Is it MGE or me?

[kcbob]

I don't know. Maybe I have bad breath and need to floss more often (my wife says I do).

Try as I might, I can't get all the other AI civs to be friendly with me. One or two of them will start out "receptive" or "cordial" but most of the time they're "uncooperative" or worse. I've tried giving money, techs, et al to them and it works a little bit. But when I request an audience, I get nowhere fast, sometimes even accidently provoking them to war.

I guess I need to use one of my lifelines, huh? The question is... how do make peace with everyone and thereby gain access to their maps, techs, etc? I've only been able to form one alliance in all the games I've played and trading maps was WONDERFUL.

BTW. I promise I'll split all of my winnings on "You want to be a zillionaire" with whomever gives the best answer.

Thanks.

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Frodo lives!

Better dead than "Red"... or green... or blue... or yellow... or orange... or purple... or white.

[This message has been edited by kcbob (edited January 22, 2000).]

[shamrock]

I have MGE as well, and my experience has been the same. Not long into the game, I am always despised by fellow civs. Even if my reputation is spotless and I don't attack anyone or demand tribute, I seem to be hated by all on general principle alone by 1 AD. Generally, I am doing much better than the other civs, but I've always got a smaller, less threatening, military capability. And unlike you, I don't recall ever convincing another civ to share their map with me. Of course, all this animosity makes it significantly more difficult in OCC...
[This message has been edited by shamrock (edited January 22, 2000).]

[Caesar the Great]

MGE clearly makes the AIs dislike you much more than in 2.42. Good thing I have both

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CtG

[Smash]

Its the MGE.Night and day with the regular version.You can get maps but you have to gift 4 or 5 techs at once to gain worshipful status which is gone the next turn.If your treasury has any gold at all,they want at least half.Any more than a 4 or 5 tech lead and they want everything(usually key wonder techs) or war.Very annoying and not very realistic.Difficulty setting helps a little but NOT much.MGE OCC cities are routinely overlapped by the ai

One little trick that can get tribute early is to make sure you are the one making contact and try to have 1 movement left.Hopefully they have some gold as it seems you can only get tribute in your first 1 or 2 "conferences".After that most "conferences" result in an unreasonable gold demand followed by war.Often they will declare war for no reason at all.

I think this why many MP games don't have ais involved.You may get some early help from ais but soon you will have devote all resources to fend off ai attacks.The only way I have found to end this is to wipe them out.Then you fall behind nations that have been left to peacefully develop.
[This message has been edited by Smash (edited January 22, 2000).]

[War4ever]

well i agree with Smash... MGE is the most difficult of all the ais and i have every version out there.... and although i often cant get an alliance to last long or if at all, i can get tribute quite easily..... and as i goto war with everyone anyways.... i don't care if they declare or not

I extort tons of money from the ai and i am not one of these players that often builds a huge science city to guide my war machine.

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The circle is now complete, when i left you i was but the learner, now i am the master.
Darth Vader

icq 30200920

[Caesar the Great]

This has been discussed several times before... I'd find the post... but I don't have the time, or the need to do so.

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CtG

[Steve Clark]

That's the way it has usually been for me too at MGE. Just like my current game, i jump ahead in techs, all gang up on me and then I start to clobber (I love that word) them with my superior military units. Come on, it's the AI, I just don't care if they like me or not. Reputation against the AI? Oooooooh, must take care of that

Great, now I'm sounding like our friend war4ever. But that's the way I play. I always end up destroying them in the end.

[War4ever]

Steve a man after my own heart... hehe i love that word clobber as well as thats what happens no matter how nice i am

I go for AC but the damm ai just pisses me off hehe

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The circle is now complete, when i left you i was but the learner, now i am the master.
Darth Vader

icq 30200920

[Traianvs]

i'm not sure, but what about massacring some of his cities, he'll beg for peace(you're much much stronger of course) and maybe then u can demand some tech-trading or so...

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ThermiteB(that's me!) RLZ like HELL!!!!!!!!!!

[Steve Clark]

Traj: Typically no one has anything I need. Either I'm ahead of everyone or like I've been doing recently - getting the GLib - I get everything I don't have from them anyway.

Here's an example of what happened last night in my current game against the AI. As usual, I'm way ahead on techs - the only one with Musks right now. The Russians have been harassing me from the east with about 12-16 Elephants and Catapults around 3 of my cities. My response? No peace, no cease fire, no nothing. I just let them attacks those 3 walled cities with 2 Musks each and in 2 turns, they all end up dead. I just make sure there are no caravans in the way. In the meantime, I'm loving my science city to 17, building Darwin in one turn and keep accelarating up the tree so when they have musks, I get rifle, etc. Now if I can only find the locations of the German, Carths and Indians....

