Returning "Guest Workers"?

[Dr Strangelove]

I recall someone on the forum mentioning that having large numbers of captured workers left over from a previous war impairs the relationship of the civ holding the captives with that of their native civ. Is there any way that I can return those workers to improve my relationship? If not which would improve my relationship with the native civ more: disbanding the foreign worker or merging them with my cities?

[Harovan]

While I think it has no influence at the relationship with the AI, you can move them to your capital and try to sell to the AI in the diplo window. Adding masses of foreign workers to your cities probably is not a good idea. Well, you also simply could disband them.

[player1]

adding workers to cities is no problem.
If your city has HIGH culrure.
They'll be absorbed quickly.

Still try to use this startegy:
-one here, one there, one elsewere, etc...

[dac]

Based on a comment by Soren in one of the 'chats' around here, the AI really does not like you using captured workers as slaves. It's happiest if you return them, it's ok about having you add them to your own cities (I agree, sprinkle them around your highest culture cities), and it is unhappy about your using them as slaves.

In order to transfer workers, move them to your capital, then any workers show up on the trade menu as something you can sell, or give, to the AI.

[Dr Strangelove]

Yep, that's how it works, thanks. Do I have to give them all back to see some improvement in my relations with their native civ?

[dac]

Sorry, I don't have any data. I am going to try something really rude soon though. I have razed over 2/3's of the English cities, so most of their population is enslaved to me. On the supposition that the AI has to pay it's workers, like I have to pay my own workers, after we make peace, I'm going to gift the AI about 50 workers all at once. What with the reduced size of the English empire, I'm hoping that many workers all at once breaks their economy.

My advice, Send about half, see what happens, reload, send all of them, see what happens. Then you'll have some data points. When I am trying to improve relations, I usually only have 4 or 5 enslaved, so I send 'em all back, and I usually jump one level, Furious to annoyed, annoyed to cautious, etc.

Your mileage may vary.

[Worthingtons]

dac, that is not a good tactic, I'd love all those free workers and if they cant afford them they can just disband them anyway.

Also remember giving the AI free workers will make them furious at you.

[Purple]

I captured a slew of English workers as I was dismantling their empire. Now that England is just a footnote to history, do the captured workers affect how the remaining Civs look at me?

[Pius Popprasch]

The A.I. uses sold workers to fill up their cities. I once conquered French cities with English citizens(no resistance). I sold them to the French before.
The question would be about bought workers. Probably they affect the relationship, too.
If I conquer a civ I do it entirely and then I use the slave workers.

[Dr Strangelove]

I didn't see that it made any difference. After returning some 20+ Japanese workers the Japanese went ahead and declared war anyway. I admit that I was at war with most of the world anyway, so the temptation may have been too great.

[dac]

Rothy,

Giving the AI free workers makes it furious? I know I've improved relations with empires in the past by returning some of their citizens to them. I've never seen the AI get angry at me for giving them their citizens back.

Now, I've never tried, say, giving Japanese workers to the English empire, I guess I could see both the Japanese and the English not liking that.

I guess I could see the Japanese not liking getting their citizens back either, after all, it is not honourable to get yourself captured, you should make the imperialist running dogs kill you, taking as many as you can with you.