Selling Maps?

[mimi]

Some say sell, some say don't. Does the AI actually use the maps you sell them? If I have a unit blocking a choke point, the AI knows it's there even if it can't see it. And the AI also knows exactly where to plant the settlers because of the "resources to come" spell it can cast. So if it knows all this already, will keeping my map private make any difference?

[dunk]

I don't think it does.

I usually will buy one of the maps, even though the computer players demand some wacky huge price, so that I can continually trade with everyone.

Trading helps your reputation.

[Skanky Burns]

If you don't trade your map and have a weak military, the AI will demand your map and you will get nothing for it (or be at war).
If you do trade your map and have a weak military, you will get some money from the AI, but they will soon attack.


The lesson: Do whatever the hell you want with your maps, but DON'T have a weak military!!

[Spaced Cowboy]

I try not to trade maps with the AI if I know womething that they do not. This is the time when your map can make you good money/techs. However, the AI will usually explore for him/herself which makes map hoarding moot!
RPM[DEMO]http://www.ninjamicros.com/soulgirl/images/smilies/abduct.gif[/DEMO]

[Ethelred]

I sell my maps now if I can get anything for them. I don't see much value in them but the AI does so they value of a sort.

I used to refuse if I new about territory the AI could expand into that they didn't know about. Stopped worrying about that when I found out the AI knows the whole map from the start. Well they do know about the resources so I guess they know the whole map.

Your map has high value when you get the Lighthouse and search where the AI can't safely go.

[Hurricane]

They don´t know the whole world from the start. In my last game I found an island nobody else had discovered. I sold the map and three turns later the first AI settler landed on it. So they definitely didn´t know it was there before.

The fact that the AI knows which of your cities has a weak garrison does not mean they know the whole map.

[Dom Pedro II]

Yes, the same thing happened to me! If you discover a new island, make certain you don't give out your maps until you have the whole thing to yourself because otherwise they'll get a ship there ASAP to colonize it. It was so frustrating when I figured that out the first time about selling maps when you've found new land.

[Tuberski]

I will try to sell my territory map, but if my world map shows an empty island or resources i don't sell it. Learned the same way many others have...find island...sell map....send settler....already occupied by civ you sold map to

[Kuciwalker]

Trade them bananas.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by skywalker
Trade them bananas.

Spammer! Plus this isn't even the OT! Only the OT can have bananas (or polls.) Give me 30 posts or I'll report you!

I always trade away my maps, but I like to play on pangaea so I never have any new information.

[ledj]

AIs do not know all the maps that's why they are willing pay for it. However, once they know the map, they also known the future resources on it, IMHO.

[Bandit65]

I find this part of it fairly useful...

Sometimes on my random map games, I am on an island by myself, and no other civ can get to my island, because there are 3 ocean squares seperating sea squares, and I have the great lighthouse before anyone else...

SO...

I can get around the world to new lands, and meet new civs before the other civs can get to my island...

SO...

I buy a world MAP from someone else, and end up seeing all the Barbarian camps on MY island...

How someone across the world, that cannot in any way get to MY island, can have a map that shows Barbarian camps on my island... Well... who knows, but for 50 gold, why not, I take out a couple camps and make the money back.

I pray they fix the AI knowing the future resources, and lands that they cannot possibly know bug... in the next patch. It just is not fair for them to rush a Settler a hella long way from their home, all the way across the map, and plop down a city in a horribly useless piece of land, that some 200 years later produces some resource...

sooo unfair.

[Pius Popprasch]

Originally posted by Hurricane
I sold the map and three turns later the first AI settler landed on it.

It could have been there anyways. Have you tested it without selling the map?

From my tests I assume that the A.I. doesn't know my garrison. Egyptian Cavalry always attacked the city with the weakest defender on top. But it didn't know that my Tank city had 12 Tanks in it. Right next the neighbor city had only one Mech. Inf. and didn't get attacked.

[godinex]

Originally posted by Skanky Burns
If you don't trade your map and have a weak military, the AI will demand your map and you will get nothing for it (or be at war).
If you do trade your map and have a weak military, you will get some money from the AI, but they will soon attack.


The lesson: Do whatever the hell you want with your maps, but DON'T have a weak military!!

I never sell, just exchange... but ever buy maps

[kmill25]

I think the AI knows the map. I was playing Marla's world map. I was Egypt and I blocked off acess to the African continent with fortresses. Never once did I see a settler come into my land to claim a spot in the desert, until I moved my soldiers out of the forts to be upgraded. All of a sudden there are Babylonian and Persian settlers on my land. When my units are back in their forts the settlers left my land. I must also add that I NEVER sell or trade my maps.