I've previously verified that courthouses double the cost, and originally owning the city halves the cost.

But I can't figure out the distance thing. I've read here that in Civ, distance is measured as (longest dimension + 1/2 shortest dimension), and that's what I've tried to use. But when I divided BribeCost by [CitySize x (EnemyGold + 1000)], the integers I got did not consistently reflect that either distance or (that distance + 3). And anyway, anyone who's ever tried counting distance in Civ has to have noticed that you can't always just count sideways and then count vertically; more often than not, you wind up having to add in a diagonal move. Certainly I found last night that bribing from "equidistant" spaces can result in a different integer, and bribing from "different" distances can result in the same integer. Help!!

No, a diplomat is not guaranteed to succeed in tech theft. A spy is guaranteed to succeed if you don't try for a specific tech and it's your first time into that city.

I've also verified 1/2 off city bribe price for disorder, 1/2 off for empty.

Interestingly, my tests last night indicate that a veteran diplomat does not get a city bribe price reduction the way a vet spy does. Go figure. Maybe they thought no one would ever have a veteran diplo.

I cannot say it with certainty, but I'm pretty sure that no attitude adjustment results from expelling a spy. It really is "expected."

Again I'm not sure, but I think partisans begin to boil out of captured cities when the victim has learned industrialization.

quote: <font size=1>Originally posted by debeest on 12-28-2000 05:07 PM</font> SlowThinker, great dip/spy thread. I couldn't figure out how to post into it, so here's my feedback on it:

quote: <font size=1>Originally posted by debeest on 12-28-2000 05:07 PM</font> No, a diplomat is not guaranteed to succeed in tech theft.

quote: <font size=1>Originally posted by debeest on 12-28-2000 05:07 PM</font> I've also verified 1/2 off city bribe price for disorder, 1/2 off for empty.

quote: <font size=1>Originally posted by debeest on 12-28-2000 05:07 PM</font> Interestingly, my tests last night indicate that a veteran diplomat does not get a city bribe price reduction the way a vet spy does. Go figure. Maybe they thought no one would ever have a veteran diplo.

1.6 Spy may be lost in some actions (sabotage unit, steal technology, industrial sabotage, incite a revolt, poison water supply). If she is not lost, then she is moved to her nearest city and get veteran status.
1.7 All dips/spies produced in Communism are veterans.
1.8 1.6 and 1.7 are only ways how to get dip/spy with veteran status.

quote: <font size=1>Originally posted by debeest on 12-28-2000 05:07 PM</font> And finally, the gold reward you get for capturing or bribing a city is not 1/3 of the enemy's treasury. I haven't been able to figure out what it actually is; I think maybe it represents the fraction of their treasury equal to (citizens in city / total citizens in empire). Check it out.

ST
The Italians say:
Chi va piano va sano
Chi va sano va lontano
It seems to me that the name you chose is going to lead you a long way ahead. Go on and don't care too much about the quality of your english. As long as you make yourself understood, I suppose it's OK for anyone.
Happy New Year!

I haven't kept track of diplomat tech-theft failure rate, but I'd casually estimate it at around one-half to one-third failure.

My reference to longest dimension and shortest dimension means: count the number of vertical spaces and the number of horizontal spaces between points, as the map itself is oriented; the larger number is the longest dimension, and the smaller number is the shortest dimension, and supposedly you add the largest dimension plus 1/2 of the shortest dimension to get distance. Maybe if I orient myself to a 45-degree rotation as you suggested, everything will become clear to me. I'll try it.

LaFayette, yes, I think the most concise formula for city bribe is:

Cost = Size * (Treasury + 1000) / Distance integer

Maybe we can define the distance soon.

It seems unlikely to me that having no capital at all would set a maximum distance smaller than you can get with a capital.

SlowThinker, I'm fairly confident, though not absolutely certain, that a courthouse doubles cost. That would have the same effect as cutting the distance INTEGER in half. If, instead, it cuts the DISTANCE in half, it would be pretty close to the same thing at long distances, but have little effect at short distances. I guess I'll do a little testing to check this, too.

I have an unknown variable to add to your formula.

At some point late in the game, M changes from 2.05 to 3.1. This change becomes apparent when the cost of bribing barbarian units changes. Musketeers go from 62 to 93, Partisans from 102 to 155, etc.

If it works (i tested briefly), then 4.32 in my thread is solved.

It is equivalent to debeest's

quote: My reference to longest dimension and shortest dimension means: count the number of vertical spaces and the number of horizontal spaces between points, as the map itself is oriented; the larger number is the longest dimension, and the smaller number is the shortest dimension, and supposedly you add the largest dimension plus 1/2 of the shortest dimension to get distance.

Why both ways are equivalent? Since you may imagine that diagonal part as a hypotenuse of two non-diagonal parts:

A
OO
O_O
O__O
O___O
BOOOOCOOOOOD