UN Blues

[Ned]

I just got smoked by Louis. The reason: I built the UN.

This was a game in which I was comfortably ahead in tech and had built all the mid-game to late game SP's. I had been very generous to all in giving tribute and techs when asked and had Friendly relations with many civs and defense packs with at least four. But when I build the UN, the Civs elected Louis. He then proceeded to force me out of my "strategy" by passing Free Speech (I had a super capital and was using Bureacracy), Environmentalism (I wanted Free Trade) and Universal Sufferage (I was using Representation with a lot of specialists, not cottages.) Then, with a short period of time, he also won a Diplomatic Victory.

Had I not built that stupid UN, I would have easily won the game with a Space Race victory.

BTW, this is the first loss I have suffered in this game.

The bottom line, the UN is a very bad SP to build. I have learned my lesson.

[Jaybe]

It seems that Louis was just more popular than you were. Check ALL the Relationships more carefully in your F4 in the future by clicking on the other leaders and seeing what others think of HIM (or HER). It can work in your favor IF there is no clear competitor in the popularity contest. I have won a game or two with the Diplomatic Victory.

Sometimes, if someone else is getting too many votes (or too many are abstaining) it may be necessary to whittle down (or KILL) those obstructing civs so you get the votes required.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Jaybe
It seems that Louis was just more popular than you were. Check ALL the Relationships more carefully in your F4 in the future by clicking on the other leaders and seeing what others think of HIM (or HER). It can work in your favor IF there is no clear competitor in the popularity contest. I have won a game or two with the Diplomatic Victory.

Sometimes, if someone else is getting too many votes (or too many are abstaining) it may be necessary to whittle down (or KILL) those obstructing civs so you get the votes required.

No doubt. But, there was no time to do that in this game. It was over very soon after I built the UN.

But also consider that I was at least as popular, or so I thought, as Louis. But the votes went his way. There must be some reason for this. For example, I was number 2 to Louis in population, but way ahead on Tech. I had built most of the SP's. Louis none.

There has to be a way to predict votes. Perhaps one has to actually micro-analyze the popularity of each leader before building the UN. But that would be a real P I T A.

[CerberusIV]

It would be a real P I T A to microanalyse. Flipping back and forth between the various leaders in the relations screen trying to work out who actually likes who is extremely confusing.

I sympathise as I got caught out by the UN once myself. I built it as I had a spare Great Engineer only for the AI's to vote someone else as Secretary General and then give him the diplo victory - THREE turns before my spaceship launched!

[axisworks]

I had the exact same thing happen to me the other night, except I was shut-out by Alexander. Fortunately for me, Alexander HATED two other guys and declared war on them shortly after, bringing in several other AIs as war allies. The guys he declared war on were long-time allies of mine, so I gifted them tons of armored units over several turns to help their fight. Eventually they turned the tide of the war and defeated one of the AIs entirely. They also forced two others out of the war after capturing every city but their capital and making a last-minute peace deal. This forced Alexander into a sticky situation, having lost all his war allies but one, so the next turn for UN voting, I got the highest votes on both Secretary General and Diplomatic Victory, though I was far from winning the latter.

[OssomTossom]

I miss the Planetary Council of AC, where you could bribe (or even threaten, can't remember) the others to vote for you. Maybe you couldn't do that for a diplowin - it's been much too long since I played this game last.

[Yosho]

Heh...well, there's always the desperation tactic of giving away the city with the UN in it, declaring war on that person, and then razing the entire city. No more UN, ever again.

[Strategist83]

Originally posted by Yosho
Heh...well, there's always the desperation tactic of giving away the city with the UN in it, declaring war on that person, and then razing the entire city. No more UN, ever again.

[dsteve3]

It seems that diplomacy is another of those features that are won or lost in the first half hour of the game. I find I have to establish a winning relationship with another winning culture in order to gain a majority in the UN. The key is to avoid the stupid rabid leaders that will stab you everytime.

[Ned]

Well, I think the best strategy now is to not build the UN at all. The AI seems to not research the necessary tech, as it focuses on the Space Race. By the time it does research the tech, the Space Race should nearly be over.

So it might be best to research the tech yourself and only build Hollywood.