AI Seems to be Unobservant and has ADD
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I've had this happen multiple times with in several games with different AI, so i'll just relate the most recent example with the Drengin. The AI was either Normal or Bright.
After some initial hostility in the early game, relations had become fairly friendly between our two races once the Drengin realized i had enough military hardware to kick their asses halfway across the galaxy.
So in the mid to late game, Dreadnaughts had been around for awhile, i opened communications with the Drengin. "I've noticed that you have a number of developed Resources under your control. I am particularly interested in the military resource and would like to trade you this advanced tech for the Starbase that is exploiting it." "Nope." "Hmm, okay, about two really advanced techs?" "No way." "Just for curiosity's sake, what if i offered you all my tech, would you consider it?" "No" "And a nice payment over a 100 year installment?" "Still no, how many times do i have to tell you?"
*Pause and consider* I've got more than enough military to blow the Drengin away, i don't like being a bully, but i want that military resource. "I understand your reluctance to part with such a valuable commodity, however i don't feel that you have the necessary military strength needed to use that resource to full effect. In the best interest of both our empires, I am asking you to hand over the Starbase so that I can use it as it was meant to be used."
"Look, the whole rest of the galaxy may think Terrans are hot stuff, but we disagree with that opinion, so bugger off!"
Okay, i go spend about a year repositioning ships, and talk to them again.
"I presume that you have noticed the recent fleet movements on my part?"
"No, not really."
"Um, well, I've positioned a Dreadnaught and a Constructor next to every single resource Starbase you posses. You know what that means, correct?"
"Nope, sorry"
*face fault* (At least that's what i'm guessing his response to the hypothetical question would be since there was _no_ evidence of any reinforcements or anything to those starbases)
"Look, those Starbases have no defensive modules, there's isn't a ship of yours within lightyears. I'm sorry to have to do this to you 'buddy,' but either hand over the military resource, or i will reduce _all_ of your starbases to dust and claim the resources for myself."
"We said it before, we said it again, bugger off!"
"Fine, ships, open fire."
Five or six dreadnaughts open fire on five or six starbases. Constructors immediatly move in and form new starbases, and i contact the Drengin again.
"I would like to discuss peace terms with you."
"Please stop hurting us! *whimpers*"
"However, given your refusal to hand the starbases over peacefully, I now have to rebuild them myselves at considerable expense. In order to make up for this inconvenience, I will require all your tech."
"Yes! Anything!"
"And substantial payments for the next 50 years."
"Just stop the pain! Please!"
"Very well."
I check out relations, and notice that they've now gone from friendly to cool, big suprise there, so i call them up again.
"By the way, we'd like to offer you these same two advanced techs that you refused to trade us the starbase for in the first place."
"Wow, you're cool! We like you so much!"
Check, relations again, and we're back up to friendly, right where we started!
So remember everyone, if you've got the military edge, a massive buildup of ships next to starbases will go unnoticed, and a small fraction of what you were willing to trade for starbases will be more than enough to fix relations up after you "accidently" burn all their starbases to the ground and seize the resources for yourself. And you get tribute out of it!
I'd like to know if anyone has done something similar at Inteligent level or above.
After some initial hostility in the early game, relations had become fairly friendly between our two races once the Drengin realized i had enough military hardware to kick their asses halfway across the galaxy.
So in the mid to late game, Dreadnaughts had been around for awhile, i opened communications with the Drengin. "I've noticed that you have a number of developed Resources under your control. I am particularly interested in the military resource and would like to trade you this advanced tech for the Starbase that is exploiting it." "Nope." "Hmm, okay, about two really advanced techs?" "No way." "Just for curiosity's sake, what if i offered you all my tech, would you consider it?" "No" "And a nice payment over a 100 year installment?" "Still no, how many times do i have to tell you?"
*Pause and consider* I've got more than enough military to blow the Drengin away, i don't like being a bully, but i want that military resource. "I understand your reluctance to part with such a valuable commodity, however i don't feel that you have the necessary military strength needed to use that resource to full effect. In the best interest of both our empires, I am asking you to hand over the Starbase so that I can use it as it was meant to be used."
"Look, the whole rest of the galaxy may think Terrans are hot stuff, but we disagree with that opinion, so bugger off!"
Okay, i go spend about a year repositioning ships, and talk to them again.
"I presume that you have noticed the recent fleet movements on my part?"
"No, not really."
"Um, well, I've positioned a Dreadnaught and a Constructor next to every single resource Starbase you posses. You know what that means, correct?"
"Nope, sorry"
*face fault* (At least that's what i'm guessing his response to the hypothetical question would be since there was _no_ evidence of any reinforcements or anything to those starbases)
"Look, those Starbases have no defensive modules, there's isn't a ship of yours within lightyears. I'm sorry to have to do this to you 'buddy,' but either hand over the military resource, or i will reduce _all_ of your starbases to dust and claim the resources for myself."
"We said it before, we said it again, bugger off!"
"Fine, ships, open fire."
Five or six dreadnaughts open fire on five or six starbases. Constructors immediatly move in and form new starbases, and i contact the Drengin again.
"I would like to discuss peace terms with you."
"Please stop hurting us! *whimpers*"
"However, given your refusal to hand the starbases over peacefully, I now have to rebuild them myselves at considerable expense. In order to make up for this inconvenience, I will require all your tech."
"Yes! Anything!"
"And substantial payments for the next 50 years."
"Just stop the pain! Please!"
"Very well."
I check out relations, and notice that they've now gone from friendly to cool, big suprise there, so i call them up again.
"By the way, we'd like to offer you these same two advanced techs that you refused to trade us the starbase for in the first place."
"Wow, you're cool! We like you so much!"
Check, relations again, and we're back up to friendly, right where we started!
So remember everyone, if you've got the military edge, a massive buildup of ships next to starbases will go unnoticed, and a small fraction of what you were willing to trade for starbases will be more than enough to fix relations up after you "accidently" burn all their starbases to the ground and seize the resources for yourself. And you get tribute out of it!
I'd like to know if anyone has done something similar at Inteligent level or above.
