Arghhhhh Privateers

[btaft]

I am still learning this game but last night I had the opportunity to try out some privateers while playing as Spain. I had built them because I liked the idea of being able to raid another civilizations surface fleet without having to declare war. I was not aware of their "enslavement" function. After building my first one I sent it out on the high seas to look for some vitims. I ran across a fleet (5-6) Byzantine Galleys. I thought OK lets take one on. I was victorious and thus created another Privateer. A handful battles later and all but one of the Galleys were mine. These things are awesome. At this rate I should be able to control the seas until the industrial era!!

 

[thetrooper]

Did you look at the Byzantine attitude before and after your attacks? My experience: attack someone with privateers, polite to cautious or cautious to annoyed. Even though privateers sail under no flag, the AI knows who they are. v1.22, if anyone bothers.

 

[Bartleby]

It seems to me the attitude adjustment for using privateers is very short-lived. The next turn the attitude usually goes back to what it was before the attack.

 

[btaft]

Did you look at the Byzantine attitude before and after your attacks?

Oopps. I guess I am still learning. They had just went from Annoyed to Polite. In either case it doesn't really matter now, I pretty much took away their means to get to me and the two other Civs I share the continent with are much weaker so alliances against me should not be a big concern.

 

[Longasc]

They really get pissed at you if you attack them with privateers. But it is only a minor hit and switches back next turn, as bartleby said.

Still, this is as ridiculous as the sub bug.

 

[bingen]

If you think the privateer is nice, check out the new improved Man of War.

 

[norwegianviking]

If you think the privateer is nice, check out the new improved Man of War.

Unfortunatly Man-O-Wars generate wars with other civs

 

[emzie]

Unfortunatly Man-O-Wars generate wars with other civs

Which makes them useless.

 

[bingen]

Which makes them useless.

What is wrong with entering a war you cannot lose, a war that multiplies your power without costing you a shield and that reduces every enemy square of coast to huge craters?

In my last game as England(Sid, archiplelago) the french stupidly declared war on my island, I built less than 10 Man'O'War and soon had over 30. The french city building Universal Suffrage was totally crippled and I got that wonder. Not long after the rest of france gets pummeled as well. Shore bombardment gets a little tedious though.

Similar stuff can bne done with privateers but much less effectively.

 

[Zild]

I built less than 10 Man'O'War and soon had over 30.

I'm sorry, am I missing something here... Privateers which successfully attack produce new Privateers, and Man'O'Wars produce more of themselves?

What versions is this? Please please say PTW!

 

[bingen]

What versions is this? Please please say PTW!

Conquests only, it is a new ability called enslavement.

 

[Zild]

Once again I lose out

Out of curiosity, is it just those two units, or are there others?

 

[majk-iii]

The mayan javelins enlave enemys into workers.

 

[Halcyon]

Which translates approximately into "park Javelin Thrower (2-2-1 Archer UU) next to barbarian camp and enjoy free workforce".

Enslavement only works 1/3 of the time, but that's enough to be useful. Any units you get from it don't cost gold support, either, making the Man O'War just that much better.

 

[Gogf]

What's too bad about privateers is that they're almost useless against Frigates.