Paying AI's to trade tech

Now that the AI’s are smarter, aggressive and trading only with those friendly to them. Can you make it to pay the AI to send tech, which you don’t have an equal level tech so as to trade for another equal level tech. Just as you would pay to an ally who has a better tech than you. I tried this, but it just increased the friendship.

I dont think having the AI sell tech would be good for game balance or chemistry. Just my opinion.

At least it’s less destructive, to you in return. As your enemy could trade straightly the tech you traded to the AI.

The AIs already sell tech.

In a few games I’m playing I have kept 1 AI friendly and I send it money every cycle to get it to send tech in return. I haven’t been sending any tech to it since I might have to fight it in the future and I don’t want it to have a high Weapons tech. I only send it the cost of a tech trade.

that works? with a +1 friendly AI?

It works like a charm! The AIs all trade with each other, so if you are attacking one of them it’s still trading with the others and as long as one of them is friendly you can buy that tech.

Once you become the leader in the game though all the AIs, even the most friendlies, will turn negative. It looks like it happens on the next cycle.

Ah, yes. Just tried it now, and it worked great. Thanks @Necronos.

Wow, yes it does! I even sent $45 instead of $60 for an L4 tech by mistake and it still sent me the tech. This could be a game saver for me.

Am I really the only one who isn’t sure he likes this? :hushed:

Sharing tech at the cost of transfer (or even less!) is an act common only to the strongest of alliances… If a mere +1 regard with AI does this it just seems so cheesy to me. At least if it were reserved for only higher regard AI’s (like +4 or something) I could understand more perhaps.

I don’t think an AI should be a one stop tech store for a player. Not only does it give me cause for concern regarding balance and game dynamics, but it just seems strange since human players don’t hand out their techs so freely.

I realize to gain +1 regard, the player would have to a: not be in first place, b: not have attacked the AI ,and c: given the AI some cash or a tech…but even these conditions seem a bit too easy to meet.

Actually this was a +4 regard so maybe it doesn’t work at less. It’s the first time I’ve tried it. Up until then I’d been swapping techs which then went to two other AIs that border me and I’m definitely not friendly with.

I’ve been experimenting with this and so far I can underpay a +1 AI for tech. I haven’t checked on how low I can go yet.

I agree with @Valhallan that this shouldn’t be, but while it is and while others can do it as well, then I’m going to take advantage of it.

I just tested out underpaying an AI for tech. I paid $1 and got level 7 tech in return, and then repeated it and got a level 8 tech.

The system is broken and I wouldn’t mind seeing this loophole closed.

I will fix this bug today!

Update: I have just uploaded a super quick fix for this. You now need to send them at least enough cash to buy a point of regard before they will consider sending a tech back.

I’m not in any games with AI with more tech than me. I have tested locally, but would appreciate if you could test in your live games as well.

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That’s a bit extreme! I now have to pay $345 to get a level 6 tech. Surely if they are friendly they’d trade at cost price + 50% or something like that. The AIs trade amongst themselves all the time and if there are several of them with decent stats it becomes overwhelming, even for experienced players, and totally impossible for newbies.

A compromise is needed.

See Neptune's Pride for the situation @JayKyburz

Yes sorry @leonardebaker. I think a friendly AI should trade at cost of the tech. But I wanted to get a quick fix in right away. When I have more time later in the week I will write the algorithm that will actually take the cost of the tech into account.

Its a little complicated because I have to compare how much you sent with what techs they have that you don’t and exclude ones the are more expensive. ect ect.

Thanks Jay, don’t take too long its a quad-speed game! But I know you are busy so I’ll try and be patient.