A.I. loyalty?

from Stardock Forums
Im just wondering, are some of the AI's more loyal then others?

when i start a game, i always try to determine what my future alignment will be, and as a result, who will be my trade partners. one thing thing that i have noticed is that some of the AI's are more loyal then others. i try to stick my trading to the AI's who i believe will not declare war on me, and as a result ruin my mature trade routes.

from my games, i have found that the Torians are probably the most loyal of all the AI's. they have almost never declared war with me, unless im attacking one of their allies. They also dont seem to care what my alignment is, i have played pure-good to pure-evil, and it doesnt seem to have much effect on them.

The alterians are by far the most unpredictable, and as a result i dont trade with them. the only times i find that i can get good relations with them is if they are a lot weaker then me. they also dont seem to care what my alignment is, even when im pure-good they have still attacked me.

The Arceans, i find, are kinda hard to get a good realation with, even when they are much weaker then you. the only way i can get on their good side is if i do lots of trade with them, or give them gifts. they dont really care if my military can crush theirs. They also dont seem to care what alignment i have -except for some reason, it seems easier to become 'close' with them when i play pure evil then when i play neutral.

I havent really noticed anything unusual with the Drengins or the Yor -except maybe the Yor being a bit easier then the Drengins to come 'close' with. The drengin and the Yor also like to co-operate in 'secret' with me a lot, a lot more often then the other 3 AIs.

The minors i find make pretty reliable -but very limited trade partners. as long as none of the majors take them out, they usually remain loyal for the entire game.

im wondering if anyone else noticed these things also? i havent played enough games yet to be sure on these observations.
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
I think your observations are pretty accurate. I can't figure out the Alterians at all. They just attack for no reason and often when they're in a poor position vis a vis military tech. The minors always stay loyal but they never last through the end of the game. I've found the Drengins to often be the most reciprocal in terms of trade; I always get more than I give with them.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Strange, I always find the Alterians the most loyal (but I'm usually good) with the Yor the least loyal. However, a big enough fleet and nobody will mess with you.

I also like the Drengins to trade with. I don't think they research the diplomatic techs as fast so I get some good deals with them.
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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Wierd. I have found the Arceans to be the most trustworthy and have never had them break an alliance or attack me unless I've attacked their ally. I have had the Alterians fake an excuse to attack me and break alliance - "You are at war with our ally the I-League, we must honor our agreement with them" - when I most certainly wasn't at war. I had the save game from just before that turn and I checked. So I duplicated everything again, which included absorbing the Drengin, Jarkians, and two other minor races all in one turn :D and lo and behold, the did it again.

The Alterians are a buncha freaks if you ask me!
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I find the Torians and Alterians to be most loyal when I play. The Arceans will be loyal if you trade with them a lot and have a fleet ready to fight. The Drengin are also easy to get an alliance with no matter the alignment as long as you trade. I find the Yor are unwilling to cooperate with me unless I have a bigger fleet than they do.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
The Alterians are a buncha freaks if you ask me!
End of quote

I think the Altarians are quite a good simulation of the Americans!
There are so many parallels!

Well... maybe I am just a bit biased now because in my last game I was conquered by the Altarians. :p
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I bet it is how your alignment is for that game. I'm usually good to pure good so I never had a problem with the Alterians.

~SDC~
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
I usually give a minor a nice system in my space and send all of my trade to that system with plenty of trade enhancing starbase modules. I make a ton of money and the minor makes a ton of money. The minor has the cash to support a powerful fleet to defend itself against the majors. I sell some techs and trade goods to this minor but give plenty of freebies. My trade is uninterrupted, the minor never attacks me but I can usually bribe it to help out with that huge fleet if needs be.

There is no way in hell I will send any trade to a major because they are prone to declaring war anyway and putting heaps of starbases near them is to risk those starbases (unless I want to fortify them to the max and keep powerful fleets hanging around to protect them from my "trade partner"). Trading with the minor gives me more cash for less risk and the minor will not use that cash to finance attacks on me.

I have yet to lose my minor at any level up to Bright.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Note in your beginning screen, the Altarians (default morality) are set to pure good, but it notes they had a campaign of evil cleansing.

Now you don't have to be evil for them to go on said campaign, They actually did it to me when I was good once. (all the evil civs were gone and I was the least good civ left) But this cleansing campaign usually comes when you are evil, fade toward the evil side of neutral or neutral. But if you are very strong in your military rating, they will leave you alone most of the time.



Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
Any AI will demote its relations with you once your alignment begins to vary with its own by +20 or more.

Default alignments are estimated (based on play experience) to be:

Drengin - 10
Yor - 40
Arcean - 50
Torian - 60
Altarian - 90

The "good" alignments (60+) will not break alliances and will (generally) react more positively to trade routes.

~SDC~
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
That logical implies that "Neutral" is 50, "Pure" anything is a + or - 40, while "Chaotic" anything is a + or - 10...

A 60 or 40 doesn't change your screen though...

~SDC~
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
I meant 'logically', as in "inferring from the previous post", not questioning the logic from the post. Brain fart :notsure:

A 60 or 40 doesn't change your screen though...
End of quote


Errr, I think it's 70-30, but I could be really wrong. :p

~SDC~
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
This stuff gets really messy to discuss. Some of the effects people are describing are due to RACE, some are due to ALIGNMENT (relative to you), some are due to that AI's GAME STRATEGY in that particular game, and some are due to MILITARY (relative to you). I suspect that some of it is even due to the AI intelligence setting!

I think the Torians/Drengin value trade income the most, and the Yor/Arceans the least. (These latter two will attack me even if the loss of trade cripples their economy...)

I find everyone to be amazing loyal to me while I have the biggest military or a very big military with the biggest economy, and not very loyal any other time...

~SDC~