Frederick

[Unimatrix11]

So whats up with him ? Yesterday he came up to me, totally "unprovoked", and offered to be my vassal. That happened to me with him once before in another game already.

Gosh - this is supposed to be the guy who fought almost all of europe for seven years, holding himself against countries with roughly 20x the population, without butching an inch ? His disinclination to capitulate was the reason why the nazis made a movie about him in 1944 ("kolberg"), after all. And in Civ 4 he comes up and throws the towel without even being attacked ?! I think he should be one of the nut-heads that NEVER capitulate or make any peace-compromise at all. If there is need for a leader that wont fight, history demands him not being german (i wont suggest any other nation, as not to offend anybody - and i didnt say that never budging was an admirable quality).

[Julian Delphiki]

CIV4 is not a history simulator.

[Thedrin]

CivIV may not be a history simulator but surely the AI personalities are based on the actions of their real life inspirations.

Didn't Frederick usually ally himself with more powerful allies to help him survive near-continuous war?

[Unimatrix11]

Nope - not really. I didnt read the civpedia about him, but i think he is meant to be Frederick II., the Great. In the seven-years-war he fought practically all of europe, that has ganged up against him (except England that supported him temporarily with money). At one point Prussia was only saved by the death of the russaian czarina who hated him and was replaced by an admiror of him. The relunctance of Frederick to capitulate against all odds and his resulting success had a very profound effect on later generations of Germans. When Roosevelt died in April 1945, Goebbels jubileed: "The czarina is dead !", hoping for the americans to realize who their "true" enemy was and expecting a shift in alliances.

So - allies he had very few and that still wouldnt be the same as having capitulated. Looking at the prussian performance in the 7-years-war, it is even debateable, if there was a (single) "more powerful" state around at all.

[Lord Avalon]

He's not part French, is he?

[Unimatrix11]

I figure you mean the Civ4-one... Well, actually i would be thinking of another nation. One, had one of its players been injured during a match, had probably not won the world cup, due to half of the team members throwing their hands in the air, insisting to surrender and the other half trying to switch sides...

[Hauptman]

Well asking to be Vasilized under friendly terms is not surrendering. Its agreeing to be a junior partner in an alliance for mutual protection and trade reasons, with the ability to disolve it should the situation change.

I'm sure even Fredrick the great would have willingly agreed to such an agreement had the situation waranted it as it did in your game.

Now capitulation on the other hand. The ai's rarely offer that unless they are gettin the snot beat out of them as its a great way to guarantee their continued exsistance.