[Steve Clark]

It's the same thing all over again. As in every bloodlust game I've played, this basically happens:
0. Get all of the Science wonders plus Mike, Bach and Leo
1. Get Musks first
2. Take out some nearby cities
3. Go to Democracy, get SoL
4. WL the SC
5. Race up the tree to Rocketry
6. Change to Fund
7. Build cruise missiles, alpines and bombers
8. Take out all remaining (large) cities defended by Musks and Rifle

Same ol' stuff. I really need to start playing more of those scenarios. There I get to fight with units I've never fought with: Crusaders, Knights, Cannons, Legions, Frigates and a host of customized, historical-based units.

Or maybe I need to take Sten's advice on customizing the rules.txt file.

[War4ever]

Steve do you have pre modern warfare of just defend??? i am always on the warpath myself.... although i was playing a game without the autosave on and it crashed just when things were going hostile.... and on a large map.... 10 -15 cities until conquest?

[Steve Clark]

Let me give a specific example in my current game of how I feel about reputation.

I had been attacking 5 German cities (size 12) with cruise missiles, battleships and alpines. In five turns, all were captured. Before continuing finishing them off and starting on their Zulus neighbors, I turned the opposite direction and set my sights on the Russians. I was at peace with them and they were the #1 civ - even though they are quite behind me in tech (they have 24 cities). I didn't want them to catch up, so I'll just surprise them. Here was the scenario:

1. Send emissary, deamnd tribute - they said no
2. Park alpines within 3 squares of their first 2 cites and have about 12 cruise missiles within range
3. Send emissary, demand tribute - they said prepare for war
4. I said, already prepared, proceeded to capture those 2 cities and forward the cruise missiles/alpines
5. Russian emissary comes to me (probably shaking in his boots), I ignored him
6. The UN said I must accept their peace
7. I said, sure, whatever
8. Proceeded to capture a size 12 city with 3 cruise and 1 alpine, forward more cruise/alpines
9. Foreign minister said that my reputation has been damaged
10. I fired my foreign minister
11. Repeat Step 8.

War4: Somewhat unclear on your message, sorry. I had in past took out a neighboring civ with musks, as well as with cavalry/riflemen, but I had never gone to total warfare until after accelerating up the tree in Democracy and then switching to Fund. I would love to learn how to do total warfare earlier, especially with Renaissance troops (assuming 7 civs, normal/large maps). Can you (or others) share any experiences on this?

[Scouse Gits]

Steve:

Sometimes I play a horrible map. Large world/ small landmass/archipelago. The scenario is set for mid-game conquest. The most important goal is SOL. Other wonders you can pick up on the way are great. (For this map Lighthouse, Magellan, are useful/essential)

The early stages are not classic ICS – but I do expand – but don’t wish to hit the top of the Powergraph too early. During this period I play “Nice Guy”, giving a tech or two away for AI maps. (You can’t conquer, if you can’t find em)

As soon as SOL is complete become Communist or Fundamentalist. (The latter is quicker) If in Fundy it is important, ironically, to have the happiness wonders. On the one hand, they give you tithes to expand your treasury, and on the other, they deny the remaining civs these wonders, which makes it far more difficult for them to sustain a democracy. (You always want the bribe option)

If in Fundy, compensate for the loss of science, by building caravans. Half the cities build troops, the rest freights – except for a high production centre to build the wonders.

After SOL, set your research towards Steam Engine for Ironclads – and build them by the dozen. (This map is designed for a huge navy) Espionage is very useful – remember you have to steal many of your advances.

The rest is where the game takes you – all without a plane or cruise missile in sight!

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Scouse Git (2)

[War4ever]

LOL Steve Clark...... the way you told that storry is hilarious, i think we both relate to the "ok, i have let you bug me enough, time to show you what a real military is all about"

I just find i can't get along with other civilizations and its not about territory either, its all those demands they give you for no damm reason, eventually i get annoyed.

However for my SP train of thoght :

I tend to expand in a fashion where i try to maximize growth but without compensating my science, ie now luxuries without WLTKD, Stay in Monarchy for a Long time until i can go communist and then fundy if need be.

however, i am not one for letting weak civs get in my way durring early expansion. I often get many units from huts and will eliminate usually one civ from that.

I like putting the ai on the defensive as soon as possible, no point letting there growth get out of hand

dips are a great weapon and chasing barb kings allows for alot of early bribes or wonder creations, heck i dont' even micromanage.

However my biggest thing i do is just come relentlessly at the ai, being hostile all the time and eventually i am at war with everyone. It takes me probably longer to conquer the ai than most of the good players here, as i tend to soften them up in stages as we progress through the ages, but if i am not on drugs, containing them isn't difficult when your tech is always better than someone elses is

I attack with what ever i have be it cannons nukes alpine troops legions and a host of others, i enjoy showcasing my technology to the masses

So STEVE.... i ask you, do you contain the ai like i do or do you prefer just modern warfare ?

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I am a civ addict. ARE U 2??????


icq 30200920