a few disparate questions

[commodified]

Most of these questions have nothing to do with each other, but most of them belong here.

1) I've read up on how the AI analyzes terrain and how it decides to research this tech over that tech. Now I'm wondering about different ways in which the human player can fight a more intelligent war than the AI (without so-called "exploits"). Could anybody give me some tips, or direct me to an article that deals with this broad issue?

2) What are some different ways of drawing the AI into a war (making it attack you, that is)?

3) Could somebody direct me to any posts on the subject of playing "puppet master" with the AI civs?

4) When can I change the label below my name to something other than "Chieftain?"

5) Does anyone play communism in the late stage of the game?

6) I know people like Religious and Militaristic a lot. What are the Civ traits that are generally considered worst? Is being Expansionist generally awesome enough at the beginning of the game to make up for its complete worthlessness thereafter?

7) On what difficulty does it become best to raze rather than take over enemy cities?

8) How does one get their avatar on CFC to be something different than one of the preset options?

 

[ivory]

2. leaving a bordertown undefended, that 's temptation most can't resist for too long.
Planting a spy is expensive but works quite often very well. If the spy is captured, the AI may declare on the spot. If he doesn't, plant another spy. If you have a spy, send him on risky missions until he is caught. Even much weaker civs will declare war if you continue long wnough.
Repeatedly demanding ridiculous tributes (just click on "Take this or..." a few times), constantly trespassing, etc. will make him furious if he not already is.

5. personally no. There are reports in other threads that indicate some people appreciate communism, but I like to keep a couple of towns productive by switching to monarchy if war weariness becomes too much.

6. There are a few thread dedecated to traits on the front page already.

7. I don't see the connection with level. I never raze willingly. If a city flips back then that 's too bad.

4. at 30+ posts in the user control panel
8. at 300+ posts. Read the Forum FAQ.

 

[commodified]

Thank you for your thoughts.

I actually just found a place where q. 6 is discussed, so I guess I didn't need that one in there. oops.

As for planting spies, if one is rooted out, doesn't that hurt your reputation pretty badly? I'm mainly looking for ways to make the AI aggressive without a) taking a rep hit or b) just being a whole lot worse than them.

I implore everybody: more responses!

 

[ivory]

As far as I am aware, if a spy is caught in country X, countries Y and Z just couldn't care less. I 'm not sure if they even 'know' what happened except that X declared war on you.

 

[The Last Conformist]

1) Have you checked the strategy articles? There's a million and one things a skillful human will do differently than the AI when it comes to fighting a war, but most come down to analyzing a given situation.

One of the greatest differences between a good human player and the AI is that the former will use artillery (including naval bombardments and Bombers) in greater numbers, both on the defensive and the offensive, which allows him/her to minimize the losses among his/her line units.

3) I'm not aware of any threads on this subject, which is kind of pity. Selling resources and techs cheaply to the underdogs in inter-AI wars can help keeping the balance of power in your favour and stop bigger AIs from growing too big.

One nasty trick I've used to good effect in my current game is to get into war with a huge, distant AI, and then bribe all its neighbours into Military Alliances. Thirty turns on, I've seen a grand total of one Babylonian unit attack me, and Babylonia is slowly, city by city, being carved up between several neighbours, not of which is threatening to become the uncontestedly strongest civ Babylonia was before the war.

5) Some do. I don't. For length modern wars I find Republic the best government. You can handle fairly major wars in Democracy too, but it gets dangerous if it gets dragged out or you're losing cities.

6) As mentioned, there's several threads on this going on. The most popular trait is Industrious. On the wrong kind of map, Expansionist can be pretty pointless, but I think Militaristic is the weakest one in most circumstances. But they're pretty well balanced.

7) I don't think this question is answerable. I almost always keep cities at any level; some people prefer to raze on any level.

 

[billindenver]

#1) Other than the artillery previously mentioned, one other major problem with AI's warfare is that it attacks with too little strength. How many times have you survived a 5 units attack from the AI, where a 10 unit attack would have easily taken your city, especially early in the game.

Another tactic, when being attacked by the AI, is to move units back and forth between cities. Say, e.g., you have 2 border cities, and the AI attacked before you were really ready to defend. Move units from the further away city from the AI to the one closer to the AI leaving the further city empty of units. The AI will abandon the attack on the defended city and start moving towards the undefended one. Move the units back to the original city, and empty the other city and he'll move back the other way. Keep doing that until you are able to call reinforcements from other cities.

Another defensive tactic is to sacrifice workers. The AI can't resist undefended workers. It will spend a turn taking a worker rather than attacking your city. If you need to gain time to bring up reinforcements, and you've got a worker nearby, leave him within reach of the AI attackers and you buy yourself a turn.

Build fortresses in hills and mountains of borders and fortify cannons and ranged attackers in them. They get free pot shots at anyone passing by, and are incredibly tough to kill. It's a great way to earn promotions too!

 

[Beanzy]

2. Threaten it. Feign weakness on your borders. Most other ways might result in hurt rep.

3. Nah, can't think of any at the moment.

4. You can also just wait. After 100 posts, you become warlord, etc.

5. Not unless there's a big war going on and you have major WW. Even then, I'd just switch to Republic. I rarely even reasearch communism.

6. Worst, IMHO, is Militaristic. Then comes Expansionistic (though on the right map, it can be effective). Afterwards, I'd but scientific and religious, though most would say religious is second best. Industrious is best. Personally, I rank commercial highly, though many do not.

7. Level doesn't really factor in. I raze if I can't, or don't need to, keep it. Usually, it's better to keep, but sometimes I don't have the patience to garrison it and worry about culture flipping, so I'd raze it.