Machiavelly Institute: Bluffing Shaka

[Shiber]

I was thinking, what if we send all the ships we've got to Zulu waters without any troops aboard? This may bluff Shaka into signing a favorable peace agreement with us.

[Panzer32]

If this works, I would support it. The question is, does it work? Can anyone find out?

[adaMada]

Wow -- that might be the most brillent idea I've heard in a while .

It depends on if the Civ3 AI knows what's on the ships vs the ships themselves. We know the AI has foreknowledge of the map, and the units on it. Can it also tell how many units are in a stack, or how many units are on a boat? My gut says yes, but I honestly don't know. Furthermore, does it matter? Is the AI intelligent enough to understand that boats alone are no threat to it. If not, the AI might notice we have units nearby, analyze our power, realize we could crush them, and then sue for peace. Sadly, it requires a much more in-depth understanding of the computer then I have...

-- adaMada

[E_T]

If the AI has no reason to think of our boats as threats, why should it consider it's boats as a treat to us. None of the boats have bombardment capabilities, and can only attack other boats. Land units are treated, IMHO, as another matter and are taken more seriously by the AI. Both against us and us against them, whom ever is attacking first or hjas the upper hand.

For Years that I can't count now, the AI has been paying us for peace. Sometimes not much but most of the time some large sums of cash (when they can pay). It's not because we are directly threatening then, but that we are a force to be reconed with. Graneded, we can get more when we are a direct threat, i.e. about to take a city, but we can still get a lot for being who we are.

The A.i. might be stupid when it comes to making war, but they can be fairly smart when it comes to making peace.

E_T

[Shiber]

Thanks for the compliments. I'm not sure either but I think it's worth a try.

[Aggie]

Well since we have the units and the time, thanks to RR.,lets send 2 boats with either 1army and 4calv or 8calv. We can get a victorious army etc. Total time of trip is 5 turns. If the threat doesn't work we attack and seize the gems.
Aggie

[Kloreep]

Using the Zulu as target practice for the army is a good idea. Having the Heroic Epic before attacking Germany would be very nice.

However, that would still require two Galleons (Army + some defenders). Can we get all the land forces and Galleons needed to Tarsus in time? We should also try to get an Ironclad, or at least a Frigate, as escort.

[E_T]

With RR (which we'll have all of the network up by 1140AB) we can launch from either shore. We currently only have Harbors on either Uber or in some of the core cities. We have a Harbor being built in Hole in the Wall (West Ocean - 10 turns - 200 to rush now) and Susa (Eastern Southern Ocean - 5 turns - 200 to rush now).

We have:
1) A Galley that is South of the Roman City of Pompeii
2) A Caravel that is 6 turns SSE of Whelsh Coast (which will have a Harbor to upgrade it in 3 turns - 84 to rush)
3) A Galley that is Due North of the Aztec-Greek Border
4) A Caravel that is close to Reading Island and Japan that is 13 turns from Susa
5) The Uber Island Ferry (currently a Caravel) that is curently for unit movements between the mainland & Uber Island. It can go back to AGC and Upgrade from that Harbor (for 40 Lytons) this turn.

That's It. We don't have the time to move the ships to get them ready and have the Army back to use with Germany (If we start in 16 turns). By that time, we will be under heavy War Weiryness. Not worth it, IMHO.

And If we want to Rush one of the Harbors and then do one turn rushes on 2 Gallions, they would cost approximately 196 Lytons each. So, say we rush the Harbor in Susa in 1110 (200L), it's built in 1120. Then 1130, we rush the first Gallion (196L) and it's built in 1140. Then 1150, we rush the Second Gallion (~196L) and it's built in 1160 (5 turns total time). That's a total of about 592 Lytons, about 148 LPT over 4 turns time. We would be ready to launch then, from Susa. Changing Tarsus's build from Library (Science & Culture Vs Oxford) to Harbor, would be a little cheaper, but not by much, because of more for the 1 turn rushes.

I would rather use that money to do the pre-build rushs for the Iron Works in Heliopolis.

E_T

[roadcage]

Otto is the key. Do not loose focus.