Ridiculous barbarians

[a035249]

I'm playing Warlord level and for once I'm situated pretty well land-wise. Then the computer pulls out "massive barbarians" near one of my cities. At least 20 horsemen from two different camps come against my city (Size 1 building walls) with a spearman and three warriors. A good fight but with no wall they finally route my force. Then they take 60 gold. Then again, then again, repeat, repeat and repeat some more. What the hell? Then next round same thing. I go from 300+ gold to nothing in several rounds. I call b.s.

[thistorontoguy]

yeah I've been there. It's totally evil. But that is the nature of those barbarian outbreaks. It can help if there is high ground between the barbarian camp and your city. Post a couple of strong defensive units on the hills/mountains between and the barbarians will use themselves up trying to get those guys before they can gget to your city.

[Aabraxan]

A few things you can do to help the situation, in no particular order: First, go on the offensive. You might not have enough units to take down the whole barb camp, but you can reduce their numbers. Second, if necessary, evacuate the city. You'll still lose the gold, but the barbs will just run in, take their gold, and vanish. You'll get to keep your units. Third, spend down the treasury. The barbs can't take more than you've got, so go shopping. Buy a tech or some luxes.

[vmxa1]

You want to be aware of the uprising. When you notice that at least one nation is now in the next age, you can figure that a second will get there soon.

The second nation will trigger the uprising. Take some preventive action. One tactic is as you near the event trigger, put out a few scouts.

Barb camps cannot exist if there is no fog. Now any camps will be much farther away from your town.

If all else fails do he things Aabraxan mention, for sure spend that gold.

[a035249]

Well, I brought it on myself, I know. I was trying to extend my borders further south (into rich resourced lands) because the English were moving in on my turf. So I got too far extended and without roads to hurry troops. I got tired of having my neighbors land rush me (as stated in another cry thread) and now paying the price. It just seems I can never catch a break in Civ III. I suppose it is from inexperience but now I've deleted COD4 off my computer and I'm focusing on Civ. LOL.

Go Germans!

ps. thanks for the input.

[vmxa1]

BTW uprisings are usually 16 per camp. I almost never found towns beyond my reach. In fact I tend to stay with CxxC in all games.

Now I can reach the next town with some help in most cases. Prior to Engineering you do have issues with rivers and hills and terrain.

Barbs are not a concern for me as the AI will clean them right up and they do not get a chance to sally forth.

If you play on large or huge maps or play at Warlord/Regent, then you tend to get those open spaces for barb camps. The AI is too weak to clean them up and most players at those levels will not expand fast enough to fill them.

[jatf]

Or you could just turn the barbs off...

Another key thing to do is watch your military advisor. If there are barbs near to your cities then he will warn you about them and he is usually fairly good.

JATF

[a035249]

I've fallen back towards my more populous areas. The English have pulled an end-around around the plugs I had on the two land bridges by shipping them. They managed to occupy on area of resource-rich land. It's close to them and far from me, and over jungle and mountains. I've decided to concentrate further north and to the west where there are good luxuries and food. The good is that the English built further south and are now taking the brunt of the barbarians. They'll be stalled with them for a while and I can build up a good force to seize control of the area for good.

MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[Mad Bomber]

IRRC; the barbs are 8 per level of barbarians per civ past the first that makes it into the next age. Uprisings cannot emerge on lands that are owned by any civ or in any area within 4 spaces of a combat unit or civ border

Having armed scouts out in front of your expansion is the best way to reduce barb activity and it gives ou a heads up before they come crashing at the gates of your cities.Also get horses and build a few as soon as possible to give you a roaming defense to help threatened cities.
Barbs are usually harmless at most destroying a settler or the occasional hut warrior but on occasion having an uprising near a city can be disruptive.

[vmxa1]

How tough barbs are depends on your level. I will not mess with Sid barbs as your bonus Vs them is zero. On chief it is 800.

What that means is they will often kill horses and archers. I will only attack with swords or better, unless I am forced to do it.

So on Regent you have +200 and that is going to let you kill barbs nearly all the time. It is on these lo levels that you learned to bust a hut and get 4 barbs, but not care.

If your regular warrior bust barbs on Sid and is attacked, he is gone.

[Mad Bomber]

I play with Expansionist civs for the most part so I dont get barbs from huts. I usually play on regent and I do realize that barbs are harder the higher level ya play at, but if your playing demigod or sid the least of your worries are barbs and they dont tend to last to long anyways with the massive expansion AI's get at those levels. You should have also learned to deal with barbs before starting a game on Sid

[vmxa1]

Yes they will clear the place fast as long as you are not isolated.