Any merit in joining a war when another civ asks you to?

[malfuriouspete]

Personally for me, I almost never join unless I am on friendly terms with the civ and only if its against someone on the other end of the map! I find it incredibly annoying when someone who is cautious or annoyed at me asks me to join their war because I almost have no interest in helping them.. then if I turn them down, the side they are fighting with will ask me to join!

Wondering though.. can I ask the AI for gold, tech, a city in order to join their war? I think not since there is only 2 options to answer them (yes/no) but I know on my end, if I ask a friend to join a war, I almost always have to give up something, usually gold or a tech.

 

[Ataxerxes]

Personally for me, I almost never join unless I am on friendly terms with the civ and only if its against someone on the other end of the map! I find it incredibly annoying when someone who is cautious or annoyed at me asks me to join their war because I almost have no interest in helping them.. then if I turn them down, the side they are fighting with will ask me to join!

Wondering though.. can I ask the AI for gold, tech, a city in order to join their war? I think not since there is only 2 options to answer them (yes/no) but I know on my end, if I ask a friend to join a war, I almost always have to give up something, usually gold or a tech.

The first paragraph is a common problem. You refuse both requests and both give you demerits for not helping. I sometimes join in a "phony war" for the diplo benefits. For instance, if I have a couple of warmongers near me and Sitting Bull on the other side. Once in an OCC I had a thousand-year phony war with Sitting Bull and I never saw one of his troops (although it was small inland seas map). Often you have to decide who your friends are and get into a phony war. Since I'm often in the AP religion I usually have help.

Second paragraph is another aggravation. You can give bribes to get someone else into the war but can't ask for bribes when someone asks you. All you get is the bonus for aiding and mutual military struggle.

 

[malfuriouspete]

Yeah, I think I'll try that tactic - the phony war, no sense in sending troops across the map when I have enemies closer. I guess in the end its better to lose diplo with one civ as opposed to losing it with two.

 

[rah]

Yes, it's annoying when someone that stabbed you in the back multiple times during a game comes and asks you to join him against your bestest. You wish there was a option to say, are you fricken kidding me.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

You avoid a demerit and get a bonus for shared war with your "ally".

If you have a standing defense, have it group up with "ally" stack and snipe weakened cities when possible.

 

[GMoney]

If you join a "phoney war" where you don't actual send combatants or fight, don't you still suffer negative implications like war weariness or some other drag on your economy or happiness?

 

[rah]

War weariness comes from combat. If you have no combat, you have no weariness.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

If you join a "phoney war" where you don't actual send combatants or fight, don't you still suffer negative implications like war weariness or some other drag on your economy or happiness?

No war weariness. The only bad things are that you get a -3 demerit with the civ you declare on and you lose trade routes if you had open borders with that civ and there aren't others to replace them.

Of course, you also have to make sure not to lose workers, cities, units, etc in "phoney" wars, since the AI doesn't distinguish.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Add "you declared war on our friend" penalties if they have any friends.

 

[nfw]

You can try demanding 10 gold from each of them, the enforced peace treaty means neither can ask you to join in.