be a man!

[mardukes]

I made it a habit of hitting the random button for number of civs when starting a game. I figured the uncertainty would make for greater interest. But now I'm wondering if taking on less than all 7 civs is just being a wuss.

Is it convention to always play against all seven?

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Six, all six. You are one of the civs. And yes, you would be a wuss.

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

I always do.

I've also imposed some personal rules.....

I don't rehome caravans/freight and I maintain a spotless reputation through the entire game.

 

[Ace]

Unlike DoM, I rehome caravans/freight whenever it will generate more beakers/coins, you need all you can get in the early and mid-game stages! And if your trying for really large bonus' in the 2,500-4000+ range, its almost mandatory.

As for reputation, yeah, a spotless rep lets you do more things in the Republic and Democracy. Always good to have one.

 

[funxus]

I maintain a spotless reputation through the entire game.

Me too, I don't think I've sneak attacked more than 5 times during my whole civ-playing life.

 

[Alice]

I usually play with 7 civs. But sometimes I do hit the random button to have a "surprise element". However I feel it's always more interesting to play against all 6 civs.
I too try to mantain a spotless reputation. I rarely sneak attack, most of the times not even once in an entire game.

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Very interesting, I've been sneak attacked three times in just one game.

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

In MPG, even with a spotless reputation the AI will sneak attack you quite a bit in one game. I actually count on it. Sometimes many turns are spent trying to get the AI to attack me so I can crush them.

But, the only time I ever did a sneak attack was for a GOTM game. It was on a lower difficulty level so the AI weren't too cooperative in starting my wars for me. Even then it was only once to actually end the game.

 

[johnnymiller]

Bloody hell!!!
I sneak attack all the time, I just see it as part of the game. I s'pose it would be more interesting (tricky) to impose further conditions but I couldn't be @rsed!!!
I may try next time though to keep a spotless rep, it could be interesting!!

a pimp smilie!!??!! ha ha ha!!

 

[MajorGeneral2]

I don't sneak-attack often, though the AI doesn't return the favor . It really depends on the situation.
Back to the original subject, I usually play against all 6 on midsize maps. Large maps virtually demand it. However, it all comes down to what pace you want your game to go. Having all 7 on a small map can be a dogfight from the start, while have 3 on a large map will be a very slow game.

 

[Ace]

When you are the dominant civ, reputation doesn't matter. It only matters if your trying to wage war in a republic or democracy. The most frustrating time is when you have an AI civ down to one city, his capital, and you cannot get him to attack you. Unless you have a spotless rep, your senate will never let you attack him. Without a spotless rep here, you will have to change gov to take that last city.

The idea behind keeping a spotless rep, besides getting the senate to let you attack in democracy, is to give the AI a sporting chance (and to see if you really can do it). Some of the better players look on it as a matter of pride to win with a spotless reputation.

But it can be devilish fun to just smash the AI and forget about reputation. Also, It can take a lot of willpower to resist the temptation when another civ offers you a bucketful of coins to attack a third party you happen to have a treaty with.

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Originally posted by Duke of Marlbrough
In MPG, even with a spotless reputation the AI will sneak attack you quite a bit in one game. I actually count on it. Sometimes many turns are spent trying to get the AI to attack me so I can crush them.

But, the only time I ever did a sneak attack was for a GOTM game. It was on a lower difficulty level so the AI weren't too cooperative in starting my wars for me. Even then it was only once to actually end the game.

And I'm playing on v.2.4.2 Imagine my surprise!
Three times consecutively by the same time after a took a city or two and signed a cease-fire. At least it gave me the excuse to take a lot of land.

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

Originally posted by Ace
The most frustrating time is when you have an AI civ down to one city, his capital, and you cannot get him to attack you. Unless you have a spotless rep, your senate will never let you attack him. Without a spotless rep here, you will have to change gov to take that last city.

When you play with a spotless rep, you should never get yourself into this situation anyway. Kill the head and the body will fall. Take the capital first, then buy up the rest. The capital is always the first priority when attacking a civ.

Some of the better players look on it as a matter of pride to win with a spotless reputation.

 

[TheDuckOfFlanders]

The thing i hate most about the sneak attack's ,is after that you gave them a crushing blow ,they agree on a cease fire but not a peace treaty.
Then i got all those freaking enemy's running around my city's and then i have to declare war on the bugger's ,or they just attack you when the cease-fire ends.

I know ,i should make a front so no unit's can get trough ,but that's freaking hard if you got a 50 tile long border and youre in democracy.And then there is still the sea.

I learned to not be patient with the AI.I always try to beat my nearest opponent in the start of the game ,so i can get a head start.Then i just wait and any civ that sneak attacks me is done for.Not just take a few city's ,take it all i say.

 

[Kev]

There have been some great posts in the past on how to avoid making peace while in Republic/Democracy. It involves avoiding face-to-face meetings between units and the like.

Andu Indorin was a master at this - using the United Nations to its full effect. I'm sure his detailed and complete post could be found using the search.

If you really want to have some fun with more AI's, have 6 opponents and keep the restarts on. Still, the AI is so dopey that usually it takes more self-restrictions to make it interesting.

 

[Old n Slow]

For the longest time I thought that it was easier playing with more civs than fewer civs. The first time I played king level I tried it with only two ais against me. Too soon I felt the Romans on my border, with knights pounding my phalanxes -- Turn after turn, until I finally got pikemen. Then the Greeks arrived with Dragoons....back down to Prince level for a year.

 

[ElephantU]

More civs = more trading partners and research slaves (with Marco Polo)!

 

[mardukes]

Originally posted by ElephantU
More civs = more trading partners and research slaves (with Marco Polo)!

There it is again. Tell me about the research slaves concept.

 

[Lord Arius]

Im sorry if this comes a little off topic, but i havent played civ2 for a while (SHAME ON ME!!) and i´ve forgotten what´s the maximum number of civs i can "put" in a game.

PS: Reinstalling civ2 now hehe =)

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

7 civs total. One is you, so six other civs can also be in the game.