Using Road/RR Network under Enemy "Control"?

[Tussilago]

Why is it you cannot use the road & railroad network still under enemy culture "control" in Civilization IV, like you could in for instance Alpha Centauri? This makes modern wars last thousands of years!

Is there anyway around it? Been looking through the options, but cannot find a button to turn this ridiculous feature off. Need advice, if any.

[nbcman]

There is a promotion, Commando, that allows units to move on roads/railroads in enemy territory. If you modded all non-naval and non-air units to have Commando you could overcome this. But I haven't had modern wars lasting for thousands of turns.

[Tussilago]

Thanks, good advice!

A thousand turns was just a symbolic exaggeration, but generally I think you should be able to vanquish an enemy in less than 10 in the modern age. To me, conflicts at this stage represent actual wars, more or less, especially since I often play to win the war and then hand over most of the cities back to the defeated side, representing the peace agreement, with me gaining a few territories.

[Way_Traveler]

Why would you give the cities back?? The AI will usually pay *You* for peace. If you don't want the city, just burn it.

[PimpyMicPimp]

The Commando promotion isn't easily gotten, though. It's after, what, Combat 4?

[Wolfshanze]

Originally Posted by Tussilago

A thousand turns was just a symbolic exaggeration, but generally I think you should be able to vanquish an enemy in less than 10 in the modern age. To me, conflicts at this stage represent actual wars, more or less, especially since I often play to win the war and then hand over most of the cities back to the defeated side, representing the peace agreement, with me gaining a few territories.

Well you can vanquish a foe in 10 turns or less in the modern age... it's called Air Superiority... use Paratroopers, Bombers and air transport. Who needs the enemies rail roads?

Bomb the heck out of enemy cities, fly-in paratroopers, seize city, air-drop new defenders into city... rebase bombers if need be, then wash, rinse, repeat.

Enemy gone in a few turns, no need to ever use their rails or take a bunch of useless turns slogging infantry and artillery through enemy mountain passes and jungles... just fly over it all!

[Tussilago]

Originally Posted by Way_Traveler

Why would you give the cities back?? The AI will usually pay *You* for peace. If you don't want the city, just burn it.

Depends on how you play the game. If winning was my only concern, I might have occupied/exterminated everyone else. However, you can also "play" the game, just for fun. A peace agreements with possible territorial losses feels more "real" than total extermination of a nation.
I'm not sure how Civ 4 plays yet, but when you did this in Alpha Centauri the vanquished nation could become sweet as a lamb after you handed back some of the cities.

As for the AI paying you for peace, I didn't say the overall situation couldn't include pretty harsh diplomatic demands.

[Tussilago]

Originally Posted by PimpyMicPimp

The Commando promotion isn't easily gotten, though. It's after, what, Combat 4?

Sure, but the idea here was modding the game, as in all ground units having the Commando promotion from start.

[Tussilago]

Originally Posted by Wolfshanze

Well you can vanquish a foe in 10 turns or less in the modern age... it's called Air Superiority... use Paratroopers, Bombers and air transport. Who needs the enemies rail roads?

Bomb the heck out of enemy cities, fly-in paratroopers, seize city, air-drop new defenders into city... rebase bombers if need be, then wash, rinse, repeat.

Enemy gone in a few turns, no need to ever use their rails or take a bunch of useless turns slogging infantry and artillery through enemy mountain passes and jungles... just fly over it all!

It's a matter of suspension of disbelief. How long did the Franco-Prussian War last? About a year. The American Civil War? About 4 years, and those two are directly out of the steam and gaslights era.

You also seem to forget I'm playing Frederick the Great and thusly a German, and we believe in ground combat, railroads, Panzern und Blitzkriege!

[Wolfshanze]

Originally Posted by Tussilago

You also seem to forget I'm playing Frederick the Great and thusly a German, and we believe in... Blitzkriege!

Wasn't it the Germans who introduced Blitzkrieg with bombers and Fallshirmjaeger from the sky?

Embrace German tactics, don't shy from them!