Peter Harris Peter Harris

Paying extortion, is it ever worth it?

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Paying extortion, is it ever worth it?

from Stardock Forums
Reading the threads here and at Apolyton I get the idea that the AI demands tribute if it is stronger than you. You pay the tribute which is normally so expensive it nearly bankrupts you (or a whole star system) and then 5 turns later the same civ is back demanding more. It sounds like paying tribute would wreck you real fast.

I started up a game (at moderate difficulty) to see what would happen if I didn't build a fleet. I received very early demands for tribute from three civs, I told two where to go and paid a lot to one. Shortly afterwards they all presented fresh demands.

So why not go to war regardless of how hopeless the situation is? Yeah, yeah, the tribute buys time but why ruin yourself to buy a few turns, you just rapidly dig yourself into a deeper hole.
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Reply #26 from Stardock Forums Top
I think I'm in a vast minority here, but I would say I pay the tribute about 50-60% of the time.

Although I agree that if the computer is demanding tribute, your best bet is to determine why, and fix it, so it doesn't happen continually. That is, increase trade with him, increase your military spending, etc...

I try to avoid wars a lot, so I often pay tribute, plus in my better games I have such a strong economy the tribute is often small to me. In some of my better games I've had 30000 credits so when someone asks for 1000, I'd rather pay it then have to start moving ships all over a gigantic galaxy.
Reply #27 from Stardock Forums Top
These days, the only times I get hit for tribute are

1: If I make a really bad call on a spending decision (ie I collapse my economy because I rushed something I had no business rushing)

2: I start too close to a major (which if I dont switch to a rush for phasers, I'm in trouble) This especially bad on the high levels because they can be... "impatient"

3: Bad start position (ie there's no way I'm going to keep up with AI growth, military bar over takes...culture is bruising)

Of those times they ask for tribute, my record has been about 30% in the tribute preventing a war. The other 70% I was so far gone, that I was dead anyways. But its still worth it sometimes to buy time.

SeanB
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Reply #28 from Stardock Forums Top
Even when you pay, they want more. Then you have no loot to build a military.

Tribute is just CODE ORANGE to let you know that somebody is about to kick your ass.

Refuse paying and set your military slider to 100%...that's the only way to survive.

I'm curious to know what makes a minor race a minor and a major race a major...what specifically makes them so handicapped???

Reply #29 from Stardock Forums Top
Alzandrion,
Not really sure what makes them minor. My idea has been that since they are independent that they are more a nation of races instead of an actual race. Not sure though just my thought. ;)

~SDC~
Reply #30 from Stardock Forums Top
I think minor races are limited in their colonization. They can't leave their initial sector except with certain special events (such as the appearance of the I-League. They don't approach you with trade offers that I've seen, (but I've only finished 4 games).

Reply #31 from Stardock Forums Top
Yea naytch, thats correct.

Minors have 2 basic differences.

They will never colonize outside their original sector.

And they dont count for military victory conditions
(minors can be alive, majors can not be to win by
military)

Otherwise they are pretty much identical, though
of course with only one sector they pretty quickly
fall behind everyone else.



Reply #32 from Stardock Forums Top
Oh and they wont declare war on you either, guess
thats 3 differences and of course you cant
spy or perform destabilization on them.

And some of them appear to be very resistent to
cultural flipping, but some are not(alexians for
instance)
Reply #33 from Stardock Forums Top
I've sued for peace with the Draginol then a couple turns later been at war again. So at least one minor races can declare war, though the Draginol are of course a very very special case.
Reply #34 from Stardock Forums Top
I had one game where I went to war with the Torians (I think) - and my favorite minors declared war on me. They were allied.
Reply #35 from Stardock Forums Top
I sometimes paid all tributes. When you have a cash income of +2000bc/month, you can pay 1500 if you like.
Hey, the drengin once asked for sol in a tiny rare when sol was my only system
End of quote

Yes, they do that all the time. The bad thing is, when it's your only system, you can't give them even if you have a full transport just besides that you could use to invade it immediately because you lose anyway if you do that (yes, I tried).
Reply #36 from Stardock Forums Top
You're asking me, if I give in to blackmail? By a computer? NEVER!!!!!!
I'd rather put up a grim fight before the AI vanquishes me.

~SDC~
[Message Edited]
Reply #37 from Stardock Forums Top
I have noticed that if you have substantially superior diplomacy (sp. diplomatic translators), you can often get a hostile AI to go up a level of relations by giving them one or two scouts. I am not sure why they value them so much, but they do, and it costs you nothing to give them to them because they have no firepower. I'm not cheesy enough to build scouts just for this purpose, but I will give away ones that I have gotten from anomalies on the map and so on.

-Drake

~SDC~
Reply #38 from Stardock Forums Top
Don't you guys have any backbone? Have you ever heard of peace through strength? Don't give those jackasses a dime! Let them try to take it and them slam them. ;)

Of course, there is the RARE occasion where you need to pay someone off, but otherwise don't be a jellyfish. Military strength is an important part of the game ...
Reply #39 from Stardock Forums Top
Richard Heaton --

Maybe they're refitted as pleasure cruisers for their diplomats and other officials. :)

Diplomacy through gifts did seem to get a big boost in 1.04.
Reply #40 from Stardock Forums Top
I find it cheaper to trade a few techs for whoever is closest to the Drengin to go to war with them. That way I can refuse their demands without fear of them going to war with me as they have less of a tendancy to declare war on a major if they are already at war with one. I then have the option of financing whoever is losing so that both major races continue to poor huge resources into their war, while I peacefully build up my economy. When one side or the other becomes too weak, I'll buy or trade for the strongers warships thereby balancing the war again. sometimes I'll even sell those ships to his enemy. makes for a lot of fun.

~SDC~