Using kings to explore?

rev.jackass · November 5, 2002, 12:03

I've been playing single-player with multiple regicide mode. I'm wondering if anybody has been using their kings to explore the terrain around them.

So far, I haven't had any trouble. I've lost at most two of my seven kings to barbarians, but usually none of them. In fact, I've been able to use my kings to hunt down barbarian encampments.

I'm still keeping a couple of my kings in my capital, just to be safe. But no AI players have tried to knock off my kings during the early game when I'm wondering around. By the time the ancient age is in full swing, I pull them back to my cities and have a great map.

Anybody else try this? What about in multiplayer?

Tassadar500 · November 5, 2002, 12:08

It sounds a bit risky dont ya think.

rev.jackass · November 5, 2002, 12:34

No problems so far.

Backpack · November 5, 2002, 13:26

Now that's a slick idea!
I think the next Huge game I start I will contemplate that as a reason to play Multiple Regicide.

A Question:
With Regicide, you lose the game if all your kings are captured, but can you still win the game through another means (Domination, Culture, Space Race)? If so, then this could be a significant single player 'cheat' . It should probably be fixed in a later patch with the barbarians and AI keeping an eye out for and chasing down unescorted Kings.

Pachabel · November 5, 2002, 16:45

I do the same. Even to a limited extent on single regicide.

ThaddeusAlexander · November 5, 2002, 17:08

I've used this tactic before ... i've maybe lost 2 kings per game to barbs but no more than that.

Once I find an enemy I usually take one or two kings to it and do a slave raid on their workers... quick way to gain 2 workers and since your kings are fast you can usually pull them out without any problems ... and if your opponent manages to use chariots or horsemen to get his workers back, so what? their jobs were canned for X number of turns and it forces your opponent to react to your moves, not vice versa, and thats always a good thing...

Cheers
~Thadalex

YC4B4U · November 5, 2002, 19:48

FYI, Same idea works really well in Galactic Battlegrounds and Age of Empires II.

kring · November 6, 2002, 02:50

Quote:

Originally posted by kwpulliam1973

A Question:
With Regicide, you lose the game if all your kings are captured, but can you still win the game through another means (Domination, Culture, Space Race)? If so, then this could be a significant single player 'cheat' . It should probably be fixed in a later patch with the barbarians and AI keeping an eye out for and chasing down unescorted Kings.

No, you can't win another way if you lose by either Regicide option: Game Over, you lost. In Regicide, if your King dies, you lose the game; in Mass Regicide, all your Kings have to die. If you are playing with both Regicides enabled, then when your first King dies, you lose the game. So, no need to worry about this being a cheat.

I have lost a couple of King Units to Barbarians by exploring. The big WARNING is that if you have (regular) Regicide enabled, with or without Mass Regicide, and you lose one (1) King, then you lose the game.

I do explore with them in SP; in MP, the other players would know to hunt down your exploring Kings and kill them off. In MP, they will be a target if they are exploring.

Captain THC · November 6, 2002, 04:47

I've been doing this to a limited to degree in (single) regicide mode. Kings can outrun barbarians, so as long as you have a full tile in each direction surronding your king within view, than it's safe to do, at least until you've built a few explorers/warriors to do the job safer.

Backpack · November 6, 2002, 13:27

Hmm,
I guess I didn't phrase my question clear enough....

If I play Multiple Regicide, and I do not lose any/all of my kings, (And at least one other civ retains some/all of it's kings) can I 'Win' through the space race or other means?

kring · November 6, 2002, 13:45

Yes, you can.

Sinapus · November 6, 2002, 16:51

Quote:

Originally posted by kring
I have lost a couple of King Units to Barbarians by exploring. The big WARNING is that if you have (regular) Regicide enabled, with or without Mass Regicide, and you lose one (1) King, then you lose the game.

