Why forts rule!

[Felch]

I usually wind up with an excess of workers, once I've gotten my core cities improved. It's usually either building roads in every square, or sitting idle. I'd rather they build forts than be idle.

[rah]

By that point I usually have the automated so they'll build the fort. (with the no changing improvement option on along with no chopping)

Are forts ever pillaged through espionage, since if not, that would better the argument for building the fort over the improvement.

[smbakeresq]

I wish forts had an option

Like the flank attack mounted units have against siege or collateral damage to units that pass by. Forts were used to hold territory and attrition the enemy, so that would be a good option.

They are good though in the right circumstances.

[Theben]

Forts are good for claiming the oil resource before you can build wells. Then when you get combustion you can build destroyers right away.

[Ming]

Forts are good for claiming the oil resource before you can build wells. Then when you get combustion you can build destroyers right away.

Done that before...

[Hauptman]

Well then why did the stack in my screenshot not go around? He controlled the passes 2 squares above what you see on the map... huge battle was going on up there and he still threw himself at that fort. I have NEVER seen a sod bypass a fort. NEVER EVER. I mean I use forts almost* every game, and they are constantly attacked. Not just in a pass, but just outside my BFC if a sod happenes apon it, it always attacks. now 2 unit raiders yeh, they ignore em but not SoDs. And it's them SoDs that you need to worry about, not a couple cavalry units tryin to snag workers or pillage... and when i keep 3 or 4 units in a fort, the AIs love wasting there arty units on em. That reason alone is why i use forts. Once the arty is gone out of an invasion there is no longer a threat, I can just turtle up n wait for him to throw himself against my castle walls.

I had one game (also tectonics terra) but i had no passes to fort. But i had wooded hills 2 or 3 squares apart along my whole northern border and they did incredible damage to every invasion that came in. Even though they could have simply gone in between them. Das vas wonderbar!

Just tryin to tell u guys forts are great, really try n use em!

I started using them in vanilla CIV because somone had made a nifty fort mod that I enjoyed. But after warlords the mod was gone but not my experience using them. So I kept on using em to great effect.

*most games I'm more aggresive and my borders are too fluid to use forts. But sometimes I keep myself smaller to change the game up some.

[Ming]

I've seen SOD"s bypass forts all the time... so I stopped wasting my time on them. However... forts for quick oil or canals or choke points


Hmmmm... let's see...

Even with less perfect fortable points, the AI will attack any units it comes into contact with

and...

now 2 unit raiders yeh, they ignore em

So which is it

[Hauptman]

was refering to ai raiding parties, those random 2 or 3 unit stacks that ramdomly wander through your lands during an invasion. they wont attack forts (usually, i have seem them do it, but it's uncommon) but their SoDs always attack any unit that end up next to it. Wether it be my cannon attack or a fort, that sod will hit it.

[Ming]

Sorry... I've seen SOD's not attack a stack ending up next to it... I've even seen SoD's walk AWAY from cities and forts with strong defenses after moving next to them... So I continue to question your "Always" comment, because it simply isn't true.

[wodan11]

It's probably time to ask what version we're talking about, because some versions (notably those done by the BetterAI folks) definitely exhibit different AI behavior with forts.

[rah]

BTS fully patched, no mods, aggressive AI.

I've see SOD's move up next to a city and them back off many times.

[Ming]

It's probably time to ask what version we're talking about, because some versions (notably those done by the BetterAI folks) definitely exhibit different AI behavior with forts.

As Rah stated... BTS fully patched, no mods, aggressive AI. And if versions you mentioned have changed the AI so that they automatically self destruct against forts, I might question why they call themselves the BetterAI folks

[Felch]

Because Civ II had the best AI ever?

Now that you've got me thinking about it, I'm all obsessed. Now I have to find the CD . . .

[wodan11]

As Rah stated... BTS fully patched, no mods, aggressive AI. And if versions you mentioned have changed the AI so that they automatically self destruct against forts, I might question why they call themselves the BetterAI folks

I wasn't meaning to imply that. Actually, I'd rather suspect the opposite: that Hauptman has a pre 3.19 version.

I'm hardly a fort apologist. I'd love to see ZOC or something added back in (though to be sure there are some problems that would have to be worked out).

[rah]

Yeah, like programming the AI better. It was so bad dealing with ZOC that they had to remove it to make it appear smarter.