Post some playing techniques.

[debeest]

ST -- good use of "already"!

I'll get right on the cleanup.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Here's one I like, that I call the "sideshow" strategy. If I'm having trouble with a belligerent civ (like the Russians in my current game), I'll send a dip or spy out to buy one of their cities that happens to be far, far away from my empire. That city, once in my hands, will build nothing but city defenses and the strongest possible defensive units. The idea is that when the aggressive civ finally blows its top, it will go for this city first, squandering all sorts of resource trying to capture a city I don't even care about. Even if it eventually recaptures the city, I'll be halfway to AC by the time I "gratefully and humbly accept" the cease-fire.

A variation on this theme is one I use in border wars late in the game, where I send a spy on the enemies rail lines to bribe a city in the corner of the enemy empire farthest from my own. It immediately divides the AI's attention (and forces) and slows the border war to mere skirmishes while the new focus of AI aggression becomes, again, retaking a city I didn't want in the first place.

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Dig trenches, with our men being killed off like flies? There isn't time to dig trenches. We'll have to buy them ready made. Here, run out and get some trenches.
-- Rufus T. Firefly, the original rush-builder

[Superphonic]

I always send troops to pillage all the opposing civ's infrustructure. This ruins their economy and food production and slows their technology advancment. This means they are stuck with low tech and easily defeated units.

Also, always build a strong navy, preferably battleships. The A1 rarely builds these. They can destroy all units and surviv hits by Submarines.

[La Fayette]

quote: Originally posted by debeest on 02-14-2001 12:51 AM This is a terrific thread. The Great library needs a section devoted to these random little tactics.

I was quite sure that ST would agree.
Let him discuss the method with the SGs (aren't they the greedy owners of that huge magnum full of Apolyton's science and wisdom?).

[La Fayette]

This thread is terrific:
it sums up most of what I know I should have done when I forget to do it in time (so often!... ).

[Marko_Polo]

If I want to avoid the partisans that appear after capturing a city (and bother to micromanage) I fill all the surrounding squares with my troops.. or at least those mountains/hills. Spies are good for that as well as airborne units in the rough terrain where I leave them waiting as I capture the city and then move them to my new city.

[Admiral]

A tactic I like to use in the late game (when the AI has extensive rail networks) is to send a few partisans behind their lines and start them pillaging railroads. this causes the AI to expend movement points attacking the partisans and not retaking the cities I captured the previous turn.