Dealing with the "runaways"

[jagwade]

So I have been playing on king difficulty for a couple weeks now and I have noticed that after I take over my continent, one of the AI's on the other continent will have started taking over their's and they will be way ahead of me in points, tech, and everything else. My question is; how do I limit the other continent's AI growth from becoming insurmountable? I'm sure there is a strategy for this and I am more than sure that one of the many civ experts here can help me out.

Thanks

 

[basta]

Yeah I ran into this a lot playing continents and the best solution I found was to ally with several CSs that border the runaway civ on the other continent to provide beach-heads and support for your invasion, so you get most of your troops across the ocean and on land before DoWing.

Also, don't wait to mop up your own continent before dealing with the runaway, but do it as soon as you can mount a credible invasion force; earlier is better.

 

[Raethwyn]

In one of my games I did what basta suggested with the City States and then picked a city on one end of the runaway civ's empire that looked defensible. After I took that one city I went pure defense at that location and let the AI send its waves to me. On the other end of his empire, I had another force ready to strike once I felt confident most of his army was headed to retake the first city they lost. Met with minimal opposition, my secondary strike force was able to sweep through most of the opposite end and take cities. With his army split in a two front war and my City States causing random damage, I began to move my first force forward and the AI just fell apart from there.

 

[peddroelm]

Just won my first deity game[science victory] .

Because I took my sweeeet time and didn't sing RA I was losing the space race to Arabia. In desperation I dumped a lot of resurces and gold/turn into Mongolia their Nuclear Empowered neighbors. A few sweet turns//mushroom clouds latter Arabia lost its capital ... This gave me the time to assemble my spaceship and win the game ...

 

[Roxlimn]

Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[joncnunn]

The primary way to to sell the one threatening to run away useless stuff to drain their treasury. But the Japanese runaway AI didn't stop me from winning my diplomatic victory in my just completed game, even with at the end them conquering 2 City states after clearing 2 major civs from their landmass.

So I have been playing on king difficulty for a couple weeks now and I have noticed that after I take over my continent, one of the AI's on the other continent will have started taking over their's and they will be way ahead of me in points, tech, and everything else. My question is; how do I limit the other continent's AI growth from becoming insurmountable? I'm sure there is a strategy for this and I am more than sure that one of the many civ experts here can help me out.

Thanks

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Don't forget possible blitzkreig scenarios; if it's only them over there, there is only 1 capitol to take over there....

 

[snarzberry]

Don't forget possible blitzkreig scenarios; if it's only them over there, there is only 1 capitol to take over there....

I've been wondering if anyone has pulled this off? It would be a pretty funny way to win a game, especially with Denmark in a one turn sneaky victory steal against a giant monster AI.

 

[jagwade]

Thanks for the great replies. I will definitely be looking forward to trying these out; especially the blitz.

 

[WTBCzero]

I've been wondering if anyone has pulled this off? It would be a pretty funny way to win a game, especially with Denmark in a one turn sneaky victory steal against a giant monster AI.

Yes, I've done this (on King, when the game first game out). Japan had conquered everyone on their continent, I had conquered everyone on my continent. Japan had a tech lead and a stronger military, so I decided the best way to win was to capture his capital (which was on the coast) as there was no way I could hold on to any cities I captured there. It worked. Probably my favourite game so far, actually.

 

[Buccaneer]

Blitzing the capital was one of the most popular way to win when the game came out, unfortunately. Some had forseen this when they annouced this victory condition and we were right in its cheesinest. One of the patches beef up the capital, including making the AI protect it better but it's still a silly way to win, along with the UN win.

 

[sangaman]

It can be nice to only have to capture enemy capitals because it saves time when you have a vastly superior military and are bound to wipe them out. On the other hand, it can definitely be a cheesy way to win when you have an even or weaker military, especially if the capital you need is on a coast. With enough naval units and one or two land units just outside their borders, you can win the game on the same turn you declare war without the AI ever having a chance to strike back.

I think there is a simple solution to this, actually. Once the final capital is captured, the game should wait 10 turns before awarding the victory unless all other civilizations have been wiped out. This way, if you are too weak to hold the enemy capital, you won't win. This is similar to how the UN vote doesn't take place until 10 turns after the UN has been built.

The French captured Moscow in 1812, but they couldn't hold it and look how it turned out for them.

 

[Buccaneer]

Making you hold the captured capital for X amount of turns was one the proposed solutions. That would work if the AI suddenly turned very aggressive in taking back their capital.

 

[sangaman]

Making you hold the captured capital for X amount of turns was one the proposed solutions. That would work if the AI suddenly turned very aggressive in taking back their capital.

That would be good, but even if they remain normal it's better than them having no chance to take it back at all.

 

[basta]

I think there is a simple solution to this, actually. Once the final capital is captured, the game should wait 10 turns before awarding the victory unless all other civilizations have been wiped out.

Oh goodie! Make domination even longer and more tedious than it already is! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!

(Sorry, nothing personal, I couldn't resist--but the horror...)

 

[peddroelm]

They're runaways only because you haven't dealt with them on time .

 

[chgrogers]

They're runaways only because you haven't dealt with them on time .

I have to disagree. I have seen very early in the game, around the Classical Era, when I have seen "Unmet Civilization has lost its Capitol." There is so much area I have to explore I can't reach it all and by the time I find the runaway their score is usually 2 times mine and it does take some drastic measures to reign them in.

 

[sangaman]

Oh goodie! Make domination even longer and more tedious than it already is! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!

(Sorry, nothing personal, I couldn't resist--but the horror...)

Once you get the capital, if you are truly militarily superior, you can just fortify your troops around the city and hit end turn 10 times. You've "won" the game once you take the last capital, you just need to hold on for a bit to prevent cheesy wins which I don't think is too tedious.

 

[Buccaneer]

Not only is it less gamey but more realistic (if that counts for anything). In all of my Civ5 games, I haven't found anything to be tedious. I pay attention to everything, take my time and make 'mini-games' out of warfare and exploration.