From ruler to loser...

[PrinceBimz]

Large map, eight civs, everything random on Regent level v1.29f. I ended up having the Aztecs. I got into a mess right when the game began. It all started over an area of 5 incense where I was planning on building colonies. I was on my way sending a few workers there to get everything started. Then Russia decides to plant a city there. I did not like that! This was at the beginning of the game too. Checking my military adviser, I seen I had a stronger military. So I decided to attack. I built up an army of Jaguars and beat Russia down badly, all the way to their last city on my continent. We finally signed a treaty.

America was nearby and they had some resources and luxuries of interest on their lands. Their military was fairly strong but I outnumbered them still. So I decided to wage another war with them. This time I played dirty, first signing a RoP moving all forces into position and demanded they turn over a city. The refused so I attacked. I tore them up, taking over city after city. I was really excellerating now. I had gained alot of turf. I ended up beating them back as bad as Russia. Then I finally signed a treaty after I had taken nearly everything I wanted plus more.

Then not long after, something happened with England who was just to the northwest of me. I don't remember exactly what but I ended up at war with them. I beat them back but it was fairly difficult doing so. They put up a hell of a fight and it was hard for me. I managed to end the war with them by putting them into position to have no choice but to sign a treaty.

Now, all the wars were over. I had a fairly strong military and was doing extremely well. I decided to work on economy, religion and education. I cut down on military unit construction and begin research and production in the other areas. I was somewhat behind, especially my economy. Then out of nowhere an attack from the Iroquois to the northeast on one of my larger cities. What fools I thought, to attack me.

Then a massive line of Iroquois knights and calvary started moving in from the northeast. Then also from the far north. It looks like I am in for a big fight. Time to stop civilian production and start all military. Another attack hit me from the far east where Iroquis had only one city. They destroyed all 5 of my incent colonies and in addition my iron colony that was there. It was the only source I was getting iron from, this hurt bad. Very bad.

I fought back and forth with them. Then slowly they started to overpower me. I thought, no way can this be happened, man am I going to lose this game??? I was getting beaten down and pushed back. I started losing one city after another I could not believe this. They burned down alot of them along the way. I then went to beg for a treaty but they refused to acknowledge. Bad news for me. Their armies continued on crushing me like I was not even there. My once very powerful nation was just crumbling before my eyes. It was the fact they had calvary and I had knights and pikement. They had a massive amount of them and were unstopable. I was getting attack by them from all directions, everywhere. I lost everything, every last city down to one before they signed a treaty. In that treaty, I had to give them a large city of mine and had no choice.

Finally I retired after seeing it was a hopeless situation. This was one unbelieveable game and I cannot believe I lost like that. At one point I remember thinking this may be the best I have ever done in CIV3, that was until Iroquois decided there military campaign against me. I guess some nations just did not like how I treated America and Russia.

[Flight]

pretty cool when u lose and hte ai actually has some decent effect militarily

[bobbo008]

What difficulty level was it?
Did you try getting alliances with anybody else?

That's why I always try took keep everyone polite, which is hard when youre germany.

edit:

thinking about it, AI usually wants peace when its on the defensive. It's weird, but what if you wouldve concentrated all your forces on the several nearest Iroquois cities? they may have taken some of yours, but maybe the AI wouldve wanted peace, then? I've never tried this, but it's a thought...

[Lord_Davinator]

Oh ya that has happened to me many a time... I play in Monarch most of hte time...

Generally when I'm behind on tech and they have a big army... I try to get peace as soon as possible... Ido what bobboo mentions... concentrate all my troops and try to take an AI city... that usually gets me a peace treaty... but I've found that, it leads to the AI being pissed and beclaring war pretty fast.

