Do you Open your borders?

[Eomer]

I've had that happen too. Where they will usually cancel deals and open borders to declare war. It probably is that someone else talked them into it. But, usually that's not a person I cared all that much about. I at least try to get a city out of the whole deal.

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?

cynyck- there is no penalty from just cancelling a deal with someone without be asking/demanded to. I do it a lot when I want to renegogiate for a better deal, in the case they have obtained something new.

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?

And you the penalty for stopping trade with someone. But you don't get a bonus from the one that asked you. Just you won't get a penalty from them.

[Yosho]

Originally posted by Jaybe

Some other AI talked/bribed him into it.

Neah, I don't think so. I was at peace with everyone else, and he declared war only about 5 turns after I refused to break trade relations with someone else for him. Still, he did not break off open borders or stop trading pigs or anything with me first; he just decleared war.

[padillah]

What I think happens (at least with me) is I forget I'm playing a game to win and get carried away with building a civ.

I don't run Slavery at all for that reason, I don't want to sacrifice pop because it seams "mean" to me.

Tom P.

[Jaybe]

Ah, roleplaying (building a civ) vs. playing to win. I agree it's much more enjoyable roleplaying. But then it gets late in the game, thoughts go to winning and the foundation is weak.

I suggest that open borders are more in tune with both roleplaying and winning.

[Bhruic]

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

I'd do that, except the AI always puts its cities in the wrong spot (from my perspective). I hate having overlapping cities, and the AI seems to love them. So if the AI settles anywhere near me, I have to build units to raze the city, and then build a settler to start a city in the right spot. Easier to just stop them from building their city in the first place.

Bh

[Nugog]

However, depending what civics you are running, open borders from a trade point of view, can be very lucrative.

Also if you have founded any religions, and have the "great temple" (or whatever it's called) for that religion, then again open borders are vital for spreading your eligions and getting the cash benefit.

Then of course when your trade and religious "tithes" have acccumalted enough, you can raise a sufficient size army to go and "liberate" your fellow religous brothers

[spammurabi]

My borders are almost always open. Sometimes in the early game, I'll keep them closed if I can block an opponent (or opponents) out of a good chunk of a landmass that I want to colonize, but once all the land I'm interested in is filled up, I'll open with them. It seems to increase trade, helps spread whatever religion I found (I always make it a priority to found at least one) and makes the AI more friendly to my trade ideas.

Plus, the AI will always cancel Open Borders a few turns before declaring war on you, so you get a nice heads up where the attack against you is coming from.

Even the most hardcore of warmongers isn't going to want to declare war against everyone right away- you're going to need a few friends, at least temporarily.