AI Always Hates Me!!

[sawdust]

Can someone help point me in the right direction to keep the AI off my back. I'm new to Civ2 and no matter what I do, give them stuff or not, the other civs are always doing the dirty on me. I wouldn't mind but I can't get my trade routes established with them killing my frieght all the time. I try to play "nice" but I don't think they listened to their Mommas' when they were kids!

 

[KingWilly]

I sometimes think the best thing to do is attack back. If you have a huge (and more powerful) army, I find that the AI will mostly always want to be your friend. IIRC, if the AI attacks you, then you can attack them back without fear of losing your reputation. Having a spotless reputation helps with bargaining with the AI too.

BTW. Welcome to the CivFanatics Forum. It's good to see another Aussie here.

Try the GOTM19 and read the strategies from the GOTM forums. I have found that playing the GOTM and reading the forum has really helped improve my game and give me new ideas.

 

[sawdust]

Ok. thanx for the advice

 

[Marlos]

I used to try to "play nice" like you, sawdust, until I got tired of the AI going Fundy and nuking all of my hard work back into the stone age! Then I learned how to fight!

Follow KingWilly's advice and look through the info here in the forums, the war academy, etc. As in the real world, in Civ2 the best way to not go to war is to show everyone else that you are ready to beat their pants off if they decide to pick on you!

 

[Tammy]

If you wish for peace, prepare for war. Solid advice.

 

[Ohwell]

Hate 'em back

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Don't pursue peace, make it. Force cease-fires and treaties with a gun to your enemies' heads. Force them to make peace with you and always let them declare war first.

 

[starlifter]

You cannot put your caravans in a vulnerable position and expect them to survive. The AI will attack, eventually, and especially if:

1. You use MGE.
2. You are superior.
3. You meet certain more complex combinations of power & treaty violations, etc.


I use caravans to start wars when I'm in democracy (or republic). The AI really likes to knock them off. Try parking one next to an AI city that you are at peace with. Or jamming up their roads and RRs with them. You'll have a war pretty quick! And that's a good thing!

Caravans are too valuable to leave unprotected. You cannot expect to reliably deliver them deep in AI territory, unless you go by ocean to a coastal city. There are no RRs that early, and caravans are too slow. Later, Freight can be used to get almost anywhere safely, without escort most of the time... more movement, and use of RRs.

 

[SunTzu]

MGE has a 'bug' that makes the AI want to kick your teeth in no matter what. You just have to learn to deal with them. If you can't go to a major war with them but they're constantly attacking, i would just build fortifications and put atleast 2 units in the forts so u won't get bribed and just let the AI attack away...then when your ready to take the war to them, just switch gears and go on the offensive

 

[Old n Slow]

In addition to all of the above good advice, I’ll offer a couple of other tidbits that I’ve observed:

Some of the ai civs seem “friendlier” than others -- this shouldn’t be pushed too far, but the level of erosion of relations is faster for the more militant/aggresive civs & less so for some of the other types.

The ai civs seem “friendlier” on the lower game levels -- on the chieftain level they may even agree to an immediate exchange of ambassadors with first contact.

It seems to me that the ai will sneak attack, but after a long time of no activity may be willing to agree to a cease fire; similarly, if they attack, they seem willing to agree to a cease-fire if you snag/raze one of their cities. This seems to work better in the early portion of the game -- later in the game, the anger level may remain until they are completely destroyed.

 

[sawdust]

Thanks for all the help people. I think i'm getting the hang of things. I'm at least starting to recognise when the AI is looking to stab me in the back and I managed to "swoon" one of them from downright hostile to worshipful. There is just sooooo much to learn in this game, even just from level to level. I think i'm a bit like your name Old & Slow. Maybe not as old but definately slower! LOL Thanks again.

 

[Dark Ascendant]

I'm at least starting to recognise when the AI is looking to stab me in the back and I managed to "swoon" one of them from downright hostile to worshipful.

How did you do that, by mass gifting them?

 

[funxus]

If you want the AI to like you more, you can always build the Eiffeltower, that's what it's for. Most people don't value attitudes etc. that much to spend a whole wonder on it though.
If you want peace you can build the UN...

 

[sawdust]

In response to your question Dark Ascendant, "by mass gifting them" (sorry i don't know how to do this quote thing you use)

I did gift them some, but only cos they happened to be my "Key Civ" at the time. But what surprised me was it happened very quickly, at least it seemed that way to me. It was the Japanese and they had been pounding me from the beginning of the game. We were on the same continent, me at one end they at the other, and i had set up defensive borders at about the half way mark. They must have lost at least 20 units without so much as denting me. Finally they seemed to realise their futility and asked for peace thats when i gave them some gifts and next thing i know they worshipped me. This is all happening in the early game and it does seem to me the Japanese have a tendency to back off fairly quickly if you show them a strong arm. Not necessarily in numbers, cos i'm always behind everyone on military units in the early game, but smart defence against them seems to make 'em cowtail pretty quick. (sorry i've rambled on a bit here)

 

[KingWilly]

Originally posted by sawdust
In response to your question Dark Ascendant, "by mass gifting them" (sorry i don't know how to do this quote thing you use)

To do the "quote" thing, all you need to do is click on the Quote button in the top right hand corner of the message you want to quote. You will basically reply to the person you want to quote.

 

[sawdust]

Thanks King Willy. I saw that afterwards and thought that might be the way.

 

[GI Murph]

I would have to offer a different school of thought on this problem. I would suggest fortifying your cities well and going for a productive government fast. Even ancient defensive unit coupled with sity walls with stop an enemy attack 9 times out of 10 for the majority of the game. When you spend enough time builging up your civ, and when you feel comfortable, take a sizeable force over to an AI weakspot and exploit it. Once you have a sizeable force in their borders you will see AI become more receptive. Just make sure to keep defense strong in your newly captured cities as well. No need to gift anything unless it looks like you will die, but if you have to be a punk like that, just start over.;:die: :die: :die:

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Originally posted by sawdust
In response to your question Dark Ascendant, "by mass gifting them" (sorry i don't know how to do this quote thing you use)

I did gift them some, but only cos they happened to be my "Key Civ" at the time. But what surprised me was it happened very quickly, at least it seemed that way to me. It was the Japanese and they had been pounding me from the beginning of the game. We were on the same continent, me at one end they at the other, and i had set up defensive borders at about the half way mark. They must have lost at least 20 units without so much as denting me. Finally they seemed to realise their futility and asked for peace thats when i gave them some gifts and next thing i know they worshipped me. This is all happening in the early game and it does seem to me the Japanese have a tendency to back off fairly quickly if you show them a strong arm. Not necessarily in numbers, cos i'm always behind everyone on military units in the early game, but smart defence against them seems to make 'em cowtail pretty quick. (sorry i've rambled on a bit here)

Hmm, I would have flanked them from behind while I was at it, but I win more by attrition than anything else.