Ally Management

[Aurelius]

This is probably a complex question, but how does requesting gifts affect an alliance (alliance reputation?) I've noticed that they are too busy to chat with my civ after some gift giving. But are they likely to request gifts at a later time? Say during the space race?

It seems that an ally is always willing to give a gift after an exchange of science.

Ultimately, I'm wondering if there is some ally management trick that might help my OCC game in the late years....like after I have space flight

Thanks, Aurelius

[BlackJack]

I have pretty good luck mostly by just trading with them regularly.

If they get in a fight, I have to declare war too but all I really do is periodically provide units - they get pissed though if all you provide is obsolete stuff.

I don't ally with any civ that's next to me.

[Aurelius]

Hi BlackJack

Wow, I rarely give allies units. Of course, I rarely offer gifts unless they make reasonable demands. Does this improve their attitude towards you?

Concerning obsolete units, when you offer the unit, do they actually reply with hostility? Or is it something you've noticed in the reputation stats? Truely curious. I love to see new dialog boxes and I thought I'd seen everything!

Yeah, I don't have a problem with going to war against an non-allied AI when an ally requests help. It's when the Ally requests help against another AI that I'm allied with that gives me trouble. Of course, maybe you only ally with one other AI (no neighbors.) This would make sense.

BTW, in OCC games, I use those obsolete units to rushbuy new units or city improvements by disbanding through the city box. But I like your idea of giving them to the allies

In my last game, my ally started demanding lots and lots of gold. I declined. Next thing I knew...really...within the turn...I was at war with them. First time I went from allied to war within a turn. I won the game with my best AC year (1963.) Moral of the story for me is develope science fast before the other civs can affectively attack--maybe this is Paul's or Smash's or Sten's idea-- it worked well.

Thanks, Aurelius

[Sten Sture]

Aurelius - I have had good success with regularly trading maps with AI allies. It helps you keep track of their development and makes them think you are being cooperative with out giving them anything they didn't already know.

I will also give them growth techs like Construction or Sanitation and peaceful government techs like Rep or Demo (after SoL) with one primary purpose - make my trade bonuses bigger.

I will also give allies (or weak civs) good defensive military techs like gunpowder and conscription; if you are good at war (chokepoints, terrain, focused attacks) it won't matter to you, but the AI's will have a tough time if they are at war with each other.

[War4ever]

Sten Sture.... its no wonder my warmongering has hurt my AC strategy.... i still refuse to give the ai anything.... can't seem to shake that mentality.

perhaps i should be nice to the ai but everytime i am and then request a gift.. they just tell me i am greedy and break the alliance.

Either that or i have to come to my allies defense as he decides that with my backing of him he can piss everyone else off and bring me into wars and breaking other treaties i have.

I find it much easier to not have allies and to just extort money or techs from everyone else.... I guess Mongols by nature are just surly creatures

[Aurelius]

Three good points Sten. Though I empathize with War4ever. Still, in ac games, allies are essential when your behind in science. Man, the AI allies have gift-given me Electronics when I had accumulated all the shields for redundant WS five turns earlier and haven't researched Corporation yet! Gotta have allies.)

Concerning the Sten's first point, map trading: I've heard that it makes the ally happy, but they usually break off discussion with a 'tete for tete' goodbye. So I don't get to request a gift--I need that 'rush' money--but I'll experiment.

The second point about giving Construction and Sanitation away brings a smug look to my 'Joe camel' face! I love that kind of thinkin'.

Concerning giving away gunpowder and conscription to waring allies, you Greek dog! Beware of SF-townies bearing gifts. If I ever take up multiplayer, I'll remember the name of Sten Sture.

[Sten Sture]

W4ever - another advantage of Allies is that you can't demand tribute in Rep or Demo. In MGE Civ, you can't get a ton of allies like in v2.42, so Allies aren't quite as important. (you Canucks are so War-like! )

Aurelius - (what a beautiful day today!)
[This message has been edited by Sten Sture (edited December 28, 1999).]

[Aurelius]

Sten, and my mountain bike is misappropriated 250 miles away!

[Genghis Al]

Can somone tell me what Sten and Aruelius are talking about?

------------------
Ah man! Ghandi! New game.

-Genghis Al

[Aurelius]

Hey Genghis, have you tried OCC yet? I just won in 1954--can't break the 1900 barrier yet though.

later.
[This message has been edited by Aurelius (edited December 29, 1999).]

[Sten Sture]

Genghis - sorry to do this to you, but click here ==> http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/...st?query=94117

I bet War4 is upset that he is north of you and has to deal with temperatures in 40s!

Have you guys tried the four whale save that you can download from Apolyton? If you don't want to mess with the Zipped file, I could send you the full version from here. It is only 43k or something like that. Let me know.

[crowatbitemedotcom]

HI Sten - if you could email me the 4 whale game, I'd appreciate it. I've been having some problems downloading it (forgive me, I'm not the most computer savvy person).

BlackJack - when you say you don't ally with any civ next to you, is this in the OCC game? And if so, what do you do with the civs that are close to you?

Crow

[Sten Sture]

Crow@ - sent. Let me know how it goes. I have played that start about 20 times but never even beaten 1850, and that is with having the map memorized. Good Luck. I think Paul did 1821 on his first try and then 1500 something after he knew the map. I am going to give it one more try this weekend.

[Paul]

The best I did in the four whales game was in the early 1800s. The 1565 landing was in Smash's two whale/two gold game.

[Sten Sture]

Thanks for the clarification Paul. I haven't tried Smash's or Bird's maps yet, maybe I'll do that this weekend. Happy New Year!