I am playing Julius Caesar and continents for the first time to try out the praetorian rush. In the 9 games I have started I get protective neighbors every single time. And not just one neighbor, every single one of them is protective every single time.

Is everyone who you play on continent maps always protective? Or is it because I am the Romans so they want to protect themselves? Or am I just really unlucky lol?

Well just did a 10th and 11th attempt and finally got a non protective neighbor. Poor Pericles has no idea what is in store for him lol.

I am still curious why I got so many protective neighbors, so if anyone has any insight I would appreciate it!

I seem to recall that the game tends to put people of the same culture close together. Thus European civs generally start near other Europeans, same with Orientla, Mid-East, and North American. Though that could have been a previous version of the game.

But if that is the case it would explain why you seem to get the same neighbors when your running as the same civ.

I'm not too concerned about protective leaders. I'm a lot more concern a group of tech-whore AI's peacefully building up on another continent while you get a group of aggressive AI's on yours.

Praets fear nothing, not axemen and certainly not protective archers.

Is everyone who you play on continent maps always protective? Or is it because I am the Romans so they want to protect themselves? Or am I just really unlucky lol?

You are just unlucky. Or you rushed the one's that were not protective so fast, that you don't even remember.

I seem to recall that the game tends to put people of the same culture close together. Thus European civs generally start near other Europeans, same with Orientla, Mid-East, and North American. Though that could have been a previous version of the game.

I think Civ3 had that feature. For Civ4 you would need a special map script to have this. AFAIK none of the stock map scripts will do it.

So, you pick a leader with the most freakishly powerful mid-early game rush unit, and restart until you get a non-protective leader as a neighbour? Protective leaders are part of the game, and Praet rushes don't need restarts for non-protective leaders to make them autopilot to wiping a Civ early. They pretty much just need iron.

I always get Wang Kon as a neighbour, never had him last long enough to get a hwacha out (or anything other than worker, and basic unit).

Praets can handle Protective Archers, you just need more of them, especially if the city is on a hill. Babylonian Bowmen are also a pain, but again, the simple solution is to chop/whip more Praets. I have long been of the opinion that the Protective trait was especially created for the AI to make it more resistant to the very common early axe rush strategy many players employ.

Frankly, a Creative leader like Pericles is nearly as bad, because his cities will have high cultural defenses and if you're Praet rushing, you don't have Catapults yet. Furthermore, you may have a longer trudge across his terrain because his borders may have had an additional pop, and that may give him time to move in and/or whip defenders.

My old house had really protective neighbors - three retires schoolteacher sisters who were nosy and pushy. Never had a problem there. :D

The protective traight didn't do my neighborer Korea any good; they were the first civ to capitulate to me.

The tough civ was Julius. It was touch and go for a few turns between me (Bryzantine), Korea, Spain, and the Dutch (against Portuguese only) vs Rome (Julius), Carthage, and Portuguese in the modern era.

It started a few turns after I intervened on the Dutch behalf against the Portuguese but a couple of turns later Julius intervened on behalf of the Portuguese but only against me, draging his Carthage vasal along for the ride. I had over half my army deep inside enemy territory when that occured.

Praets are amazing. If you play rome you HAVE to play at a higher difficulty than you normally are or its pretty much cheating.

With praets I can win most Emperor games otherwise I'm usually doing Monarchs.

more often than not i start next to tokugawa, and more often than not mansa musa and hannibal are on another continent whoring all the techs. this has been the case in my last 5 games or so. i rarely play against sitting bull, isabella, any russian leader or any american leader. they always seem to be absent. random map generator really isnt so random.

:mischief:

yr lucky

i always handpick my opponents to make sure the ammies are NOT in the game, because otherwise my random generator always puts them in.

maybe the random generator isnt so random, but just picky depending on who's playing hehe.

i dont dislike americans btw, just dont like them in my civ games.
prefer the ancient nations that go way back.

i dont dislike americans btw, just dont like them in my civ games. prefer the ancient nations that go way back.

And THAT is why we need achterhoekers, with their vazal called Lichfield District Council in there (and yes, they can get their freedom as soon as they got their own proper beer) ;)