Can't buy planets from other civs

v1.30A

Under what circumstances will another civ sell you a planet? Whenever I try it, they want more than the entire value of my civilization (techs, trade goods, ships, every single one of my planets, etc.) I can't even trade planets with allies. And, of course, all they'll pay for planets I try to sell is a bucket full of warm spit, even when I have an overwhelming diplomatic advantage.
7,842 views 15 replies
Reply #1 Top
The value of an AI's planet was 'tweaked; a few updates back. These days the AI's will not sell you one of their planets. The only way to get them from the diplo screen is during warfare & you petition for a peace treaty, if you have sufficient power you ca demand planets as part of the treaty.
Reply #2 Top
The AI will sell you any of his planets for hundreds o thousands of BC. The AI will buy one of your planets for about a hundred BC. That is, if you invest in Diplomacy, Influence and have a Galactic Bazaar. It seriously sucks.
The same with spacestations. Doubly so for mining spacestations.
Reply #3 Top
Thank goodness they haven't nerfed buying ships from other civs: when playing under blind exploration conditions, I like to buy a scout or other cheap ship from each of the other civs so that I know in general where their planets are. I don't think the AI is smart enough to follow those scouts back to my territory, although I generally don't play at the more difficult settings.
Reply #4 Top
The AI will sell you any of his planets for hundreds o thousands of BC. The AI will buy one of your planets for about a hundred BC. That is, if you invest in Diplomacy, Influence and have a Galactic Bazaar. It seriously sucks.


It's done that way to prevent serious exploitation - i.e. trade PQ 5 planet in middle of your empire to AI for lots of tech / ships / cash, wait a few turns for planet to culture flip back to you, repeat ad infinitum.

It is still too easy to buy planets off the AIs though, and planet trading shouldn't really be an option except as part of a peace treaty IMO.
Reply #5 Top
It is still too easy to buy planets off the AIs though

For reasons stated above, I have not found that to be the case.

Reply #6 Top
It's done that way to prevent serious exploitation - i.e. trade PQ 5 planet in middle of your empire to AI for lots of tech / ships / cash, wait a few turns for planet to culture flip back to you, repeat ad infinitum.

It is still too easy to buy planets off the AIs though, and planet trading shouldn't really be an option except as part of a peace treaty IMO.


I think they need to stop taking away diplomatic actions from us. I want to be able to trade planets especially ones near my border and I want to be able to trade and purchase starbases. Don't take away anything I'm tired of the excuse The AI can't use it.

I was happy with 1.1 where you could still do everything diplomaticly but still have the game changes you needed.

Take away! take away! The AI can't use it so take it away from the player! From this moment on Stardock shouldn't be able to take anything away from us that was in the original game.
Reply #7 Top
I want to be able to trade planets especially ones near my border and I want to be able to trade and purchase starbases.


You still can, no-one has taken away the ability to trade for planets or starbases etc. Only their values to the AI were changed to make them far more reasonable and less exploitable within the context of the game.

Reply #8 Top
You still can, no-one has taken away the ability to trade for planets or starbases etc. Only their values to the AI were changed to make them far more reasonable and less exploitable within the context of the game.


Are you sure? Becuase really all I want to do is trade the AIs Starbase Mining Research 49 in my territory for my Starbase Mining Research 132 in there territory.

And they have made starbases so expensive you have to offer like 4 of your starbases just for one of theres.

All I know is in 1.2 they took a bunch of diplomatic abilitys or nerfed them or made them super high and I did not like it. is 1.30A still like that becuase it seems so to me.

Bring back one planet for one planet and one starbase for one starbase trades.
Reply #9 Top
Becuase really all I want to do is trade the AIs Starbase Mining Research 49 in my territory for my Starbase Mining Research 132 in there territory.


Never tried it, so can't say for sure, but I doubt it is possible in the current version. It usually costs 2.5-3million BC to buy a fully upgraded mining starbase now - can't say I've ever even considered selling or trading one away, so no idea what the AI would give for them.

I agree that in that type of situation (assuming both SBs are at the same upgrade level), an equal trade should be possible. Maybe the value that the AI attaches to player-owned starbases needs to be revised and brought into line with the value it assigns to it's own. That said, I'd happily give up 4 research resources for one military or economic (especially after I've completed the tech tree) - so maybe even that is still exploitable to a certain extent.

I would still be against planet for planet trades though, because it really would be too easy for a human player to exploit. I think writing AI code to get round that exploitation, while possible, would result in a huge performance hit.
Reply #10 Top
That said, I'd happily give up 4 research resources for one military or economic (especially after I've completed the tech tree) - so maybe even that is still exploitable to a certain extent.


See but thats not the trade the trade is for an equal starbase. That I would understand military mining bases are very valuable.

I would still be against planet for planet trades though, because it really would be too easy for a human player to exploit. I think writing AI code to get round that exploitation, while possible, would result in a huge performance hit.


I am for equal trades ony. If I want to trade the Ai for a PQ 10 for a PQ 10 I should be able to. I understand that trading a PQ 5 for a PQ 14 is unfair.

They didn't balance or make anything equal they just nerfed it period.
Reply #11 Top
I am for equal trades ony. If I want to trade the Ai for a PQ 10 for a PQ 10 I should be able to.


Yes - but is a PQ10 with a 300% production bonus tile equal to a PQ10 with a 300% research bonus tile, or 3 100% influence bonus tiles etc? Did the planet receive a bonus or penalty on colonisation? How well developed is it, and how many people? Does it provide enough influence on it's own to overcome the influence of planets in surrounding systems or is it going to flip back to it's previous owner?

All variables that would need to be analysed in AI code to determine the equality of the trade in order to avoid exploitation.
Reply #12 Top
To answer the original poster: You can buy planets from other civs. It's just that they're very, very expensive.
Reply #13 Top
Yes - but is a PQ10 with a 300% production bonus tile equal to a PQ10 with a 300% research bonus tile, or 3 100% influence bonus tiles etc? Did the planet receive a bonus or penalty on colonisation? How well developed is it, and how many people? Does it provide enough influence on it's own to overcome the influence of planets in surrounding systems or is it going to flip back to it's previous owner?

All variables that would need to be analysed in AI code to determine the equality of the trade in order to avoid exploitation.


I seriously doubt that is how they program things now. Simple way a PQ 10 is a PQ 10 period. Bonues don't count or any of that. You are making it WAY overcomplicated.

And I do not think that is how they program that. I seriously doubt it. Your giving them way to much credit.

These are people who remove things from the game if the AI can't use it. I mean come on you think they program that in depth? Well if they do I never want to hear another, The AI can't use it excuse again. Because if they program it that complicated: I never want to hear that AI can't use it excuse again.
Reply #14 Top
my question is...why buy a planet when you can take it? Kill them, take the goods, That's the way to do it.
Reply #15 Top
That's one way to do it. Buying planets doesn't risk the kind of military retaliation that taking one by force does, especially if you are trying to take the wealth path to an Influence victory. And if you're rich enough, you can just buy AI fleets before war is declared, then salvage the combat ships for cash, and convert the troopships into warm bodies for your colonies and use the scouts you buy to explore.