Preventing Every AI Civ From Ganging Up on You...

Jon Shafer · March 15, 2003, 23:01

How is this done?

I know that every game I play against the AI, either on Emperor or Deity, one AI civ will want to take a bite out of me, and declare war. Next thing I know, 20 turns later, that civ has bought out 2 other civs. 20 turns after that, peace is made after I've thomped the original civ. But now, the two other civs have bought out 2 more each, so I end up at war with the entire world before everything is said and done. The AI is so far away from me it never really matters, so I always end up defeating everyone else, but it's really a pain to deal with every game.

How do other people go about preventing this from happening?

WarpStorm · March 15, 2003, 23:10

Bribes, gifts, and MPPs.

vmxa1 · March 15, 2003, 23:32

It depends on when it occurs. I tend to not be on great terms with the AI, but if one declares war, I try to bribe one or two to ally with or even MPP. If I am far away from them, I may get more civs involved. It can be funny to see them now have 4 or more civs to fight, even if some do nothing. Most of the time I will offer a tech to get them to accept. If not then I try moneu, then luxs.
I prefer lux as they are not costing me anything at teh time. Then techs as they will get them sooner or later anyway.

Willem · March 15, 2003, 23:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Trip

How do other people go about preventing this from happening?

Make sure you're the first one to line up the other civs on your sides. You're waiting far to long if 20 turns into a war you haven't asked for help yet. If I have a civ that's in a strategic position to cause some damage to my enemy, I contact it immediately when war breaks out, and accept whatever terms they ask for. Quite often by doing this, the other two civs will go at each other, leaving me free to build up my forces while they are all depleting theirs.

PS Machiavelli would be proud of me!

Theseus · March 16, 2003, 02:29

Balance.

Warfare is is the default game-winning 'lever' for most players... but it is limited.

Gain advantage elsewhere, in tech or resources, and you will start to have an ability to guide geo-politics... including who aligns with whom.

Jon Shafer · March 16, 2003, 10:41

Played another game on deity. Same thing happened.

By about 500 BC, I had been at war with every civ I'd had contact with, mainly because I had not enough money/techs to bribe them with (they wanted over 300 gold

).

The problem is that this all happens before MPPs, before I have the cash to buy allies, and before I have the ability to trade resources/luxuries to anyone. If I focus on cash, then I will find myself behind in techs and buying ONE ally for ONE war would drain that entirely, and then I'd be at war with everyone else anyways, so now I'm behind in techs and I have no money and I'm still at war with everyone - 1.

At least I'm a good general...

Catt · March 16, 2003, 13:03

Quote:

Originally posted by Trip
The problem is that this all happens before MPPs, before I have the cash to buy allies, and before I have the ability to trade resources/luxuries to anyone. If I focus on cash, then I will find myself behind in techs and buying ONE ally for ONE war would drain that entirely, and then I'd be at war with everyone else anyways, so now I'm behind in techs and I have no money and I'm still at war with everyone

I think you need to become accustomed to being behind in techs early -- there really isn't much you can do to prevent this (getting very lucky with huts might be the exception that proves the rule). I very seldom attempt and succeed at "keeping up" in techs, and I play Emperor (rarely Deity). One potential early tech strategy is to focus research (at a 40-turn pace) on a technology that te AI civs are likely to ignore early, and then use that tech as trade fodder for a bunch of different techs from various AI civs. With the production bonuses at the higher levels, the free settler on Deity, and the high AI-AI trade rate, it is very, very unlikely that one can keep-up in the tech race -- and if you can't "keep up" it makes sense to "fall behind" in the most advantageous way -- hoard cash.

On the principal question, others have made the point -- you need to kick diplomacy in high gear as soon as possible. You're not going to get any alliances until you have embassies, and you can't have embassies until you have Writing. In a crowded landmass (especially with the free military units afforded AIs at the start), early war often seems inevitable, which means that defense, both military and diplomatic, becomes more important. I look to either research (if Commercial), buy, or trade for Writing as soon as possible -- I place a very high priority on it because, with my hoarded gold, it allows me to buy mercenaries -- i.e., estabish embassies and buy Military Alliances. If an alliance is going to cost 300 gold (that's rare, in my experience) it indicates to me that that particular AI is looking a lot more favorably at joining in on the war -- but on the wrong side!

I also tend to search for peace as soon as possible -- very few ancient age wars are going to last 20 turns unless it is a war of my chosing, at my timing, with my objectives. A super-early AI war needs to be concluded quickly (especially if you haven't the technologies or funds to enable alliances).

Catt

PS - I know some of this is obvious to Trip, but wanted to make sure others browsing the thread get the basics.

Reinhard-Baer · March 16, 2003, 19:57

Thanks for the hints.
I'm in the same boat. Every game I've a feeling that the AI knows that my civ is controlled by a human and therefore they don't like me

and have to gang on me now I realized that I'm just a warmonger and they perhaps take it personally when I never give them something and always bully them around

Kampus majore · March 17, 2003, 07:56

I try to swallow my pride. When first playing civ3 I wasn't prepared to pay the AI. Because in civ2 it was not necessary. But in civ3, especially in the beginning, you are not strong enough to withstand an attack from the AI. So buy them off if thy ask for money.

Also build units. Be prepared for them. If you have enough units they will not attack you, and if they do they will be sorry they did! And very soon after that they will beg for peace!

Also build embassy's as soon as possible! It will also change their attitude a bit in a positive way.

In one game I played recently one big AI civ I have been slightly at war with in the beginning was amassing large armies near my border. So I was afraid they would start an attack. But suddenly they offered an MPP!

First I wondered what the catch was, but I decided to go for it. And it worked out fine!

It seemed they were afraid of some other AI civ. And I was big enough to be of some help to them.

Talking about tech, I usually lower the tech rate to 10%. It will not change the number of turns. Periodically I check if it is still the same number of turns. If the numbers of turns get less then I change it so I have a positive revenue. This can generate a lot of money!

TJunky · March 17, 2003, 22:11

Even if you can only get one ally, it's worth whatever you have to pay. With one ally, you get A) Their fierce ability to purchase other allies and B) Someone to distract the enemy.

VJ · March 23, 2003, 06:28

This is the major reason I dislike Emperor games, altough I could win; the AI gans upon you, and it gets tedious :/