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Machiavelling with the French
Here are a couple of tips I found worked REALLY well while playing Joan in the Machiavelli style. The game ended in a Space Race when after watching the Chinese and Germans engage in non-stop war after discovering Tanks.
-- Right of Passage --
This is your most powerful diplomatical weapon, so use it wisely. Joan will be set up near Russians, Germans, and probably the Chinese. All three are aggressive and/or treacherous and will just as likely harass each other if given the right opportunity. The trick is to play off their bad reputations that will develop over time as they sneak attack their neighbors.
If non-aggressive civs want to take on one of these three Baddies, then grant them a ROP to that civ to allow speedy passage of their troops to the front lines. If the troops can make it to enemy turf, better, as that will allow terrain improvements to be pillaged and cities mauled. If the battle lands in your own turf, well, it saves you on admission to watching the show. The war probably won't hurt a Baddie badly, but it will slow down their economy and bleed off some of their built up troops.
If one of the three Baddies wants to beat on the other, grant a ROP to whichever civ is STRONGER!!! This seems counterintuitive, as it seems to give the disadvantage to the underdog. But in truth what will kill the stronger civ is their overextending themselves on the supply lines to keep the war going. Plus if the battle is fought on the ememy's turf, there is a good chance the defender will have enough fortifications and local production advantage to keep on with the onslaught.
If you want the war to drag on and on, then grant neither a ROP. Then they'll be forced over bad terrain an no roads, and the longer the war drags on, the less culture they will accumulate. If you stay out of war, then all things being equal, you'll accumulate culture twice as fast as they will. This will become important later when you try to culture flip captured cities.
-- Stockpile a couple of Settlers --
When your neighbors beat on each other and lose cities to the other, the national boundaries start collapsing. You have a great opportunity to jump in with a Settler and establish a city in the cracks of their borders. You may not want to keep the city, and later trade it for some concession. Or you may want to take advantage of a cultural advantage to rush build culture structures in these cities to culture bomb the surviving cities. Once flipped or invaded later, you can strip them peacefully for slave workers. It's important NOT to raze, as that will cause a black mark on your reputation and totally ruin the Machiavellian strategy.
-- If you have to fight, stick with Republic or Democracy --
If you force yourself to stick with this strategy, then you will be obliged NOT to enter military alliances or mutual protection pacts. You can't afford them, because to keep your reputation you'll be obliged to play out the war at least 20 turns. If you want an 'ally', prosecute the war vigorously by yourself. If you can get enough edge on your enemy, and the other civs smell weakness, they will jump in on their own and you will then exit gracefully with a peace treaty without harming your reputation, and let the jackels finish him off. Plus by delaying other entrants of the war, you stand a good chance of extending the time your enemy is stuck in war and sink his economy in the swamps. Besides, Joan is not Religious (how did that happen?!) so it takes too long for her to switch governments. Keep upping the luxury rate and downing the science rate until you can exit gracefully, and then within a turn you can be back to a happy, croissant eating nation!
- Scott
Here are a couple of tips I found worked REALLY well while playing Joan in the Machiavelli style. The game ended in a Space Race when after watching the Chinese and Germans engage in non-stop war after discovering Tanks.
-- Right of Passage --
This is your most powerful diplomatical weapon, so use it wisely. Joan will be set up near Russians, Germans, and probably the Chinese. All three are aggressive and/or treacherous and will just as likely harass each other if given the right opportunity. The trick is to play off their bad reputations that will develop over time as they sneak attack their neighbors.
If non-aggressive civs want to take on one of these three Baddies, then grant them a ROP to that civ to allow speedy passage of their troops to the front lines. If the troops can make it to enemy turf, better, as that will allow terrain improvements to be pillaged and cities mauled. If the battle lands in your own turf, well, it saves you on admission to watching the show. The war probably won't hurt a Baddie badly, but it will slow down their economy and bleed off some of their built up troops.
If one of the three Baddies wants to beat on the other, grant a ROP to whichever civ is STRONGER!!! This seems counterintuitive, as it seems to give the disadvantage to the underdog. But in truth what will kill the stronger civ is their overextending themselves on the supply lines to keep the war going. Plus if the battle is fought on the ememy's turf, there is a good chance the defender will have enough fortifications and local production advantage to keep on with the onslaught.
If you want the war to drag on and on, then grant neither a ROP. Then they'll be forced over bad terrain an no roads, and the longer the war drags on, the less culture they will accumulate. If you stay out of war, then all things being equal, you'll accumulate culture twice as fast as they will. This will become important later when you try to culture flip captured cities.
-- Stockpile a couple of Settlers --
When your neighbors beat on each other and lose cities to the other, the national boundaries start collapsing. You have a great opportunity to jump in with a Settler and establish a city in the cracks of their borders. You may not want to keep the city, and later trade it for some concession. Or you may want to take advantage of a cultural advantage to rush build culture structures in these cities to culture bomb the surviving cities. Once flipped or invaded later, you can strip them peacefully for slave workers. It's important NOT to raze, as that will cause a black mark on your reputation and totally ruin the Machiavellian strategy.
-- If you have to fight, stick with Republic or Democracy --
If you force yourself to stick with this strategy, then you will be obliged NOT to enter military alliances or mutual protection pacts. You can't afford them, because to keep your reputation you'll be obliged to play out the war at least 20 turns. If you want an 'ally', prosecute the war vigorously by yourself. If you can get enough edge on your enemy, and the other civs smell weakness, they will jump in on their own and you will then exit gracefully with a peace treaty without harming your reputation, and let the jackels finish him off. Plus by delaying other entrants of the war, you stand a good chance of extending the time your enemy is stuck in war and sink his economy in the swamps. Besides, Joan is not Religious (how did that happen?!) so it takes too long for her to switch governments. Keep upping the luxury rate and downing the science rate until you can exit gracefully, and then within a turn you can be back to a happy, croissant eating nation!
- Scott
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