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**jbp26** · August 13, 2007, 10:49

if all the AIs are ganging up on you, it sounds like you're not managing diplomacy. you have to cultivate good relationships, not just take them for granted. also you need to learn how to expand while managing your economy. typically you can keep growing and fund research through conquest, until you reach some critical mass- usually when you research is down to about 30% or whatever you're comfortable with. after that, you build the real spine of your economy with cottages, courthouses, and marketplaces. caste system can help in a pinch too, but slavery is whats really going to make the difference. i strongly recommend reading blake's guide on slavery.

also, while BtS is more difficult than warlords, i recommend getting that as well. the differences in difficulty are mostly represented by the intelligence of the AI, not just stacks of bonuses. i would much rather lose to an AI thats playing better than me as opposed to one thats just cheating.

**Wiglaf** · August 13, 2007, 11:13

BTS in standard mode has a very passive AI. It's not nearly as competitive or aggressive as Warlords 2.08, which I don't like, but whatevar.

**marvinkosh** · August 13, 2007, 11:18

I think you want to try turning off tech trading (in BTS there is also the 'no tech brokering' option) so that all Civs have to learn techs in relative isolation.

**BigWilly1974** · August 13, 2007, 16:53

i strongly recommend reading blake's guide on slavery.

Can someone direct me to this guide? It sounds familiar, as if I read it a long time ago, but would like to take a look again. Thanks.

**RP21** · August 13, 2007, 18:48

Originally posted by jbp26
if all the AIs are ganging up on you, it sounds like you're not managing diplomacy. you have to cultivate good relationships, not just take them for granted.

jbp,

What do you do to cultivate diplomacy? I find that giving gifts doesn't help unless it's in response to a request or demand. When they start demanding that you stop trading or go to war, you're guananteed to get a negative with someone.

**guermantes** · August 13, 2007, 18:55

Originally posted by RP21
I find that giving ifts doesn't help unless it's in response to a request or demand.

I concur. In previous games I have gifted many expensive techs in order to get someone to be willing to give me a happy/health resource but to no avail. Nowadays I only give when asked and only to people who are potential allies.

**Bkeela** · August 13, 2007, 19:16

Originally posted by BigWilly1974

Can someone direct me to this guide? It sounds familiar, as if I read it a long time ago, but would like to take a look again. Thanks.

Yeah, me too. There needs to be a sticky thread with links to all the good strategy articles.

**eHandel** · August 13, 2007, 22:56

Well, I play only Warlords 2.08 for now, with no diplo, space race or cultural victory, on huge maps and marathon speed. I turn them off because I hate those "politically correct" principles which Firaxis is trying to promote in the game. Besides the game is boring when everyone is stayng at peace and franticaly building only space parts or culture; not to mention the UN bull****. I am empire builder and like warmongering, but no rushing and such. Mostly slowly but steady advance and expansion.
I win easily on prince and have to work much more harder on monarch (once replayed a whole 30 turns because I went to a wrong branch of the research).
The basics:
The AI research always the same preferred techs - I would guess those techs which are recommended when you choose the research. Besides they usually favor techs which give attack units like Military Tradition. Well, do the opposite - research branches which are neglegted from the AI and trade much later those techs for the (already) cheap techs the AI favors.
Researching cavalry and hoping to conquesr the AI is wrong. Riflemen is in the AI priority list of techs and the cavalry is easily countered. In those times you should relay more on defence. But when attacking use a lot of catapult, trebuchets and cannons. They are cheap and expendable.
As for the AI gangraping you - you should expect this. Actually you should do the same. Having a border city with only 1-2 defence units is a very tempting target for the AI; having more units in it will deter the AI from attacking even if you are occupied in war on the other side. This creates an exploit - whithdraw your units at one turn space and leave just one measly spearmen. There is a good chance this will bring a war. For which you will be fully prepared and which will happen when you want it. The enemy will send somethign about 45-50 units. Destroy them (which is easy when you are defending and are prepared and then advance before the enemy rebuild its army. Of course there is a chance your other neighbours to attack too - but if you show lots of units in your border cities this has a great chance to deter them (7-8 are usually enough). You can even leave your inferior town without any defence at all (temporarily, of course). And somethign more - it seems the AI doesn't care which techs you researched; it counts the actual units. So build or upgrade at least one of the bests units you can have and show it to the neighbours.
One good news - the coastal cities are relatively safe untill the enemy has galeons. It needs Astronomy for this and Astronomy is not a tech the AI favors, so the galeons appear pretty late. Earlier the worst you can see is a galley with a settler and archer. And even when the enemy has the galeons you can staff only one city and keep couple of fregates or caravels on watch in the open sea so you can move your troops are needed. But keep in mind the enemy galeons are trying to invade the most undefended city so you can even lay a trap again to lure them to attack where you want it.

