Okay, i was playing a nice little terra game (large map, raging barbarians, Prince level). I built a load of wonders, wiped out the nearby Zulus (to get to the coast), and bribed the vikings to fight other civs (koreans and Bismark) to stop him attacking me.

1595ish: I've started claiming the new world. Bismark has been wiped out. Vikings are very powerful. Celts ask me for a world map, which i refuse. They declare war as soon as i say no (they can't have been planning war, becuase the "We have enough on our hands right now" had not appeared on the diplomacy screen), and i start wiping units after i realise the first wave of attackers is larger than i thought.

A few turns later, when i reckon i have the celt's attack force under control, the japanese declare war. Again, they did not seem to have planned it- i guess they were bribed. Anyway, they take a city with ease since my units are busy on the celtic front.

I now start wiping units in every city. I start retreating to the cities since there are too many attackers.

A few turns later, the vikings declare war. Again, doesn't seem to be planned, so they must have been bribed. They start matching huge stacks towards me. I now panic, and start building settlers in the new world, as i expect my home cities to be taken out.


I have enclosed two saves. The 1595 save is before the war. The 1625 save is about where i'm up to now.

So, er, advice? It looks like i'm going to end up with only the new world under my control at this rate :(

I feel sorry for you bub. Loseing to artifictial intelligence can be hard.

Mmm...fighting a war on three fronts is a lose lose scenario. It's happened to me several times before and it always ends with heavy fighting inside the streets of my capital and eventually the end of my civ. Not good if you're trying to win a space race or even a cultural victory. I guess that's what I get for not being a war mongerer. :(

If you are facing a powerful enemy or two, bribing someone to be your ally both serves to help attack your enemies AND prevents them from attacking you. Furthermore, they'll probably continue to attack each other in the future since they'll have negative diplo modifiers (and you'll get a positive one). If you had bribed the Vikings it would have been 2v2 instead of 3v1.

You are paying for diplomatic negligence.
The moment first war was declared you should have looked on diplomatic options to see how you can make other civ helping you or even just been bizy with somebody else, so no one can brabe them again you!

So, if you diplomatically innept, do not be surprised with some one else orgonised world war againt you.

fighting a war like that u cant win even if u beat them off u always usally end up gaining now land..... unlucky

Should have given him the map.

I feel sorry for you bub. Loseing to artifictial intelligence can be hard.

guess you beat deity all the time?

In an effort to be helpfull, if I can, where you the same religon as the celts? If not they will attack you unless you give into their demands or are much higher than them in the power rating. Japanesse are the same way also, and since they are always behind on techs they can be easily bribed. I guess the other questions is whether the celts and the Japanesse were the same religon also?

Celts and japanese were same religion and friendly. Vikings were different religion but friendly with celts, cautious with japanese. I had no state religion. Celts and vikings were cautious, japanese were annoyed with me. No one was pleased or friendly with me.


I guess the reason i lost was because I didn't take sides. It's a nasty habit i picked up from playing noble games, where i was always so powerful so i could act as i wanted.


I guess trying to be neutral is very difficult on higher levels?

I think it would have been a better choice to have picked a religon, either the celts/japan religon or the vikings. I would have picked probably the celt/japan religon because celts and japan can be bribed to help you in a war, where as the viking seem to not such great friends. You have to pick your friends and carefully. I do not try to ally with the builder civs, such as Ghandi and Mansa, because they do not need help and I want to isolate them. And Ghandi is the worst friend to have when you go to war, the pacifist never helps out. One of the best allies to have is Bismark, because you can easily bribe him to go to war for you, and help you out. Anyway you get the picture. Follow ALC and EMC threads in the strategy section.

Try to play a defensive war on two fronts and an offensive war on one front.

On your defensive borders, place artillery (or cannons, or cats) and a quick attacker (knights/calvary) and defensive units in cities and on forested hills. Weaken and destroy stacks to encourage them to separate or retreat.

On your offensive border, try to force the war back into the enemy's territory. Destroy improvements, take/raze a city or two. If you can prove that you're tough, you'll be able to sue for peace (even if you lose a bit of cash in the deal).

After you calm down one offensive border, move your attack army to another border and try to shut them up in the same way. Continue until all three borders are at peace.

Then repair your diplomatic relations so you don't get in the same bind again.

Try to play a defensive war on two fronts and an offensive war on one front.

On your defensive borders, place artillery (or cannons, or cats) and a quick attacker (knights/calvary) and defensive units in cities and on forested hills. Weaken and destroy stacks to encourage them to separate or retreat.

On your offensive border, try to force the war back into the enemy's territory. Destroy improvements, take/raze a city or two. If you can prove that you're tough, you'll be able to sue for peace (even if you lose a bit of cash in the deal).

After you calm down one offensive border, move your attack army to another border and try to shut them up in the same way. Continue until all three borders are at peace.

Then repair your diplomatic relations so you don't get in the same bind again.

lol....
if only it were that simple....

I.

Should have given him the map.

i agree

You forgot to post your save, but some generic advice for surviving war on multiple fronts:

1) When you get attacked by one AI, evaluate the chances that another nearby AI will attack you. There are some reference sheets floating around that tells which AI can be bribed at different attitudes, both with the briber and the victim.

2) If there's a possibility of being attacked on a second front, don't send all of your units toward the initial attack if at all possible. Try to build/whip/draft some new units in the area of the first attack. Start building up other forces in the area of a likely second attack.

3) Best units to have in a defensive war are cats/cannons and knights/cavalry. Make sure border cities are cleared of forests and are roaded so there will be a killing zone near the city that the enemy will have to step into. When the enemy stack steps into the killing zone, attack with cats/cannons, then mounted units, then anything else you have. The cats will weaken the anti-mounted units, and the knights/cavalry will survive most battles and do flanking damage to the enemy seige. Without seige, it'll be hard for the enemy to take cities.

Eternal;4699006']fighting a war like that u cant win even if u beat them off u always usally end up gaining now land..... unlucky

I dont know. I played as Aztec. Attacked largest Ai which had 2 vassels and managed to take many cities including a capital. I suspect as they were vaseels their armies were somewhat depleted but Shaka still had a 12-14 strong stack.

With strong defence and a good stack you can fight a war on three fronts. This all asumes you kept up your military power rating. :lol:

Eternal;4699006']fighting a war like that u cant win even if u beat them off u always usally end up gaining now land..... unlucky

you've misquoted your sig :
“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”

Dom Helder Camara

I can't see your saves, but I have a hard time seeing how you wouldn't be way ahead of your opponents technologically if one is busy fighting a war, another is Tokugawa, and the Celts have no major trading partner all while you're spamming wonders. It's tough to give suggestions without screenshots or a save, but I would like to know how developed are your cities, how good is your land, and what is your tech situation, will any of your opponents offer peace. Having a good amount of siege will pretty much stall any offensive.

Untill a save is posted its hard to know how good or bad the game is going.

If you ignore your military then that is always bad news if the diplomatic side is not good.

Most AI's love wasting stacks pointlessly on cities. That or leaving them on plains to be wiped out by cannons and other units. That being said you still need troops numbers.

Thread is 3 years old.

Thread is 3 years old.


I didnt notice. :lol:

Thread is 3 years old.

hahaha best post ever! I think he lost the war by now...