I got my @$$ handed to me

[D4everman]

I know this question has probably been answered before but please bear with me. Its been a long time since played PtW. I just don't understand how the AI thinks.

In my first game in months, on a huge map I (americans) found myself sandwiched between the japanese to the south and england to the north. I had a respectable chunk of land too. The Egyptians were on an island south of me and the aztecs to the west on another one. The russians were north of the English and by 500 AD it was clear that they were the 500 pound gorilla on our continent. Everything was going okay or so I thought. I was trying to avoid conflicts and all of my neighbors regarded me with "polite". I traded often....as a matter of fact I had just spoken with the russians who, as I said were "polite" to me and "impressed with my culture" when they for no real reason declared war!

Crap. I'll be frank. They ate me alive. They sent a horde of their UU's after me, through english territory and kicked my can all over the place. I didn't have cavalry yet, just knights and they were being slaughtered. I actually ended that war after losing two cities by suing for peace fast. At first I got the english to declare war on the russians, but they made peace a turn later.

Peace didn't last for me though. The russians came right back after me and started tearing my fischizzle up. It was painfully clear that this game was over...for me at least. No biggie, I just want to know what motivation the AI had to attack me. I wasn't the closest or the easiest target to attack. I didn't do anything to PO the russians...I traded with them freely. Was it the old "Get the human player!" thing? (I thought I had heard that the AI doesn't know the difference from the human player and the other AI's...?)

Just for my own knowledge I'd be interested to know what makes an AI civ attack someone they're at peace with for no reason. (They didn't demand anything, they just declared war). If anyone can shed some light I'd appreciate it. Have a good day folks.

[badams52]

We're the also "impressed" with your military???

One thing that I've found is that if you're militarily weak, the AI is more likely to attack.

I'm guessing if you looked at your military advisor it would have said "Compared to these guys, we're weak."

Hopefully others will point out other reasons for them going to war with you.

BTW, what level are we talking here?

[Gwylim]

you should have a look at this :-)

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=97782

[vmxa1]

Was all the land in the vicinty taken? If so they have to get it from someone else and if you were weak from the AI perspective, then you are it.
The others may have had deals with them, so they did not want to break them, or even if smaller, may have had more units.

[Japher]

You need to keep your military up. If your neighbors view you as week they will jump on you even if they are being polite. At least early in the game. Later you can trade to keep them nice and the ussually won't attack.

In the opening game the best thing to do is settler diarhea while building up units to take out your negihbor... Forget science and wonders, just get to Ironworking and then flood them with swordsmen.

[Jaybe]

Check the following link:
Civ Fanatics: Civilization III: War Academy: AI Attitude

EDIT: Also check out the related forum thread linked at the bottom of the article.

[Verto]

They needed Lebensraum.