Blockades

[ditchhook]

I've just started my first BtS game, and my current world is divided among two main land masses, and there is only one place where they are close enough to allow the the earliest (costal) ships to move from one to the other.

Is it possible to blockade trade and communications (between my current enemy and a neutral) from that point?

In general I'd enjoy a broader overview on how 'blockade' is supposed to be deployed in the latest version.

 

[jeffreyac]

I've only used blockades a handful of times, but my understanding is that they are an economic tool, and don't affect communication/contact. That is, you could go into enemy territory when you're at war (or anybody's territory with a privateer - god, I love those guys... ) and gain gold from them to the tune of a few gold per turn by using the blockade function. However, this doesn't stop them from communicating with neighbors in any way.

 

[Dynamic Cow]

You can blockade enemy cities from utilising water tiles and from trading with other cities by sea routes - and, if you use privateers, gain a few gold per turn by, well, privateering.

 

[Bushface]

"Blockade" is defined somewhere as preventing trade from passing through the blockaded area, which appears to be the tile containing the blocading vessel and any sea tiles adjacent to that tile. It also appears to prevent the blocaded city (always put your blocading ship next to a city) from working those tiles.
If you are first to get Chemistry and Astronomy, turn out privateers by the dozen until you have one anchored outside every AI coastal city. Not only are they a floating goldmine (2 or 3 gold per turn per privateer) but their presence sends the AI into a frenzy of building triremes, later caravels, which not only wastes AI production but also gives you XPs; privateers seem able to defend against flotillas of triremes and at least two caravels. One of my privateers once managed to survive four caravel attacks in a turn, but then I deemed it prudent to send it out to sea to recover. The carnival is over once the AIs can build Frigates: I've known a privateer to defeat one, but never two.
I said "by the dozen". Playing on Huge 3-continent maps, my record is 62 blockading privateers.
However, the only way to blockade a sea crossing is with a complete line of your warships. Even this will not prevent communication across the sea nor stop neutral vessels from crossing, though an enemy can't cross other than by fighting his way through your line.

 

[Supr49er]

And you don't have to be at war to blockade with your privateers.

 

[ditchhook]

Thanks everyone!

I pictured 'trade routes' as literally invisible lines on the map, and thought if I could break one of them anywhere along the route with a blockade, and no alternate route were available, I would be cutting off trade between an enemy and any neutrals who were trading with my enemy. It sounds like it isn't as sophisticated as that, however.

 

[Supr49er]

Thanks everyone!

I pictured 'trade routes' as literally invisible lines on the map, and thought if I could break one of them anywhere along the route with a blockade, and no alternate route were available, I would be cutting off trade between an enemy and any neutrals who were trading with my enemy. It sounds like it isn't as sophisticated as that, however.

I think CTP (Call to Power) had that kind of trade routes.

 

[KMadCandy]

"Blockade" is defined somewhere as preventing trade from passing through the blockaded area, which appears to be the tile containing the blocading vessel and any sea tiles adjacent to that tile. It also appears to prevent the blocaded city (always put your blocading ship next to a city) from working those tiles.

actually the blockaded area is three tiles around your ship, total of 7 tiles across 7 down. so, 3 out from your ship in all directions, and it does make a square, it doesn't cut off at the corners like a city cross does, if that makes sense. your ship doesn't need to be tight next to the city to get the gold, often you can block two cities with the same ship if they're placed right. i think that the city square itself has to be in one of the blockaded tiles. having the coastal tile right next to it blockaded, but the city outside of the blockade box, might still let him have access to trade routes. but i didn't test that before posting so i might be wrong.

you can see the area you're covering if you go back to that unit after you tell it to blockade. the area it's covering has lines on it. they can be hard to see, the color is based on your civ color.

privateers ... give you XPs

and the exp comes with GG points . you can get 3+ GGs before ever going to war if things work out right. like a game i played were one AI knew astro, one knew chemistry, but they didn't trade with each other so nobody could build frigates.