**jbp26** · August 14, 2007, 10:26

Originally posted by RP21

jbp,

What do you do to cultivate diplomacy? I find that giving gifts doesn't help unless it's in response to a request or demand. When they start demanding that you stop trading or go to war, you're guananteed to get a negative with someone.

right, giving gifts freely doesn't seem to do a whole lot unless its part of a demand. the way to look at it is, you can't be friends with everyone. pick a few civs that you'll get along with early on, and a few that you wont.usually this is someone you share an early religion with, a few similar civics, and isn't insane like napolean or shaka. then you keep them happy- cancel deals with other civs when they ask, trade often, keep your religions shared, etc. also go to war when they ask you to, if its to your benefit. a lot fo times the other civ will ask you to go to war against someone else who isn't even close to you, you can safely declare and not engage in a single battle, and just get free relations bonuses.

**UnOrthOdOx** · August 14, 2007, 10:35

Am I understanding you try to tech to cavalry and then set out to conquer?

Sounds like you need to get started sooner. IMO the first assault on the AI should happen no later than catapults. If you are close you can get a choke/rush on a neighbor earlier, but once you get cats, you should be looking to take out a neighbor, or trim them at the least.

Financial civs are especially nice to target, as they'll always tech the quickest, may as well knock em down a peg or three.

After that, should have enough room to proceed as you deem fit. Tech peacefully, or continue the conquest.

**Willem** · August 14, 2007, 19:18

Originally posted by Bkeela
I don't want to have to retreat back to noble with my tail between my legs. It is bad enough knowing there are three difficulty levels above the one I'm struggling with.

Alot of people have had to scale back their levels thanks to Blake's AI. I wouldn't be too hard on yourself for it. Wait until you get your hands on BtS, you'll have no choice then. The AI is much better now than what you're struggling with.

**Bkeela** · August 14, 2007, 20:56

Originally posted by UnOrthOdOx
Am I understanding you try to tech to cavalry and then set out to conquer?

Sounds like you need to get started sooner. IMO the first assault on the AI should happen no later than catapults. If you are close you can get a choke/rush on a neighbor earlier, but once you get cats, you should be looking to take out a neighbor, or trim them at the least.

Financial civs are especially nice to target, as they'll always tech the quickest, may as well knock em down a peg or three.

After that, should have enough room to proceed as you deem fit. Tech peacefully, or continue the conquest.

No. My first conquest is with swordsmen, then I consolidate. By the time I've stabilised my economy, the medieval period has come and gone and gunpowder is in easy reach. With vanilla I would then amass a cavalry army and the entire continent would virtually be mine. A worst case senario, or if I specifically wanted a domination win, would then have me pursue industrial units like tanks and bombers. I've never needed modern units like stealth bombers and modern tanks.

**Kuciwalker** · August 14, 2007, 21:03

Watch out retraining your Cavalry rush, they've tried to weaken it in BtS. You'll have to relearn all over again

**eHandel** · August 16, 2007, 12:32

Where is this Blake's guide on slavery?

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