I think your deal with the americans using the RoP thing is what made the AI start on you like that... your trust level makes the AI civs declare war. Plus having treated three AI civs rather bad... and since you did not have a good relationship with a single other civ... htey do tend to team up against you

[PrinceBimz]

Yep I done that, took two of their cities but they did not care and continued on. They ran over me like I was not even there. I normally don't play as harsh as I had done in this game. I usually have better diplomact relationships with my neighbors. I just got very angry when Russia planted that city by all 5 of those incense which I wanted. This whole war started just because of that. I felt those were valuable and I wanted them and wanted them all. I think after tearing up Russia as well as America I thought I was unstopable but found out otherwise.

If you were to have seen my military and what it done you would not have blamed me for thinking I was so powerful. Unfortunately my overconfidense was my weakness. Also I do think that RoP backstabing I done on America had alot to do with Iroquois attacking me. I truely had a bad reputation and don't think many other nations would have trusted me. Believe it or not, this game was on Regent level. I said it was a large map above, but it was not, I forgot it was a Standard. I think a smaller map can be more difficult at times even on lower levels. I normally play on bigger maps but used a standard this time.

So in the end...I got my incense alright...LOL

[Romanus]

I had a game similar to this. I had built a massive military, to the point of being a bit ridiculous. I had a ring of battleships around my continent, tons of MA and stealth bombers all over the continent. Then America declared war on me after I took a small island from China. They wanted the island, not sure why......no resources there. We fought for a while, and finally America asked for peace. The war had definately trimmed down my armed forces. A few turns later, when telling the Americans to withdraw their troops from my borders, they declare war again......and the cities start to fall. I just couldnt replace my units fast enough and the Americans were apparently churning them out like mad. Poor planning on my part mostly, my military was so huge......ugh.
That being said, I love a game where the AI can put up a fight.

[vmxa1]

If you checked with the military leader long before the war started, you may have seen that you were considered weaker than some of the other civs.
If that was the case, that is your que to start making more troops. If they have Calv and you do not, you have a problem. Even if you do not intend to have wars, you need to be perceived as strong. I would be for getting MT quickly, either before they do or soon after.
I forgot if you were Aztecs or what, but if it was the Aztecs, they are a race that is best used early. Its UU is not up to the powerful ones such as Riders and other that come in at this time.

[CiverDan]

There are a few ways to counteract this. First off, dont put your reputation in the tank until you know you are in a position that the AI cannot gang up on you. Keeping a strong military is important too. Another thing, I never use colonies to get at strategic resources. I make a city if at all possible. The only time I will use colonies for this is if its really in an inhospitable location, like tons of hills/desert etc. Colonies are just too vulnerable too attack and road pillaging.

[bobbo008]

"Colonies are just too vulnerable too attack and road pillaging."

Not to mention the AI can plant cities right next to it and the colony gets taken over by the cultural borders. I think colony is too big of a word... maybe something more like "camp"...

[Lord_Davinator]

yup... those things certainly are no colonies... colonies should grow in size technically... those are just mining camps...

[PrinceBimz]

Yep those colonies need to be defended without a doubt. I prefer to build colonies in place of cities on a couple of different situations. One being if I don't have a settler close enough and a have a worker very near. Two if the terrain is not the best for a city.

As vmx says up there, checking with your military adviser is a very smart thing to do. Something that I normally do but I was so overconfident it was not even funny. I had the attitude that my nation was unstopable and I can do anything I want and conquer anyone I wanted. This way of thinking has caused me to get punished badly. I wish there was a way to record a CIV3 game so I can send it to others to see this unbelieveable defeat I suffered. Like watching your favorite heavyweight boxer get knocked out One minute I am thinking...this is the best I ever done in CIV3 since I owned it for the last year. Then next minute...what the heck is going on??? I am going to lose this game??? No way! ...LOL

[vondrack]

I have had such games, too... suffering a humiliating defeat from time to time is what makes me love this game so much. One just can't play mindlessly. Even if you think nothing can stop you...

Thanks for sharing the story, PrinceBimz!

[PrinceBimz]

Well, its like I have a story to tell almost everytime I play a game of CIV3 no matter if I win, lose, or just survive.