Why is there still an 'option' to transfer a system from an AI even though they will never accept?

[Oxytoxy365]

Why is that a thing still even though none of them will ever accept? Is the button just... hard-coded to be there? I don't understand

[Elitewrecker PT]

Because MP is a thing.

[Oakshadow]

It's there for multiplayer so that players can transfer systems to each other in negotiated deals. But also so that players have a means to hand off systems they don't want to vassals.

It's not meant to be used for diplomacy because there is no incentive for two potential enemies to hand off territory for each other in a game where allied victory isn't really a thing.

[PlutonArioch]

AIs use the same trade system as players. You can trade systems with players, the AI is just hardcoded to decline.

[Oxytoxy365]

Originally posted by PlutonArioch:

AIs use the same trade system as players. You can trade systems with players, the AI is just hardcoded to decline.

I can understand why the AI is hardcoded to decline because it could be exploited easily but at the same time I wish I could expand in some diplomatic way so I don't have to go to war to gain more systems

[Kalemenos]

Originally posted by Elitewrecker PT:

Because MP is a thing.

What is MP?

[Elitewrecker PT]

Multiplayer

[Geoff]

Originally posted by AllyAlabaster:

I can understand why the AI is hardcoded to decline because it could be exploited easily but at the same time I wish I could expand in some diplomatic way so I don't have to go to war to gain more systems

You can vassalize another empire diplomatically by pulling ahead of them in tech, military and economy. Then you can integrate your vassal directly into your state. You get all of their territory and all of their citizens.

[pipo.p]

You can claim, build and colonize a system inside of, or next to a vassal's territory, and then dismantle the outpost and let them claiming it. But beware other opportunistic neighbours if the vassal is slow to understand what it has to do.

[Elitewrecker PT]

If your goal is to GIVE systems then you can do it directly, as long as your systems are bordering theirs. AI will TAKE systems, but they will never GIVE systems.

[Roadie]

As others have said:

The option only exists for Multiplayer, between players who want to trade systems for various reasons.

In single player, the AI is literally hard coded to refuse transferring any systems to anyone who asks. Kind of like how asking an overlord to release you is a hard coded refusal UNLESS you have enough favours to outweight it.

[Sedmeister]

The other option is to use the console. Make the trade offer, pause the game, switch to the empire you want to trade with, accept the deal, switch back.

I wish there was a "let me trade planets with AI empires (I promise it's for rp and not cheese purposes)" setting in the game launcher screen.

[Roadie]

Originally posted by Sedmeister:

The other option is to use the console. Make the trade offer, pause the game, switch to the empire you want to trade with, accept the deal, switch back.

I wish there was a "let me trade planets with AI empires (I promise it's for rp and not cheese purposes)" setting in the game launcher screen.

I mean planet swapping is a thing in-RP considering Pre-FTLs can reach spacefaring and can request you give them the system they grew from. There's a precedent for it; idk why they make AI empires explicitly reject it every time.

[Geoff]

Originally posted by Roadie:

I mean planet swapping is a thing in-RP considering Pre-FTLs can reach spacefaring and can request you give them the system they grew from. There's a precedent for it; idk why they make AI empires explicitly reject it every time.

They can't make it any good at system trading, so they don't try at all. That'd be my guess at least.

[Luzilyo]

Originally posted by Geoff:

Originally posted by Roadie:

I mean planet swapping is a thing in-RP considering Pre-FTLs can reach spacefaring and can request you give them the system they grew from. There's a precedent for it; idk why they make AI empires explicitly reject it every time.

They can't make it any good at system trading, so they don't try at all. That'd be my guess at least.

Yeah, that's probably it. If they make the AI able to accept but it's bad, then it can be easily exploited and players can gain a lot of systems for pretty much nothing. So instead of putting in a lot of work just to have AI which can trade systems effectively without being exploited, they prefer to work on bigger things and just leave the AI on auto-decline whenever it gets a trade offer for a system.

[Elitewrecker PT]

Alternative being the cost being so ridiculous the system would never be worth it.