Bombing and conquering cities

[Dalixam]

Is there any point in bombing cities with artillery or ships before you conquer them? All it does is destroy city improvements like the library or the barracks or killing some of the population. As I see it, that only hurts yourself because when you conquer the city, you just have to build all those things again with a low population. What's the point?

Also, How can I prevent conquered cities from converting back to the enemy? I have tried many times where I take a city and a few turns later it converts back because they admire the "culture". I though it had something to do with how many units were in the city, so I left around 20 tanks in a city and planned not to move any until the resistants were quelled, but the next turn it converted. I lost 20 tanks! How can I prevent this?

 

[Sonic747]

Use precision bombing against resisters. It seems that function was especially done for wiping resisters. It kills population and it could only be used against your cities. When city will have only one citizen (resister) bring there your forces.

Bombing is useful against infrastructuere, also, if you don't plan invade city, just weaken economy. Also, the less population, the more easily resistance will be crushed.

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

Originally posted by Dalixam
I left around 20 tanks in a city and planned not to move any until the resistants were quelled, but the next turn it converted. I lost 20 tanks! How can I prevent this?

I know exactly how you feel... I hate it as much as I hated it when they bribed their cities back in Civ2. One way to prevent it is to bomb their cities down to pop 1 or 2 before taking them; if it is in a good spot you will easily be able to rebuild it again, and newborn citizens will be YOUR nationality, so they won't defect. Another way is switch to communism when you wage wars, and force the population to build things; like a cathedral, which will cost the lives of 3 citizens. Which will have the by-effect of strengtening your own culture in the area.

 

[LayZMan]

I think that defenders in a city get a 4% defensive bonus for each citizen and building in the city. If this is the case, yes bombing is useful. For me it's also fun to shell the mess out of cities

 

[Mr Spice]

Also, How can I prevent conquered cities from converting back to the enemy? I have tried many times where I take a city and a few turns later it converts back because they admire the "culture".

Try either (or both) of the following two things.

1. Get yourself a strong culture. This means building temples early and then fill in with for example libraries and cathedrals.

2. When you occupy a enemy city: Starve it! Then let one of your settlers or workers join the city. Cities with mixed nationalities are less likely to defect and once your own nationality is in majority, the city stays yours.

 

[spork]

Remember that bombing also severely damages the troops defending a city. I usually stop shelling when all the defenders are down to 1 HP. Also, remember that city defenders get a 50% bonus when they defend a city larger than pop 6. Reducing the population makes the defending troops less effective.

 

[Dalixam]

Thanks you very much for the explanations and suggestions. I really appreciate it

 

[HomeAir]

Originally posted by Morten Blaabjerg

One way to prevent it is to bomb their cities down to pop 1 or 2 before taking them; if it is in a good spot you will easily be able to rebuild it again, and newborn citizens will be YOUR nationality, so they won't defect

Also, have settlers ready to move in. This will then leave the majority of the population in the city to be your nationality. And it will give you more production squares. Byproduct is that it decreases overpopulation in your big cities. Settlers can be built usually in one turn in the big cities and add 2 to the pop. of the small city. Very useful.