Quote Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh
Is this simply appropriate opportunism or is it an emotional reaction to being attacked? Is the only appropriate response to attack annihilation? If this was occuring in a workable MP strategy game, it would strike me that such reactions could be very self-defeating.

Thoughts?

SF
As the AI is very reluctant to make peace, as has already been mentioned, destruction is usually the best way to stop any attacks, if they don´t accept protectorate status.
I would prefer if the AI chose to become protectorate more often than it does, because it makes no sense to me to fight to the death.
In multiplayer, now that might be hard to answer. In the interest of a long-going game, making peace would make sense, but when real people are involved things can get really nasty - I know from experience. There´s always the chance that one feels the need to show his superiority. There´s a reason for pride being one of of the Seven Cardinal Sins