Our troops approach your city...

[TacticalGrace]

Does anybody use all the options on the first diplomacy screen?

"Out troops approach you cities. I urge you to discuss peace terms while there is still time"

or

"We seem to have overextended ourselves. Will you sign a peace treaty?"




is there any point?

[Moonsinger]

If you have a lot of troops within the 2 tiles radius of the AI city, you get a better deal with the first option. Btw, your troops have to be out number the city defenders or it won't do any good.

[Hagbart]

I didn't knew that, thanks.

[Moonsinger]

No problem! Moreover, your troops doesn't have to be in top shape either. For example, if you send 12 wounded horsemans (each with only 1 HP left) within the two tiles radius of their capital and their capital is defended by 2 Mech Infantries. We both know that there is no way in hell those horsemans could be able to destroyed the 2 Mech defenders, especially when each horseman has only 1 HP left; however, the AI doesn't know that. As long as you have a bigger number of units approaching its cities and it doesn't have enough defenders to match yours, it will fear you.

Btw, I don't know if they have fixed this in patch 1.29f; that is to evaluate the total strenght of the units and not just by the number of units.

[Willem]

The opposite is true with the second option. It basically amounts to an unconditional surrender, allowing the AI to make demands. I never use that though, since at that point you can just go into trade screen and offer a straight treaty, which I've never had them turn down. I suppose it could happen occasionally that they refuse, but I've never seen it. If they did, that would mean you'd have no choice but to plead for mercy.

[cdinkle]

I've had them refuse the peace treaty once or twice, and I've also had them accept the 'Our troops are approaching your cities' option too, though they dont offer much when you select that, your better off making your own offer. The most I've seen them offer is 5 gold per turn, and that was pretty lame considering I don't really spend gold that often.

[trickey]

I usually use "we seeem to have overextended ourselves.....". Then i just renegociate the deal so they give me as much as possible.

[spy14]

I'll always go for "our troops approach your cities", followed by the equals option if neccessary. But I wont go for we have overextended ourselves being as the AI will screw you for it. I also find the best results come from taking a couple of cities and then threatening another, the AI will give everything it can to stop your attack

[reefer addict]

i almost always end up making my own deal for peace, but saying youve" overextended" yourself lets you now quick if they think there getting paid to stop the war.