War time mobilisation...

[cjaouich]

My current game is Egyptians on a large continent + 2 medium islands. All this on the Regent level.

Here is the map,

Zulu (island)
Egypt (continent) Romans (continent)
Greeks (continent) Indians (continent)
Japan (continent) China (continent) Babylon (continent)
Persia (continent) Russia (island)

Yesterday I decided to take over two civilisations that isolated me from new cities established after a recent fight. I figure I'd take over the Romans and Greeks, so I started building a massive Cavalry. We I had enough units, I took over their 6 cities quite quickly. The war ended and I managed to never get a lot of Civil disorder (which I usually get after 20+ turns of war).

I kept building Cavalry and at the same time finished building the Universal Suffrage (help fight war time unhappiness).

So I figured I would attack the Greeks with all my cavalry.. thing is they we well prepared and after capturing a few cities, I started losing a couple and figured something had to be done.

It seems that the AI has extra abillities, such as to be able to convert almost all of it's population into conscript fighters.

Anyhow, I decided to try the war-time mobilisation. I also set Luxury to 20% to fight unhappiness. I began to be able to churn Cavalry after 2 or 3 turns out of most of my big cities and took over the Greeks in a few turns.

After destroying them completely, mobilisation went back to normalcy. This is great and might help me destroy China or Japan that seems to be stacking lots of units for a couple turns now.

How have you used mobilisation?

[Theseus]

It's funny you posted this... I just mobilized for the first time, too.

I'm in an epic war with France and Germany, and I'm way behind in techs. I've successfully ejected (killed) all of their attacking forces, and now want to go on the offense. I found that I was just keeping up with their military production, so every turn I'm running around mostly just killing continued attackers.

To turn the tide, I decided to try mobilize... WOW!!!

The coolest was on the next turn, when a slew of cities that were already within 2-3 turns of producing Infantry popped!

The only thing I'm worried about is that you have to be at absolute peace with the world to get out of it, and I'm currently at war with 7 out 11 other civs.

[Arrian]

No, I think you can drop out if you make peace with one. You should be ok, Theseus.

I've used mobilization for a rather obscure purpose (to slow down my culture accumulation), but I can see its uses in wartime. If and when I work up the patience to play large maps instead of normal, I will probably find more use to it. On Normal Maps, my goal is to attain so much power in ancient times that I can easily fight the rest of the world unmobilized later on. That goal is attainable at the difficulty level I choose (Monarch). Not really so on Large maps.

-Arrian

[Sean]

I have used 'war time' before. And it does have benefits to be sure. However, I like my civ to balanced with its production, so am reluctant to use it. It is aslo frustrating to be trapped in this mode when your victory is assured, but you need to conquer a few more cities. I once made the mistake of changing in peace time (I think), so I had to find someone to fight fast.

Sean.

[Giovanni Wine]

I almost always go on war mobilization when I'm attacking!

The only time I don't is if my military is way beter than the AI, that way I keep improve my slow and border cities, and attack with the units I obtein from my hordcore ones.

Most of my Industrial wars I am in mobilization, I think it helps greatly.

Saluti

[nap2]

So mobilization really just helps you crank out units faster is that it? What are the drawbacks. I'm currently engaged in a world war and I have modern armor/mech inf. and no one else does.

[Giovanni Wine]

Ops.... double post

Sorry

[Giovanni Wine]

The drawbacks is that your civs will not be able to buld any city improvement (unless it's a war improvement i.e. barracks)

- No temples
- No banks
- No wonders
- No nothing

You will still be allowed to finish off the improvements you were building, but not start new ones.

I'm not sure about that, but I think it also increase war wearness

I have modern armor/mech inf. and no one else does.

If you have a so big advantage you should be able to take out other civs without going in mobilization

Saluti

[Harovan]

I never mobilized so far, mainly because I had no need. But I will, under the right circumstances. I keep this feature in reserve and will use it as an extraordinary mean, just like its purpose in real life. By the way, I also never drafted. Till now.

[player1]

The only problem I have with mobilization is that I can't build Temples in newly conquered cities.

Which means easier flips since new cities will only have 1 tile border.

[Fitz]

Originally posted by Arrian
I've used mobilization for a rather obscure purpose (to slow down my culture accumulation), but I can see its uses in wartime.

Does Mobilization prevent the accumilation of Culture Points, or were you refering to using it to prevent yourself from building cultural buildings? If it stops CP, that's a pretty major drawback in my view.

[Alex]

Originally posted by player1
The only problem I have with mobilization is that I can't build Temples in newly conquered cities.

Which means easier flips since new cities will only have 1 tile border.

A very interesting point. If I mobilize, I'm running the risk of cultural flipping on all the newly conquered cities. Who said Civ3 does not have strategic choices to be made?

Then another question: wouldn't mobilization be more useful in a defensive war?

[Arrian]

Fitz,

Mobilization cuts culture production from existing buildings in half. I WANTED that, in order to prolong the game - I didn't want to win yet. But yeah, in most situations it's not desirable, so that's the "catch."

-Arrian

[Zachriel]

War mobilizaton has its uses, though not being able to build temples in newly captured cities is a major problem. One thing not mentioned is that any peacetime improvement started before mobilization will continue to build during mobilization. So if you have started, say a Wonder, it will continue to build, but at furious rate.

CORRECTION:
The shield bonus for mobilization does not apply to cities producing non-military improvements.

[heidlejohn]

Another option here is not to mobilize but to draft (after Nationalsim I believe). If you have a lot of size 12 cities waiting for hospitals or mass transit, you can draft a military unit. Either for defense or to send to a corrupt city so that it can be disbanded for shields. Mobilization has both good and bad points, but if you draft your own citizens in peacetime it seems to have little effect on their happiness. I am doing this in a Republic govt with lots of luxuries, wonders, etc.