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Thread: Financial Exploits Thread or -- this is Monty Hall and "Let's MAke a Deal"

  1. #1
    NorseThing's Avatar Primicerius
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    Icon10 Financial Exploits Thread or -- this is Monty Hall and "Let's MAke a Deal"

    I was playing a vanilla version of M2TW as Milan. It got me to think a bit about the starting decisions of 'buying' settlements from the other factions. The biggest problems seem to be the the HRE ownership of Bologna and Vienna that can be bought promptly. Then there is the French / English conflict with Caan and Angers and Rennes. If this was the real world, the AI would be considered incompetitant to handle their own affairs.

    Then there is the 'ploy' of paying cash today for a tribute that ties the AI faction with a treaty that AI is incapable of seeing thru to the end and thus suffers the loss of faith and cannot any longer be trusted. Make it a part of a trade agreement to help the human player to think it is just good business.

    There are more such ploys. I am certain of that. We claim the AI is stupid, but then we take advantage of the stupidity of the AI process to exploit our games. It seems a bit llike cheating at solitaire. Well it is cheating at solitaire.

    So who resists the urge to play Monty Hall in your own version of the old game show "Let's make a Deal"? Yes, I know that there are modifications that make these deals less likely, but this is really about self control and imposing your own rules on how to enjoy the game.

    Maybe I should write an AAR that makes fun of all the exploits. A kind of written farce just for us at TWC. If so -- how about contributing to the cause with your favorite and outrageous exploits of a financial nature in this thread? Be specific. Be general. But, by all means give us your exploits. True confession time. The man with pointy hat will absolve you if you confess before all.

  2. #2
    Ἀπολλόδοτος Α΄ ὁ Σωτήρ's Avatar Yeah science!
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    Default Re: Financial Exploits Thread or -- this is Monty Hall and "Let's MAke a Deal"

    Despite playing M2TW for years I've never tried giving AI a tribute for a long duration to see will it not attack me until the treaty is over. Does anyone knows if this is actually the case?
    "First get your facts straight, then distort them at your leisure." - Mark Twain

    οὐκ ἦν μὲν ἐγώ, νῦν δ' εἰμί· τότε δ' ούκ ἔσομαι, ούδέ μοι μελήσει

  3. #3
    Virian's Avatar Civis
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    Default Re: Financial Exploits Thread or -- this is Monty Hall and "Let's MAke a Deal"

    I once tried to give a tribute of 500 for 20+ turns and an initial payment of 2k , trade rights and map info for an ceasefire... they called it very demanding

  4. #4
    NorseThing's Avatar Primicerius
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    Default Re: Financial Exploits Thread or -- this is Monty Hall and "Let's MAke a Deal"

    You should have upped the offer to40 turns. Less demanding.

    In any case most of the mischief with tributes happens in the first turns. After the war frenzy breaks out the factions are not so accommodating. Even the mods do not seem to completely avoid this mischief early on, if I am not mistaken.

    The mischief of marriage of the other faction's princess to your heir seems to have been made tighter in Stainless Steel. It seems that there needs to be some proximity to the other faction for the computer faction to think there will be any benefit to marriage. At least I tried once to do a deal as France with Portugal and their lovely princess thought even with a generous offer to not agree with the proposal. Or maybe the computer though I was just wanting the marriage for the chivalry benefits. If so, the computer was correct.

    At least France will not sell all but the capital on the first turn to the English in SS6.4 for a promise of incredible wealth in the far furture.

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