Vox Embassy

[Mart]

Two thoughts:

Our scout and Vox warrior are next to Banana border, so if i'm not mistaken Bananas can deduct that AC-Vox contact occurred.

Re divide and conquer
How much prolonging struggle between GS and Vox may weaken GS? If for example GS puts more effort to military only because we make Vox harder to kill - will this be strengthening GS or not?

[Chaos Theory]

All contact among known civs should be visible from the F4 screen anyway.

[binTravkin]

How much prolonging struggle between GS and Vox may weaken GS? If for example GS puts more effort to military only because we make Vox harder to kill - will this be strengthening GS or not?

It will be weakening GS, as they will be spending more time on military and more of that military on Vox, which translates into less ability to catch up with us techwise and build-wise.

[Lacero]

but more chance of starting a war with us?

[-SafaN-]

what would u do if u have a couple of veteran units, and a neighbour who just steamrolled the weaker civ that was between u with lesser units, but has the techlead ...

[binTravkin]

what would u do if u have a couple of veteran units, and a neighbour who just steamrolled the weaker civ that was between u with lesser units, but has the techlead ...

Dunno what I would, but I certainly could do much less, than having killed my enemy much earlier and built up some army for the moment when the techleader attempts to steamroll my weak neighbour - then I'd either grab part of the weaklings territory and move on with my superior army, or simply ask the weakling to open border, so that I can smack the techleader and gain a obeyant vassal in the process (the neighbour I just saved).

GS saying Bananas are ours is just sweet talk to keep us content and out of the business in south.

[Impaler[WrG]]

I agree that the ultimate fate of Vox is trivial, their just a tool against Storm, a window of oportunity that has risks and rewards and which will close shortly after Storm gets Cats if not before.

I think Strom has desided to change course after their contact with us, they clearly realize their behind us in Economy and Tech (infact we are even further ahead then they realize). They have so far devoted a good chunk of their initial resorces towards war, 3 Skirmishers and a warrior are camped in Vox territory, plus atleast 1 for defence. Thats ~90 hammers worth of military production vs our expenditure of 1 Ax and one warrior ~40 and we have greater Hammer intake.

Their going to rev-up their economy and seek to plant another city, Libraries will also be coming soon. I think they will halt military build up and simply maintain their current siege untill Tech allows them to deliver the killing blow.

If we knock out Bananas Storm is our only real competitor left on the continent, taking themout or atleast cripling them so they can never threaten us will practicaly guarantee us the game as we would control the largest territory on the Planet and have it to develop for most of the middle game in peace.

[binTravkin]

Even if we're not aiming to outright take on GS, we should do everything possible to weaken them and do it as covertly as possible.
Vox offers a great opportunity for such tactic and the Bananas might be a puppet to throw in to the turmoil, to keep the pot boiling down there until we're ready to act.

EDIT: in fact, playing out Bananas vs GS would be the logical option as they could be attempting the same with Bananas and us (and I think they actually thought we're pushing Bananas towards them, a suspicion reinforced by the very southern second city settlement, that's what made them so paranoid).

[Mart]

Can GS plot against us with Banana?
If GS supports nanas, we may have more trouble in killing them

[binTravkin]

Can GS plot against us with Banana?

I think it's rather a question if they will and in their place I would.

We're in a better position to influence Bananas though because:
- we seem a lot more peaceful
- we have a lot to offer
- we have had more contact and have a better established diplomatic stance towards them as of now

I think we should start probing Bananas regarding their stance with Vox asap and initiating proper influence where/when possible.
We can never know if GS is not talking to them already..

[Chaos Theory]

If we use our GE to get machinery and devote ourselves entirely to war for a bit, I doubt GS can do a thing except fortify their own cities. If they do that, they give up the opportunity to catch up in tech. If they don't, we swarm them.

[Senethro]

I don't think theres any possiblity of dragging the Nanas into a war. They'll be pacifistic.

[binTravkin]

They'll be pacifistic.

I think it's a question whether we're able to persuade them they're the next GS target or not.
That wouldn't be that hard imo, the hardest part of it would actually be making the Bananas make any sense militarily.

If we use our GE to get machinery and devote ourselves entirely to war for a bit, I doubt GS can do a thing except fortify their own cities. If they do that, they give up the opportunity to catch up in tech. If they don't, we swarm them.

Yeah, but it's a kind of gamble. If something goes wrong or decisive delay happens, we'll be left with very little gain.

[-SafaN-]

i think using the ge for pyramids has much much much more powers, then just researching a tech we can do in 15 turns ourself
the benefit of the pyramids can never ever been surpassed ...

[Mart]

i think pyramids is a good idea