What's so great about bribing cheap barb units?

[rah]

Originally posted by Six Thousand Year Old Man
I never knew this... have you tested this, M. de Marquis?

If that is always the case, then it is a very, very useful bit of information. I don't remember it in the barbarian papers either

They will attack 99% of the time. Good enough to book on it. That 1% is sometime real early in the game and you only have 1 city, I've seen barbs back off my capital instead of attacking. (but even this is rare, but it probably has happened a handfull of time over the many years.)

Yes, I too will move the unit out to try to get the king, but early in the game if you have only warriors or phalanxs on non-defensible terrain, I prefer not to let archers or legions attack.

[TCO]

Originally posted by debeest
GP, I know what opportunity cost means. But not everyone is completely building-averse. Did you understand my posts? I'm not saying it's not worth bribing the barbs; it is cheaper than rush-building. I'm just saying, I don't see why people get all excited about it and go to some lengths to create the situation, when it doesn't save all that much.

When I'm building units to pursue a war, I want vets, and barbs are rarely that. Why buy weak units a little cheap when you can build or buy strong ones?

no prob, pard.

1. If you like buildings, units will be worth less. Sure.

2. I usually use STWA to get vets. Provided the barbs win a conflict, they become vets. (And I can try top be gentle with them on the first ru t hrough.)

3. I often just use them as martial law dudes. (After warriors not available.)

4. I don't go to much trouble to set up the situation. But if it works out, some cheap barbs aren't bad...

[TCO]

Originally posted by Marquis de Sodaq

When next to a city, a barbarian always attacks the city. You can move a warrior behind a barbarian legion, he is safe. then grab the leader after the legion dies.

Very interesting insight. Just another example of how we have noodled out the exact rules that the AI follows.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Originally posted by Six Thousand Year Old Man
I never knew this... have you tested this, M. de Marquis?

If that is always the case, then it is a very, very useful bit of information. I don't remember it in the barbarian papers either

It's never failed me in a game.

Also, a barbarian will change direction to attack you, but will generally not to attack the AI. An extreme example of this led me to pay attention more closely. A barbarian horsemen walked on a straight line within 2 squares of 6 AI cities, only to change his course after he got within 5 or 6 tiles of one of my cities. That is, straight line for about 30 tiles, then veered off to attack my city. I've never tested it, only paid attention - but it seems that this is the general rule. I suspect a unit draws him, as I've seen many of my undefended, freshly settled towns ignored until their first defenders are built. Then barbarians that were previously wandering aimlessly suddenly take an interest and approach.

This last idea may just be suspicion, as I'm sure we've all lost undefended cities to barbarians over the years.