Borrowing from the AI

[Ned]

I have recently tried borrowing from the AI. This almost seems like a cheat. You get a lot of cash you can immediately put to use, and a generous set of loan payments which you probably never will repay as the AI gets hostile and declares war.

What are your views?

Ned

[Avenoct]

I never borrow b/c of this. I think the original idea is an excellent one. It's similar to Commerce income in that going to war is costly in more ways than one. I think however that loans should be passed through some inter-faction all Chiron lending agency or bank conglomeration so that going to war costs both the lender and the payer of the debt. As it is, it's a great way to give a jumpstart to a war effort. Borrow from your victim, then attack. Not just to be more realistic, but to make things tougher, factions should at least impose sanctions on someone who isn't repaying their debt.

-Smakc

[Earwicker]

The whole loans-and-reparations thing is a little wonky. Belligerent AI factions always want to borrow money from you, but you know they'll declare vendetta and have the repayment suspended?! Just silly. Consequently, I almost never loan. I never borrow, since it is too much like an unfair advantage. If I want the AI's energy, I'll use my probe foils to drain it from their bases once the vendetta starts.

[mrdynamic]

I always do the same thing to the AI. Borrow Money. If they Vendetta me I dont have to pay it back. Which fine with me. I borrow energy whenever I can. Using probes to steal energy will get you in trouble when your not in a vendetta.