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Author Topic:   Diplomacy needs a reality check

Matt Fox posted 03-15-99 06:05 PM ET
If I have just butchered half of a player's cities and there is no way they can stop me from continuing, is it realistic for the AI to ask for all my energy to grant me a truce? He should be begging me for a truce. The computer doesn't start offering me gifts to end the war until I'm standing next to his capital with 10 or 15 units. It's funny when your battleship meets a helpless transport in the middle of the ocean and they demand you give them all your energy to refrain from erradicating you. I find myself having to read the message again just to be sure that they are demanding things of me and not offering me all their energy. It certainly would make more sense the other way around in many cases. When is enough enough for the AI? (squish. pardon?)
ViVicdi posted 03-15-99 06:23 PM ET
This phenomenon has been given an entry in the "SMAC Dictionary". See "Nonviolent Resistance".
As to what to do about it, just keep conquering until they surrender. Forget truces, the AI uses them like the Viet Cong did, as a battlefield tactic to give forces in the field a chance to regroup for resumed combat.
In my experience once a faction declares war on you it so irreversibly poisons your relationship that the only lasting peace to be had is at the point of surrender. Even a minor, long-ago war with a "pacifist" faction seems to make that faction really twitchy for the rest of the game.
mjhalpha1 posted 03-15-99 06:52 PM ET
The most bizarre AI I have experienced is playing UoP. I had forced the surrender of several factions, including Peacekeepers, and was much the strongest faction. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, Lal broke pact and attacked me - suing for peace again after I took another city off him.
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Author	Topic: Diplomacy needs a reality check
Matt Fox	posted 03-15-99 06:05 PM ET If I have just butchered half of a player's cities and there is no way they can stop me from continuing, is it realistic for the AI to ask for all my energy to grant me a truce? He should be begging me for a truce. The computer doesn't start offering me gifts to end the war until I'm standing next to his capital with 10 or 15 units. It's funny when your battleship meets a helpless transport in the middle of the ocean and they demand you give them all your energy to refrain from erradicating you. I find myself having to read the message again just to be sure that they are demanding things of me and not offering me all their energy. It certainly would make more sense the other way around in many cases. When is enough enough for the AI? (squish. pardon?)
ViVicdi	posted 03-15-99 06:23 PM ET This phenomenon has been given an entry in the "SMAC Dictionary". See "Nonviolent Resistance". As to what to do about it, just keep conquering until they surrender. Forget truces, the AI uses them like the Viet Cong did, as a battlefield tactic to give forces in the field a chance to regroup for resumed combat. In my experience once a faction declares war on you it so irreversibly poisons your relationship that the only lasting peace to be had is at the point of surrender. Even a minor, long-ago war with a "pacifist" faction seems to make that faction really twitchy for the rest of the game.
mjhalpha1	posted 03-15-99 06:52 PM ET The most bizarre AI I have experienced is playing UoP. I had forced the surrender of several factions, including Peacekeepers, and was much the strongest faction. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, Lal broke pact and attacked me - suing for peace again after I took another city off him.