Always get started by a warmonger... what can I do?

[CivAddict2013]

It seems no matter what I do in this game, I get spawned the aggressive warmonger of the game.

I can't count how many times I've been started by the Aztecs or Shaka.

What can I do about this?

My luck seems bad. Literally every time I get a good starting location; I find I'm next to a warmonger.

So what can I do?

 

[Magean]

Manually select your opponents, maybe. Unfortunately, doing so reduces unpredictability, and this is a bad thing.

More seriously, if you want advice on how to deal with them... Well, sometimes, you can bribe them into going to war with another neighbour, which should exhaust both opponents and keep them busy. However, if one of them totally crushes the other, then it'll backfire on you later because the victorious one will likely start running away. So it's better not to pit Attila against a weakling like Pedro.

You can also avoid war with good diplomacy and some luck. If you get an early religion, spread it to them. Or pay them a tribute (go in the "demand" diplomatic menu, and give them money).

This guide is very interesting if you really want to keep peace :
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=521674&highlight=small

 

[chazzycat]

some warmongers are easier to deal with than others. Keep in mind the bribing option, it can be a very good play in the right circumstance. But sometimes you just need some CBs.

 

[docbud]

I don't find it too worrisome if I start next to the Aztecs. But Shaka--I'm definitely doomed.

 

[chazzycat]

shaka is the most bribable of any civ. he is my favorite neighbor, just bribe him to attack EVERYONE nearby and you'll be left as his only friend by default once he needs trade routes.

 

[Jaybe]

An alternative to picking your opponents is to play on a larger map and/or continents.

 

[LoneRebel]

Are you getting started by "warmongers" like Harun too?

 

[phillipwyllie]

Potentially all civs are warmongers, even early on. You have the misfortune of always spawning near one that has early advantages and so that ai civ is more likely to DOW a neighbor early on.

To combat warmongers you need an army and defensive buildings. I suggest building the Great Wall as the ai has a terrible time in calculating it's pathing to your cities if you have the GW. If you do build the GW don't beeline Dynamite as you will loose the GW's advantage(it's when the builder of the GW researches Dynamite that the GW becomes obsolete, and not when a civ researches Dynamite). Unlock Oligarchy at the first instance and have ranged units in all cities.

I'd say having Cross-bows and Pike-men are all you need until your aggressor reaches gunpowder units to mount a successful defense. Building the Pyramids will help you repair your pillaged infrastructure a lot quicker. If you wish to maintain relations after your aggressor(s) have sued for peace don't denounce them even though they may have denounced you, this will make it easier for you to bribe them to DOW someone else.

 

[CivAddict2013]

Potentially all civs are warmongers, even early on. You have the misfortune of always spawning near one that has early advantages and so that ai civ is more likely to DOW a neighbor early on.

To combat warmongers you need an army and defensive buildings. I suggest building the Great Wall as the ai has a terrible time in calculating it's pathing to your cities if you have the GW. If you do build the GW don't beeline Dynamite as you will loose the GW's advantage(it's when the builder of the GW researches Dynamite that the GW becomes obsolete, and not when a civ researches Dynamite). Unlock Oligarchy at the first instance and have ranged units in all cities.

I'd say having Cross-bows and Pike-men are all you need until your aggressor reaches gunpowder units to mount a successful defense. Building the Pyramids will help you repair your pillaged infrastructure a lot quicker. If you wish to maintain relations after your aggressor(s) have sued for peace don't denounce them even though they may have denounced you, this will make it easier for you to bribe them to DOW someone else.

So, would the best thing to do just be to build the Great Wall? I might try that.

But the problem I seem to have is that AI's will DoW me before I can even get the great wall.

But basically I should rush walls or something right? Will walls be able to hold off an early Aztec or Zulu rush?

 

[Magean]

Walls and 2-3 composite bowmen are usually enough to hold against a jaguar rush.

Shaka is tougher to deal with once he's got his impis.

 

[Chum]

Tomorrow, you will have been posting here one year, CivAddict. One full year, and you're still struggling with the same basic concepts of this game, and making the same rant thread every week or so complaining about the aforementioned basic concepts of combat and diplomacy.

You're persistent, I'll give you that. It's just too bad you won't listen to any advice given to you by anyone who's responded to any of your 100+ posts. Nor will you respond to this one and actually engage me in any meaningful discussion of your playing ability.

Go ahead, prove me wrong. Lets figure out why you're not succeeding in this game. Post a save file. Post a screenshot. Post SOMETHING to let everyone on this forum know that you're not a drunken troll who comes here for some laughs every week.

 

[TractorBoy]

I can't count how many times I've been started by the Aztecs or Shaka.

I noticed you used the vanilla pre-fix, I was not aware that Shaka is available for the Vanilla game!

Some of the responses given on this thread make reference to G&K or BNW and you don't seem to have picked up on it!

References that are not Vanilla; Composite Bowmen, foreign trade routes, Religion and Pedro.

