Giving Into Another Civ's Demands For Cities

[Osprey]

I've been playing the Iroquois in a regent game, huge world, every civ. It's amazing how fast all the other civs expand and at the same time blow me away in research. Anyway, I was going to concentrate on playing a peaceful game and build up culture. All the other civs wanted to plop down cities right at my borders so expansion was tough. The Germans were one of my next door neighbors and very early on wanted one of my best cities to keep from killing me. Even though they were stronger I wasn't going to give in to their demands but I ended up clicking on the wrong response and gave it to them anyway. I was hot about that. Anyway, the English and the Germans started to go at it and England takes my city back from them. Germany approached me for an alliance against England and I saw a chance at getting my city back. I agreed to the alliance and quickly had my city back from the English. Some time went by and everyone made up and formed peace treaties. Meanwhile, I'm dropping way behind everyone in tech when all of a sudden Germany again wants to ally with me, this time against Babylon. I asked for techs in return for an alliance with them and Germany agreed. I thought this was great because Germany was between Babylon and myself and I figured I would stay out of any actual fighting and collect techs on top of it all, what a breeze! NOT! Shortly thereafter, Persia wanted me to give them a bunch of stuff for free and I told them to take a hike. They declared war on me along with France. England backstabbed me and broke their peace treaty to get their city back. Several turns went by with no sign of Persian or French or Babylonian troops so I think I'm doing ok. All of a sudden from the German border comes 15 Babylonian Knights in a stack approaching my outer cities. All I had for defence were about 3 units per city. Most consisted of Pikemen, Swordsmen and I had just gained the ability to build Musketmen but only had a couple. I tried to sue for peace immediately with Babylon but they wanted a city to do it. I HATE giving up cities so I offered something like all my maps, all my gold, plus 8 gold per turn. They said no way and I didn't give in to their demands for the time being. I also noticed a few French units approaching also. Figuring it was a lost cause, I sold off all the improvements in the city that Babylon wanted and vacated my units. Then I went back to Babylon to sue for peace and once again asked them what they wanted for a peace treaty. To my surprise, they no longer wanted the city now that the improvements were gone, they wanted what I had offered them to begin with. Thinking back on that, I should have sold off my improvements one at a time and checked back with Babylon each time to see if they had changed their minds. As it was though, I sold off everything. We made peace and I killed off the French units who were an immediate threat but saw more approaching---knights (dang!). Then Persia landed on my opposite shores which I had pulled most of my manpower from to defend against the Babylonians and French. My situation was looking bad when all of a sudden the city which I had sold off all my improvements to keep out of Babylonian hands got absorbed by the Greeks (another neighbor) through culture takeover. They had already absorbed another of my cities not long before this one and were very strong both militarily and culturally. This constituted an ARSE for me. The most interesting thing about this game was learning that selling off improvements might change the minds of a civ who is demanding one of your cities. Has anyone else experienced this?
The Osprey

[quinalla]

I haven't has another civ demand a city from me yet, but if they did I would definately refuse I always like to refuse their stupid demands

I do often demand cities from the AI after I have been pummeling them for awhile and I want to end a war. A way to reverse your strategy to get the AI to cough of more cities (if you are going for quantity or maybe a city with resources/luxuries) would be to bombard away all the improvements, or at least some of them, to make it less valueable to the AI.

-quinalla

[eMarkM]

Was this all on the same turn? It could be your improvement sale that made them back off, or it could have been other circumstances. If more turns went by between the initial demand for a city it just may have been they were war weary and wanted to be done with it. If it was on the same turn, maybe you've discovered a good strategy for when you're in desparate straits.

I had one situation where I gave into demand for city for peace. I was fighting a 3 front war against a 3 civ alliance in Ancient times and felt I had to appease one of them or I'd be toast. Gave Zulus the they wanted city. They were forever polite after that and never threatened me again in any way. I overcame the other two civs and was back in the game. Of course, I eventually lost to the same Zulus when they won the space race, but at least I survived long enough in the opening to get there.

e

[Osprey]

eMarkM,
Yes, all the negotiations with the Babylonians over the city happened during the course of the same turn.
1) I saw the hopeless situation and knew they would take the city easily by force.
2) I tried to sue for peace by asking them what they wanted for peace treaty
3) They wanted Eretria (my city) in exchange for peace
4) I made them another offer of World Map, Territory Map, all my gold, 8 gold per turn. They refused
5) I asked again what they wanted for peace. They still wanted Eretria
6) I sold off all my improvements and vacated the city.
7) I asked again what they wanted for peace. This time they wanted the gold that I had offered them before I sold off the improvements.
8) I agreed. We made peace. I moved other units back into the city and prepared to fight the French who were also on my borders.
All this happened during my one turn.
The Osprey