How where and when to declare war

[Foolishman]

I have only found practical uses for my defence units in defending my road system, I use roads so much to send units to other civs in ancient times, that, they woudl often use that same advantage against me. FOr instance, I was playing the Romans, warlord, regular, 7 civs, and the romans sent a devastating amount of archers and legionary, ON MY OWN ROAD, to my undefended cities, I ened up losing because I had not defended my road system, a harsh lesson.

[Foolishman]

Lawrence, I had to learn that lesson the hard way, on one of my first agmes, I made a grueling long war with the Greeks, I sent a volly of kingts in, BUT, I spreaded them, and did not concentrate on any one objective, the Greek hoplite devisions were still able to defende against one or two knights (given they had defence bonuses and were fortified inside towns, cities). The moral of it was that I did not concentrate on one particular objective, I ened up losing the war and the game because their counter attack with swordsman was devesatting and I simply quited.

[Theseus]

Fm, you're ready to move up a notch...

Careful taking this theory to far though... on the higher difficulty levels, you will see significant stacks of AI attackers, and you'll need strong defending forces at times.

[Foolishman]

Yes, But, there is a key paradox in this, the more times they make an attack on you, the harder and faster you make it on them, I have learned the AI will communly strart "talkign with you if either you are RIGHT ABOUT to take their capital, or have waited 6-8 turns. At best, the AI will not make fast units (except for Zulu, aztec and other civs with fast basic units) and it will take them a while IF they are not close to you by using swordsman which thye almost certainly always use. I try and use this to an advantage, I tryed Monarch about an hour ago and quited because the AI expanded so fast, and I was playing a non-militaristic civ, which is obviously not the way to go. So, without roads, the AI will take so long to get to your civ, you will often ahve signed a peace treay and they will go home.

[Foolishman]

I have stumbled upon a most interestign fact, the AI will communly just "expand" and not defende itself as I said with the Aztec thought. BUT, when they are expand, they do it in the darndest way, they come closer to you, which is obviously stupid if they are trying to avoid my attacks. But, this leads me to a conclusion, they will try and sanction you from expanding, and they will really put vigor in it when you attack. This is exactly what people on here say to do, and it is a good way to win, simply saction them from expanding, but in a SMART way, not just rampant city making wherevr.
So, Their offensive is fuled by getting closer, or atleast that si what I think.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Foolishman
Yes, But, there is a key paradox in this, the more times they make an attack on you, the harder and faster you make it on them, I have learned the AI will communly strart "talkign with you if either you are RIGHT ABOUT to take their capital, or have waited 6-8 turns. At best, the AI will not make fast units (except for Zulu, aztec and other civs with fast basic units) and it will take them a while IF they are not close to you by using swordsman which thye almost certainly always use. I try and use this to an advantage, I tryed Monarch about an hour ago and quited because the AI expanded so fast, and I was playing a non-militaristic civ, which is obviously not the way to go. So, without roads, the AI will take so long to get to your civ, you will often ahve signed a peace treay and they will go home.

Or build plenty of cannons or artillery ( not really catapults) and put defender units on high ground, and deliver the good news to the enemy stacks. The wounded units will turn home, and those lonely walkers are easy meat to your mounted units.

[Foolishman]

ANother thign I noticed is that the AI after conquering one of your cities, will often want peace. I am not sure why but, they go for weak cities with no defence.(Which in my case is ussauly all because I rarely make defence units except for my road system). So, In theory, one could make a "buffer" city for the AI to conquer and raze, then it will sue for peace, and everyone will be happy, just aheive your objective fast.

[Foolishman]

Originally posted by Olaf HÃ¥rfagre


Or build plenty of cannons or artillery ( not really catapults) and put defender units on high ground, and deliver the good news to the enemy stacks. The wounded units will turn home, and those lonely walkers are easy meat to your mounted units.

Wow, that is pretty smart man, never considered it, you are right, the AI is too "smart" to attack with wounded units. Never even considered, I still aheva LONG way to go to become like you guys.

[Foolishman]

Sorry for all the mispelling guys, I should have tooken typing class,

[Theseus]

Well, bless my britches, you just came up with new one!!

If it's true, it's almost an exploit...

Regarding fast units, are you on 1.29f? If not, get it ASAP... Soren tweaked some of the settings, so the AI civs use a lot more fastmovers now.

[Foolishman]

Yes, I am on 1.29, I got it when you gave me the directory, or I think it was you.

[Foolishman]

Yea, one more curious fact I learned, when fighting with the UU unit, it can give you an extreme advantage to fight their UU with a warrior and lose. I think you said that Theasus, the Greek Hoplite for example, trigguring their GA instantly gets rid of their extra production and they are still expanding, so, they get no growth advantage, never thought of that oen either.

SO much knowledge from you people, unbelievable.

[Theseus]

Misspelling is fine, up until THEASUS!!

Have you not seen decent stacks of Knights, for instance?

Wait until Japan shows up in force... all of a sudden, the game gets INTENSE.

[Foolishman]

Yea, I have been scared to make Japan a foe, because I looked at what you people had to say about them, I am scared their Samuri will overcome my knights as well.

Sorry for the mispelling ***Theseus***

[Foolishman]

Most of the theories I consider spawn from you experts out there generous enough to even grace my threads.