capturing capitals and recalling spaceships?

[ksdurg]

Ok, can someone explain to me how the system of recalling your opponent's spaceships works?

I read somewhere that it costs a civ 1000g to relocate their capital. Is this true? It doesn't seem to fit the experience I just had:

I was playing the Indians on King level and I had three main competitors; the English, Zulus, and Spanish. All three were more advanced, etc. (I never said I was good at Civ ) Anyway, the English launch their ship and 4 turns before it lands I take London (and a few others) and the ship returns to Earth. I tried this again when the Spanish launch their ship later, but with no success. Everytime I would take the Spanish capital they would just move it to another city. The same thing happened to me when I took Zimbabwe. I reloaded saved versions of the game to check my intelligence reports, and all three civs had tons of gold. More than enough.

So basically, what techniques do you guys use to recall enemy civ spaceships?

thanks.

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

If an AI civ has at least 1000 gold they may Rush Buy a new palace in another city so that their spaceship does not have to be recalled. As your experience with the Spanish showed, you may have to capture several of their 'capitals' before they are forced to recall their spaceship.

The English may not have built a new capital becasue they may have lost enough gold when you took a chunk of their cities...?

 

[ksdurg]

Ah, so that's where the 1000 gold comes in. Thanks.

But that was unlikely with the English 'cause they had something like 17k in gold and I only conquered one city before London (York had the misfortune of being in the way).

When I took London I immediately received a msg that the spaceship had been recalled. Not so with the Spanish or Zulus, so that begs another question:

How does a enemy civ rush build a new palace when it's not their turn? Wouldn't they have to wait until the end of my turn?

 

[Peaster]

This is one way the designers allowed the AI to "cheat" on us (for play balance). They can build lots of capitols in the same turn as long as they can pay 1000 gold for each one.

I am quite new to spaceships, too. In the current GOTM, I had to capture approx 8 capitols in 4 turns to bring the EU spaceship back ! Finally they ran out of gold and it was over - my ship landed in 1-2 more turns.

I can't answer your question about the English... maybe the AI doesn't always rebuild the palace even with the gold ... I just don't know.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

Why does it take 1000g?
Buidling a palace takes 100 shields. If rushed from 0 shields it should take 400g not 1000g.

 

[Peaster]

Well, that's a good question. I guess the designers just programmed this special kind of rush job differently. Maybe it is a penalty for cheating

 

[TimTheEnchanter]

Why does it take 1000g?
Buidling a palace takes 100 shields. If rushed from 0 shields it should take 400g not 1000g.

I assumed that was a penalty because you get to change your production during the opponent's turn, unplanned, without setting a city to produce it ahead of time - you don't have to spend a turn with crippling corruption or a SS coming back, so it's a small price to pay. If you can withstand a turn without it, you can just wait and build one yourself for 400 or less. Also, I don't think it replaces your production in that city so you essentially get an "extra" item built that turn.

 

[Ace]

Tim is right. When the capitol is captured, and an SS is in flight, you get an "instant" choice to build a new capitol. And if you say yes, it magically appears, and the SS flies on, less 1,000 coins.

In one game, I had to capture 6 capitols before the A.I. used up all its coins and lost its SS.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

I suppose you two (Ace and Tim) mean that this happens to the human player as well as AI, right?

Wow, I had no idea. Only lost my capital twice, both in an OCC game and both times I was too broke to be given the option.

 

[Ace]

Yes, the human player gets the option too, if he has enough coins, but if your playing OCC and you lose your capitol...game over!

 

[Andu Indorin]

Tim is right. When the capitol is captured, and an SS is in flight, you get an "instant" choice to build a new capitol. And if you say yes, it magically appears, and the SS flies on, less 1,000 coins.

In one game, I had to capture 6 capitols before the A.I. used up all its coins and lost its SS.

GOTM 60 presented me with the first opportunity to impose a "recall" button on AI SS. I went on one turn, nineteen capital tour of the U.S.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

GOTM 60 presented me with the first opportunity to impose a "recall" button on AI SS. I went on one turn, nineteen capital tour of the U.S.

Nineteen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow; you must have had an enormous army.

 

[Andu Indorin]

Nineteen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow; you must have had an enormous army.

Well, effective howitzer management is something of an art form. ...

As well taking out 20+ Stealth Fighters with a single Nuke also certainly helps.