OB pact at least one, and usually a few, turns before their sledgehammers show up.

That is not always true. I just had a AI declare war on me while I had open borders with him, was trading several things, and had cautious relations with him.

[Jaybe]

Originally posted by Yosho
That is not always true. I just had a AI declare war on me while I had open borders with him, was trading several things, and had cautious relations with him.

Some other AI talked/bribed him into it.