 

[Dtekkar]

Kick their butt. Or build an army respectable enough to do so, then they'll probably attack someone else. Archer-class units, like composite bows, are excellent, especially in defensive wars.

 

[phillipwyllie]

So, would the best thing to do just be to build the Great Wall? I might try that...

I find the GW most useful for defense, added you get free walls in the city you build it in.

...But the problem I seem to have is that AI's will DoW me before I can even get the great wall....

Beeline Writing then Calendar and make your build queue monument->Scout->Granary->Shrine(if you have time)Great Library(pick Philosophy)->National College all done by say turn 55. Engineering will be ~10 turns away.

...But basically I should rush walls or something right? Will walls be able to hold off an early Aztec or Zulu rush?

Walls and units, units are the defense not the walls but if you don't have walls then cities fall very easily.
IIRC Jaguars heal when they kill a unit so it's important not to loose any to a Jaguar, it might make sense to disband a nearly dead unit so you deny a Jaguar a health boost.
When Shaka gets his impis you're in for a world of hurt if you haven't researched civil Service as impis are Shaka's replacement for pike-men, and you want to be at least on par in military tech when Shaka comes a callin'....Fortify your pike-men in a line with ranged units behind and don't melee until Shaka's units are at least in the yellow for health.

Once you have fended off the first attack march on the nearest city and pillage, peace will soon follow. If only for 10 turns.....

 

[gozpel]

2 spears and 3-4 composite bowmen can defend any city on all levels, if you use them well.

 

[Krajzen]

Alternatively you can simply play on water heavy maps when you have your own cute landmass

Sometimes I like island maps - instead of barbarians and early invasions you care about naval warfare, exploration and colonising new islands, and later economical/cultural competition between civilisations is pretty interesting.

 

[CivAddict2013]

Are you getting started by "warmongers" like Harun too?

Mostly Shaka and the Aztecs. For the most part I just restart if I get an early DoW.

Tomorrow, you will have been posting here one year, CivAddict. One full year, and you're still struggling with the same basic concepts of this game, and making the same rant thread every week or so complaining about the aforementioned basic concepts of combat and diplomacy.

You're persistent, I'll give you that. It's just too bad you won't listen to any advice given to you by anyone who's responded to any of your 100+ posts. Nor will you respond to this one and actually engage me in any meaningful discussion of your playing ability.

Go ahead, prove me wrong. Lets figure out why you're not succeeding in this game. Post a save file. Post a screenshot. Post SOMETHING to let everyone on this forum know that you're not a drunken troll who comes here for some laughs every week.

Tell me, what is a rant? You've obviously not checked any of my threads, I mostly do respond.

A troll really? Surely you know I've better things to do than write paragraphs just to get a laugh. If my topics were one line, maybe you'd have something.

Anyway, even in my last game I got branded a warmonger just for declaring war. I did not even take a city. This was BNW but still.

 

[LoneRebel]

Mostly Shaka and the Aztecs. For the most part I just restart if I get an early DoW.


Tell me, what is a rant? You've obviously not checked any of my threads, I mostly do respond.

A troll really? Surely you know I've better things to do than write paragraphs just to get a laugh. If my topics were one line, maybe you'd have something.

Anyway, even in my last game I got branded a warmonger just for declaring war. I did not even take a city. This was BNW but still.

You're responding now. You weren't before. Generally you do not respond to the people who point out that you post threads about the same things again and again. You do respond to the people who, perhaps unaware of that proclivity of yours, continue to post helpful advice. But then you don't seem to take their advice anyway, and then a few days later post a similar thread again. Not that I mind it, it's pretty entertaining.

Now that I've finally gotten your attention, I'd like to ask you: Are you aware that Brazil and Arabia are two of the most peaceful civs in the game?

You should probably further specify what "being branded a warmonger" means. In my last game, I did start to get "early concerns" from some civs just by declaring war. I do think that's a bit much, especially seeing as the one I was declaring war on was a warmonger himself. But it was just "early concerns", not "clearly see the threat".

 

[Furtherado]

Well, I`ve checked civaddicts post history and honestly i don`t think he`s a troll, and in that case it would just be sad, because who the f goes a full year posting on a game forum just for laughs? It must be something else that drives him to make these posts about essentially the same thing month after month, something that lies deep within him that cannot be fully understood even after years of study.

And I`ll also leave a constructive comment. If you start next to a warmonger there`s only two things you can do really, either spend all your resources to bribe him away from you, or spend all your resources on a military, crush his army in a defensive war and immediatly take the counter-offensive and wipe him out (or at least cripple his empire to a degree that he won`t be a threat anymore). Yes you will get a warmonger penalty, and it might force you into a science/domination victory even if it wasn`t what you were going for, but that`s just how it is unfortunately. Even if you bribe him, you will eventually need to wipe him out or stall him with military force anyway, because in my experience the worst warmongers usually end up with humongous empires.

Usually the type of unit you need to build are the ranged units like archers/composite bows/crossbows with a few meele units to take cities. Bring along some siege units when his armies are toast and to take the bigger cities further inside his empire.