Surrender issues

from Stardock Forums
In one of my last games on v1.04, I watched as all the AI players, one by one, surrendered to the same AI race, eventually giving the Torian's 90% of the galaxy. I did manage to win that game (and I'll submit it once my particular Metaverse woes get fixed), but it was not an enjoyable experience. IMHO, it is great that the AI is willing to surrender, but it would be nice if it would surrender to *me* sometimes. I would think the AI would surrender either to the game leader (this shortening the end game, which I thought was the whole point), or to whomever it had the best relations with. However, even though I am usually in either or both of those two positions, I don't think the AI has ever chosen to surrender to me. Is this something that needs addressing, or am I just missing something? :notsure:
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Funny, I just posted a similar thread highlighting the willingness of the AI to surrender. In that game both of the AI who surrendered DID surrender to me.

In one case I was neutral to them, and in the other I was currently at war with them. I detected no pattern.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
I've wondered about this myself. In one game, all of the major races allied up against the Drengin, except for myself. When they surrended, they didn't surrender to me, but to one of the races waging war on them.

Can't figure that out... you surrender to spit in the face of those who are attacking you so they can't have everything... but you surrender to the same people who are attacking you.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
There was even a note at some point that GalCiv was designed so that the race would surrender to an enemy of the race destroying it, as a final stab against them, but none of my allies ever surrender to me, they always surrender to an enemy...why?

~SDC~
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
They surrender to each other to make a final stab at the true enemy, The One On The Other Side Of The Screen ;)

All the surrenders I've seen have been to other AIs, but that's probably at least partly due to my not trying very hard to make friends with them.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Ive had AI's surrender to me about 3 times, to other
AI's about 10 times.

I also can detect no ryhme or reason behind the choice.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
If there is one thing you soon realise in reading the threads it's that the game experience for every player is different.

My current theory is that the AI slowly evolves on different computers. So I suggest that if your computer dislikes you it will give you different events. For example, my computer loves me and so the other civs *usually* surrender to me. I'd suggest you try to love your computer more and see whether that improves things. ;)
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
I had a Yor surrender to me once. Poor thing was in a war against a three way alliance and was basically toast. I was at peace with all 4 parties, but the Yor surrendered to me. Sounds great? No, it most certainly was not. That put me into an instant three way war that I was out of position for. Had to teach that alliance a lesson and then do round the board peace talks with all three parties at the same time. I made them all pay for peace in the end, but that was one nasty surrender. I get 2 planets and a galactic scale war. Was it a spiteful surrender? I don't know. But it kind of left me saying "Thanks for the two planets, but I'm getting hosed here."
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
I had close relations with a declining race and gave them much help. When they surrendered, they went with their enemy. However, in other games, they have surrendered to me. No real pattern I can discern.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
In my last game the Arceans surrendered to the Torians and the Drengin surrendered to me.

I found that to be just fair!
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
I had the Torians surrender to me instead of giving in
to the Arceans, which gave me two fronts to fight on and a lot of sectors in between my 2 areas of space.
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Frogboy or any other devs, if you are reading this, I personally would love a more detailed explaination of the way surrender is supposed to work. Not only would it be nice to know ;) but it would also allow us to figure out if there's a bug in the way surrender is handled. Not that I am complaining...I refuse to complain until I have more information! ;p
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
I have only seen one surrender, in which the Drengin, at perpetual war with the Torians, gave their last planet to me. I was, at the time, ranked second on the galactic scale (F3 stats). Thus, I believe the surrender is to whomever is the next most powerful Empire in the galaxy (although it could be to the most powerful non-involved Empire, as well).

#8 Chris,

I agree! GalCiv has been much kinder to me ever since I started giving my PC flowers on federal holidays. I currently post a picture of Charlize Theron from "The Italian Job" when I make said homage. Needless to say, the GF is slightly consternated at this development in my apparent worship of certain starlets. Of course, lifelong lunatic gamer that I am, I'm not about to tell her...it's all about the AI! LOL

~SDC~
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm still thinking the AI surrenders to its closest friend. That would make sense, we would want to surrender to the aliens most like us if necessary probably.

My all time favorite surrender was the Arceans.
They gave me their last 2 planets because the Drengin were destroying them.

I immediately traded those two planets to the Drengin for peace :)
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top
I think that the surrender choice also depends on the overall game state. If someone is dominating, people tend to surrender to them. If the game is close, then relations and alignment are more of a factor.
Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top
Maybe its an alignment issue and not a relations issue.

Perhaps they are more apt to surrender to whomever
is the closest to the same alignment as them?

Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top
I have no idea if it is an alignment issue or relations..perhaps the formula or the routine can
be expounded upon here by one of the programmers?
:D

Doug
Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top
Just to add to the confusion... :SURPRISED:

In my last game, the Drengins ruled early militarily, but then everyone ganged up on them, and slowly but surely they diminished and were all but eliminated. They were at war basically all game with the Alterans, who were mopping the floor with them. While still at war with them, they decided to surrender to...you guessed it, the Alterans. :( This to me seems broken... :notsure:
Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm inclined to think that victims should surrender to the race that's been conquering them, which generally best reflects what actually happens in the real world. City-states, kingdoms, and nations never surrendered to their allies, after all, because it's not realistically an option.

For that matter, really-low-morale systems beset by superior enemy forces should probably consider surrender or secession followed by striking a separate deal in order to spare their own miserable lives.
Reply #22 from Stardock Forums Top
I think it makes perfect sense to surrender to an ally.

Without getting too much into world events, if Iraq suddenly declared they were part of Russia, the U.S. would have acted a bit differently. What happens in real wars seems closer to what happens when you wipe out an AI -- provisional government is set up.

Reply #23 from Stardock Forums Top
Okay Stardock. Time to seriously examine the AI's surrender strategy. I had close relations with the Torians, and was even an ally for 18+ months. When the going got tough, I siphoned them money and ships. But in the end they surrendered to the Drengin all the way accross the galaxy...not me!

What good are my relashions with the other races if these relations never help, but only mitigate the harm I incur. Arrrgh, this game can really tick me off!
Reply #24 from Stardock Forums Top
Yea, and the Germans surrendered to the Jappenese in
WWII, come on guys, you have it all backwards, they
should always surrender to the bastard beating them
up. Which isnt working either, as often im beating
the crap out of someone and they surrender to someone
else, wtf.

[Message Edited]
Reply #25 from Stardock Forums Top
Well...until Frogboy gives some input...I'm gonna place my bets that the AI will surrender to which ever race is in overall 1st place.

I have seen that pattern in the most recent games...never really paid much attention to it until a few relate threads ago. Could be coincidence.

But that is surrender, which has little to do with cultural dominance.