Sneaky AI tactics or just bad AI?

from GalCiv2 Forums
Yesterday when playing a game on a large map with challenging difficulty (first time for me at that level!) I was at first a little baffled when several different races contacted med with messages along the lines of "We present you with our finest ships to aid in your struggle against XXXXX". Since I didnt notice getting any new ships, this confused me a bit.

Then over the next few turns I suddenly started getting declared war on by about half the other races for no obvious reason. My military was among the strongest in the galaxy and I hadnt done anything to provoke them. It was only then that I found out I was suddenly the proud owner of 6 starbases located in the middle of various other races territories. No wonder they were upset when I appearantly had influence and military starbases right in the middle of the home systems.

But why did the AI give me a bunch of starbases that I dont have any use for at all? I got several economy starbases that were far away from my own planets and so on. Is this because the AI really wants to support my war but cant figure out how to do it? Or is it a really sneaky attempt to get me involved in a war with its neighbours?
15,263 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Starbases are usually their strongest units, and they generally give the strongest ones they have to support your war efforts so in this case, it's the AI doing bad things. It's a known issue, and a very exploitable one at that. Just fight against what everyone *THINKS* is the biggest and most dangerous race, and you'll get a ton of starbases for support. I've mentioned the issue several times, and pointed out that starbases should never be given/traded in this manner, no replies so far, but I sure hope that they have some plan to fix it soon.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
When at lower difficulty levels, the computer makes "dumb" moves on purpose, in this case it gave you some starbases which had the potential to be devistatingly powerfull. It's annoying because you don't really have a good way of finding out what they gave you and it can swing your diplomacy around.
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Frankly, If I was going to give something to my alien friends to fight a war for me, I wouldn't give them my strongest unit as I'd like to make sure I have some good defence for myself. Instead I'd give a few small things/something moderately powerful.

Although I suppose trust plays into this decision. If you can absolutely teust said race, then handing over the best you have can be good, but should the trust be misplaced its a recipe for doom...
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It can be fun to give gifted starbaces to other races, or even sell them. You can make a bunch of mony and keep attention off of you.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I dont think there is anything wrong with the AI giving starbases as support, but it should be for a good reason. For example, it shouldnt be giving me an economy starbase thats located deep within its own territory.

But at least this has inspired me to build starbases in other races territories and then give them away to increase tensions between the races that I would like to see fight each other
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hi!
It can be fun to give gifted starbaces to other races, or even sell them

At genius they don't pay a dime for it. I can give it away only for free. Got that issue several times, gave them back, and got them again as a gift few turns thereafter. Scrapped them for some 150 BC. IMO such behaviour should be fixed.
BR, Iztok
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
That's a slick feature, other races giving you support when you're fighting their enemies. Now if only it worked.....

It shouldn't count starbases when figuring up which ship is the most powerful. After a game, if you look at the summary of what everyone ended up with, everyone's most powerful ship is an economy starbase.

If I'm in a fight and someone wants to help me out, I'd much rather have starships than starbases. The Altarians handed over several starbases while I was fighting the Drengin and not one of them did me any good.

By the way, the AI civs do that amongst themselves too. I was fighting a war with the Arceans and constantly slaughtering them. It would get to the point that every Arcean ship in the galaxy (I had a huge sensor network) was destroyed, yet they would come back at me a few turns later with huge fleets of battleships. They weren't building them, because I was constantly checking their planets and finding no shipyard activity.

As it turns out, the Thalans were building those battleships, then giving or selling them to the Arceans. I noticed that entirely by accident, when a Thalan battleship suddenly became an Arcean battleship in front of my eyes. The Thalans had been demanding tribute through most of the game, but were a little too cautious for open war.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The Altarians handed over several starbases while I was fighting the Drengin and not one of them did me any good.


That's because your not looking at the benefits. Sell them back, or another race to get lots of tech, money etc which then allows you to fast buy-build your ships.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Why not accept their gifts and if they end up giving you a starbase in their territory sell it back to them? I'm sure you could get a few bc if nothing else and it's better than a war...
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
because its stupid and if thats not enough because it sucks that after half of the game all starbases are gifted to either u or an AI controlled player. why should they give you something that helps u in such a complicated way. its planned that they give you their most powerful ships and not starbases pls fix it
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
On Suicidal, trading starbases and ships to AIs for BC or tech is pointless because they place no value on these items. Conversely, they place too high a value on their own ships if you want to trade for them.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I am playing a game on Masochistic and had the same thing happen... a race gave me "some of their best units" that happened to be military starbases in someone else's territory. I didn't see any units so I paid it no mind. A few turns later, that other race declared war on me. I reloaded the autosave, and now gifted all those military starbases to a neighbor who was looking threatening ---- lo and behold, I get him off my back to get him into a war

A little while later that same opponent gave me some more starbases -- a couple of them were military but there were two mining ones --- fully upgraded military and morale! Talk about a life saver.

You're right --- an opponent should never "gift" you starbases for your war, I hope they fix this.