Yeah. Good safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

(...and if you're dumb enough to have both selected, do NOT fortify a king unit in jungle terrain since your entire civilization hinges on whether or not that unit catches the plague. No, I won't tell you why I know that.)

statusperfect · November 6, 2002, 18:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Sinapus
Yeah. Good safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

(...and if you're dumb enough to have both selected, do NOT fortify a king unit in jungle terrain since your entire civilization hinges on whether or not that unit catches the plague. No, I won't tell you why I know that.)

Switch · November 6, 2002, 18:33

Speaking of regicide, is the AI have any sense that kings are the target? Or will it treat them like any other unit, and thus make regicide only playable in MP?

Sinapus · November 7, 2002, 09:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Switch
Speaking of regicide, is the AI have any sense that kings are the target? Or will it treat them like any other unit, and thus make regicide only playable in MP?

Dunno. Would make life... interesting when nukes come into play. (Best keep some security up and running to keep them from finding your king locations...)

Buster13 · November 7, 2002, 11:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Sinapus

Yeah. Good safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

Not to be a nit-pick, but I believe the quote was:

"Important safety tip, thanks Egon."

I laughed, so what does it matter...eveybody go home and watch Ghostbusters tonight.

I just launched a PBEM game with Mass regicide as the deal (no single regicide selected). Eveybody appears to have explored with thier kings. It's kind of funny, Hiawatha and QE making a clandestine rendevious (sp?) in the Onendaga Mountains north of Salamanca (yes, I've declared it's my territory already).

It's be really funny to see them fight...

I made the barbs dinosaurs to discourage this type of exploration, but we'll see when the first person suffers thier wrath.

alva · November 7, 2002, 12:04

IMO, if your playing classic civ, both other options should be off (IE no kings).
For exploit reasons, Kings devaluate Expansionist to much IMHO.

Carver · November 8, 2002, 23:40

Quote:

Originally posted by Switch
Speaking of regicide, is the AI have any sense that kings are the target? Or will it treat them like any other unit, and thus make regicide only playable in MP?

It seems to me that the AI has been keeping a ton more units in his capitol (where I presume his majesty resides). I was at war with the Ottomans a couple hours ago and half the Otto army must have been in Istanbul.

Carver · November 20, 2002, 21:28

In my current game I just razed a city (undefended) and started a war with Korea with my King. ...just like the olden days with the King leading his troops into battle.

Zero · November 20, 2002, 22:26

I havent played any none mass regicide game yet so I dont know if non reg games do this too but they sure do guard their capitol real good. Last game the Scandinavians had 21 Infantry and 2 guerilla and mongols had 19 riflemen, 2 musketeers and 8 spearmen!

ALWAYS explore using ur kings in SP game. I would suggest so as well in MP as well but human players make it more risky business. In SP, AIs don't target your kings so if you lost all except one in early exploration, all you have to do is to safeguard your last king. In addition, AIs aren't as aggressive in first few turns since they are still busy expanding than envying other ppl's property. And Barbarians in any level seems to have huge disadvantage in battle (30 of them cant even take out my veteran warrior.. wtf?), so as long as you stop your leader to rest after each battle injuries, you should lose none of your kings really, if your careful.

EDIT: for maps with lots of narrow chokepoints i even dare to blockade civ from contacting other civs using kings! This way allowed me to become a middleman in alot of trades until mapmaking or even later! But if you think about doing this, you really have to be careful about considering pulling out kings later since danger of AI declaring war becomes greater later.

Dis · November 20, 2002, 22:30

I have. I only had one king and I did it. I did encounter barbarians but the king faired well.

edit: this was in a simultaneous game with 1 other human player and no ai player. I think barbarians were roaming-not sure.

kring · November 20, 2002, 22:32

In MP, using Kings to explore will be risky. Many would consider it worth it to go to war to kill a King. After all, that is one less King in your safety net.

Dis · November 20, 2002, 22:38

I have balls of steel. I was in single regicide and I used my only king to explore.

AND the other human player was on the same continent as me. I only did it until I had 2 or 3 warriors out exploring.