Pacifist strategies for Monarch+ early game?

[HazieDaVampire]

Well, i try to expand untill a choke point then i stop and build some fortresses or very defensive based citys.

Then i basicly ride out any wars the AI declares, they keep on chucking units at my citys and i nock'em down. I'd really like to know how to stop the ai from declaring war on me, i'm dead friendly to the AI untill i'm big enough to invade and conquor/destroy.

[Mountain Sage]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Hmmm, I thought this thread was about 'Pacifist strategy on Monarch', yet here we are, "building 4-6 cav per English city, and attack" (after wiping out 2 civs). I must have misunderstood what you meant by the word 'Pacifist'.

You are not the only one wondering why a 'pacific' thread goes downhill after a few postings....

I'm starting to believe the English meaning and 'poly's are not exactly the same.

Moderators should ensure that some people should be automatically banned from posting on some threads, they really have a bad influence, specially when they talk about 'pacifism'

[JPGray]

I do want pacifist strategies for the early game

I am inept at warfare in the Ancient age, so I wanted to know some strategies to remain competitive. I do not play pacifist the whole game, however, since just trading and building sometimes limits the victory options. Also, since I am going for a high score, many high population cities are important, as is maintaining a tech lead and a monopoly of wonders.

With England in a position of economic power, the tech race became more difficult, so I had to either take a few cities or just eliminate the civ and double my empire while getting a big geographic defensive bonus.

I was able to expand and become the largest civ in the early game, but I wanted to totally dominate and try to be as competitive as possible, since this is my first Monarch game. Sorry if the thread title is misleading.

[bongo]

Not misleading but a little bit unaccurate perhaps

Seriously, I like to have a wide array of strategies to choose from in any game. To me, periods of peace is just another tool to make sure I win in the end. The peaceniks OTH were obviously a bit disappointed with the direction this thread were going.

[Mountain Sage]

Re: I do want pacifist strategies for the early game

Originally posted by JPGray

I was able to expand and become the largest civ in the early game, but I wanted to totally dominate and try to be as competitive as possible, since this is my first Monarch game. Sorry if the thread title is misleading.

No offence taken, of course.
I just want to point out that you can also 'dominate' a game (see my thread about 'Pragmatic Ultimate Power') with a more peaceful strategy. You can do this either in the early game (peaceful Rexing) or later on, after early conquests.
Just remember that the gold, shields and turns invested in military units can also be spent on city improvements, often with dramatic results in terms of 'competitiveness'.
Look at the postings in the AU207 game and compare the different strategies. I will also post some screenshots late this week or early next week on my PUP thread, and Arrian will give then his feedback of his playing style.

[JPGray]

That's for next game

I've been planning a full peace strategy, perhaps to get a Diplomatic Victory without bribing or to get a culture victory on a difficult level (it seems to happen automatically on < Regent). I believe I have read the thread you mention, and I plan on trying something similar. As the French on a standard map, building 8 - 12 cities and intrenching would be interesting to try. Hopefully an AI would engage in an aggressive war so a musketeer gets attacked, or maybe wonder production will supply a GA at a good time. City defense is easy, but maintaining a tech parity and economical soundness is a potential problem. Fortunately there are many threads here that address this.

[Arrian]

Wonder combos for a French (Industrious/Commercial)GA that I'm sure of:

Colossus + Pyramids, Great Wall, Hanging Gardens or Hoover.
Pyramids/GW/HG + Adam Smith

As far as I know, none of the medieval wonders are "industrious."

Not sure about Universal Suffrage or ToE, but clearly Hoover is "industrious."

So French actually has some really good flexibility for the GA. In the ancient age, you have several wonder combos available. You also can swing a late medieval or early industrial GA with wonders. If you want an early/mid-medieval GA, you have your musketeers.

-Arrian

[Mountain Sage]

Originally posted by Arrian
Wonder combos for a French (Industrious/Commercial)GA that I'm sure of:

Colossus + Pyramids, Great Wall, Hanging Gardens or Hoover.
Pyramids/GW/HG + Adam Smith

As far as I know, none of the medieval wonders are "industrious."

Not sure about Universal Suffrage or ToE, but clearly Hoover is "industrious."

So French actually has some really good flexibility for the GA. In the ancient age, you have several wonder combos available. You also can swing a late medieval or early industrial GA with wonders. If you want an early/mid-medieval GA, you have your musketeers.

-Arrian

Early game: the GLighthouse is commercial.
Commercial medieval: Magellan's Voyage.
Universal Suffrage: militaristic
ToE: scientific

Yep, the French have good flexibility. This is why I play them from time to time