 

[7of9Fan]

Great info KMadCandy, you are the best.

 

[Bushface]

you can see the area you're covering if you go back to that unit after you tell it to blockade. the area it's covering has lines on it. they can be hard to see, the color is based on your civ color.

Just my luck to be playing as America, then. Can anybody see lines around the blockading privateer in the screenshot ? I can't, not at any zoom level.

 

[Verge]

Just my luck to be playing as America, then. Can anybody see lines around the blockading privateer in the screenshot ? I can't, not at any zoom level.

Order the Privateer to "Blockade" if you haven't already. By default, the game will deselect the Privateer after you issue the order. Go back and select the Privateer, you should see the outline.

 

[Supr49er]

Just my luck to be playing as America, then. Can anybody see lines around the blockading privateer in the screenshot ? I can't, not at any zoom level.

LOL. A stealth privateer!

 

[KMadCandy]

Order the Privateer to "Blockade" if you haven't already. By default, the game will deselect the Privateer after you issue the order. Go back and select the Privateer, you should see the outline.

i sometimes mess myself up when i click on the boat after i told it to blockade. i don't know how i mess it up, but i click wrong somehow and make it stop blockading . permanoob! the safest way i've found to "confirm" the area i'm blocking is this:

- set the ship to blockade
- wait until i see the game has cycled to the next unit (about a millisecond)
- hit my \ key so that the game cycles back to the previous unit. that doesn't change what he's doing, it just selects him so i can see him.
- now i can see the area with the lines, but i haven't messed it up. if it looks good, yay! if it's not what i expected, i put a sign on the tile i want to try next turn (i'm the queen of signs to remind myself what to do next turn).
- then i hit W for wait and let the game cycle to the next unit with movement, and go on with the turn, pretending i play the game like normal people do.

maybe that'll help? because it looks to me like you're not blockading any more.

this is what i see as america (worldbuildered):

Spoiler :

notice how far out i have to zoom to see the borders on the sides where my magical ironclad in the ocean doesn't fogbust. for america, the crosshatches just do not show up ... pain in the candybutt. the borders on the edge of the box are the only way to tell from outside the city what i'm blocking.

if you can investigate the city, doing that can confirm whether you're covering all water tiles. if you are, the city won't be working any water tiles from the inside view. i think from the outside view, the little ships do still appear until you hit next turn, i can't remember.

 

[Verge]

(i'm the queen of signs to remind myself what to do next turn).

Hah! That's exactly what I do. You should see my current espionage war with Augustus; I have close to three dozen spies around his territory, all fortified until I get the "-50% for Stationary Spy" bonus. So now I have close to three dozen signs with notes like "Turn 512, Sabotage" and "Turn 514, Poison."

 

[KMadCandy]

new post instead of yet another edit since at least one person (Verge i'm so glad you finally started posting on CFC!) has read my original.

this is what i see as HC. the difference between aztec and american is really clear. the color isn't the same as the water color, and the crosshatches (is there a better word for what i mean?) actually show up for another indicator besides the border of the box. HC sploits, or america gets ripped off, i dunno *giggle*.

Spoiler :

 

[Bushface]

My privateer was blockading: that location was in any case picked fairly randomly from about 40, none of which show any kind of border or hatching (KMad - cross-hatching, strictly speaking, requires two sets of crossing lines).

 

[KMadCandy]

weird. maybe it has to do with graphics settings? my american blockades show up if you know what to look for, even tho they are harder to see than other civs. i don't see a darn thing on yours.

 

[7of9Fan]

Signs? What Signs?

Please oh Permanoob Queen of Signs, share your wisodm with this lowly wannabe.

 

[Steiner-Davion]

Signs? What Signs?

Please oh Permanoob Queen of Signs, share your wisodm with this lowly wannabe.

By pressing ALT-S you can place customizable signs on the map.

 

[gegabitelord]

This why you should always have a powerful navy or at least one strong enough to defend your self from people like me.

Spoiler :