AI Starbase Sharing - What's the deal?

from GalCiv2 Forums
Ok, first off - GREAT GAME. I've been having a blast playing it. I'm currently on the level above normal and getting my ass kicked, but I noticed a few odd things.

AI Tech Sharing - ok, I know this has probably been beaten to death and the AI can't tell your human and everything, but this is either messed up or there's a galactic tech exchange that I'm not aware of. Ok, I'm big on research. My slider is usually at at least 40% the entire game. Normal was nearly impossible to keep up with technology-wise. Challenging is just impossible. I don't mind that the AI trades techs, but it should trade fairly with everybody if its going to do it. Example - Offering me mass driver theory for enhanced minaturization is not a good trade. However, thats the kind of trade the AI sees as fair when trading tech with me. Now, when I try and do a trade like that, the AI turns red and says no way like to be expected. However, does the AI accept this deal when dealing with another AI? or do they trade more fairly amongst themselves? Now, to try and see if relations had anything to do with it, I forced 2 people to be my ally in a challenging game to see what happens. Same thing, extremely unfair tech deals and now frequent begging for technology. Something is up here, either a bug or it needs to be looked at and rebalanced.

- Starbase sharing. - Ok, now this one got me a little ticked off. I've noticed it since the beginning but it wasn't a blatant problem until now. Arceans had 2 resource starbases, an influence and a military one. turns progress, the AI starts going into they're Gangbang the player phase and the arceans declare war. I was thinking cool, pick off those two starbases and grab the resources. I go to attack only to find that they are now under the control of the Korx . Ok whatever, trade deal or something , I can deal with that. Turns progress, arceans make peace, I check they're starbases and they are back in they're control. Ok, beat but clever I guess. So, war round two comes around. Arceans declare again, go to attack the starbases to see Korx colors again. 10 turns or so later the Korx declare war on me. I excitedly make a line for the bases, only to find them now under control of the drengin (none of these races were allys or sometimes didn't even have good relations). War progressed, korx made peace, arceans made peace, arceans get back the bases for the third time. So, what the hell is going on with this?

once again developers - excellent game. This wasn't meant to be flaming or anything, but you have to understand to lose a game to the above tactics is extremely frustrating especially when you played it for 12 hours or so. so if there is a condescending attitude in my post or anything I apologize.

Take care
4,973 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Did you check the treaties page and look at how developed those starbases were? It's very likely the AIs were simply fighting each other and destroying the starbases to capture the resources for themselves.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
yeah thats what I always assumed in my previous games when I saw bases change hands. These last 2 were in my territory and constantly within my sensor range. They just changed color one turn.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Maybe the Arceans traded their starbases to the Korx for a bunch of techs the Korx had, then when the Arceans were beaten up a bit and wanted peace they traded a bunch of other techs to the Korx to get the starbases back, and this goes back and forth and back and forth, and thus shows an underlying theory behind the wierd AI sharing that goes on behind the player's back.

If the developers say that the AI doesn't even know who's a player and who's another AI empire, then okay I believe that. But perhaps in diplomacy the AI have a certain way of doing things that creates a feedback in AI empires that eventually leads to things happening among AI that doesn't happen among players. IE, they all get Lasers IV and a bunch of other things (the most advanced tech in my present game, far outstripping me), even though there's no conceivable way that I could make a trade like that occur..

I noticed it's been happening ever since I went up from Beginner and to 'Normal' difficulty. I have however noticed that later in the game, it's not as much of a problem. In the game before my present one, the Iconians were the big tech powerhouse and were trading it with everybody. Then I gave them my planet Marshall (QL 11) for almost all of their techs. Later on in the game, I began to notice most of the AI empires were WAY behind the Iconians technologically, which meant they were no longer able to make tech trades happen. One thing I should note is that at that point the Iconians were majorly expansionist and taking down those smaller empires one by one.

edit: Another factor, and a pretty fair one, is that even though the player often does get left behind technologically in these circumstances, they often are a pretty powerful force in the galaxy along some lines when this is happening. Number of planets, military power, some way. The reason the AI may be more willing to share techs with other empires that so happen to be AI, is that they're a bit scared of the player. In my current game those sorta E.T.-looking dudes went so far as to tell them outright that they didn't think it wise to trade Planetary Invasion to the most militarily powerful empire (guess I went too far on producing those Wasp and Far Stinger fleets and stringing them along my border ).
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Whenever the AI offers you a tech trade, it thinks it's giving you a deal. Because military techs are so taboo in this game., the mass driver theory for enhanced minaturization trade is thought of as a bargain, thus why they wouldn't trade it to you when you offered it.

Now, these random tech trades are randomly targeted as well, so for every tech offer you get, each computer player is getting one too. The thing is, since the AI thinks these are good deals, they accept them every single time. That's where the rampant tech trading is coming from.

The only way I've found around it is to manipulate it yourself, especially the minor races, and make a fortune doing tech brokering.

-Dewar
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think what it is is they're giving you the weakest technology that they have and you don't. Thus, theories, not weapons.

Though that's a good theory Dewwar. "Oh sure, I'll give you terraforming for beam weapon theory. Hey, while you're here, howabout Planetary Invasion for my grandma's psisnake stu recipe?"
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ok, I'm big on research. My slider is usually at at least 40% the entire game. Normal was nearly impossible to keep up with technology-wise. Challenging is just impossible.


Not sure what you're talking about here (and I've seen other posts on it as well). I play on Challenging and I rarely run research above 30% and I'm right up there in tech with all the AI's. Couple have some techs I don't have, some are way behind. Perfect. I can keep trading. I just check every 4 turns or so for any new techs they might have and trade away.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
THe AI is willing to part with their starbases for cash. You can do all sorts of stupid diplomatic tricks knowing this. I've had a culture war IO was losing turn around by buying my opponents influence bases from him.

Oh yeah, if you sell a tech to one opponent, you may as well sell it to all of them this turn, because if you don't your opponent likely will.