Cheating on an ROP is too easy?

[seghillian]

AS I vaguely recall from CIV 2, at the end of an ROP you had to withdraw your troops from the opposition territory. Not so now and it seems way too easy and unrealistic to cheat on this.

Playing Emperor as English against Persians I struck an ROP with Xerxes and then proceeded over many game years to ship loads of units onto his island. I was able to build fortified positions right outside his prize cities! He never once complained - then when I had enough stuff there I was able to pillage all his roads instantly and take his best cities in 2-3 turns.

I'm just trying to imagine the conversations between Xerxes and Queen Elizabeth on this one :-
X: I notice QE that you're building up your troops right next to my capital - what are you up to?
QE: Hi X! Not to worry, we've just come to admire Persepolis - lovely day isn't it?
X: But you're building fortified positions at the edge of my city!
QE : What? Oh that! Oh don't worry - it's just a training exercise - you'll be able to use these to defend the city when we go.
X: Great! Thanks Liz. Carry on. Just be careful all those cavalry sitting on my iron supply over there don't damage any of the roads otherwise the whole country will be crippled...
QE: As if! Have a nice day X.

This is very unrealistic and I'm surprised it's allowed. Of course, I didn't have to use the technique.

 

[Chicken_Salad]

"Your treachery against Xerxes is legendary, the answer is no"

 

[Jimcat]

Originally posted by Chicken_Salad
"Your treachery against Xerxes is legendary, the answer is no"

My thoughts exactly. You can get away with this exactly once per game. After that, no one will ever trust you.

Of course, if you play your cards right, that one betrayal may be all you need to catapult you to permanent world domination. That's the way the cookie crumbles... some people like to win as the bad guy.

 

[Cerryl]

And be careful who you make MPP's with, I've entered a war against a civ because of one, and the entire world (including the ally that dragged me into it) thought I backstabbed the civ, no free ROP for the rest of the game.

 

[Mozenwrath]

Ghnarf! My only quibble with ROP's (or lack of them) is that the AI NEVER honours them! Whenever I try to just clos my borders and keep everyone out if I'm preparing for war the AI just waltzes in. When I ask them to leave, they say they will and don't. Then once they've got enough troops in near my best cities I give them the ultimatum and they declare war!!! Despite being a Fanboy through and through, I wish there were a way to stop people coming in without declaring war...

 

[eyrei]

I have found that if you just give them the ROP agreement, they will not declare war on you, so you don't really have to worry about them being near your cities. Of course, I will not do this until I have filled in my cultural borders.

 

[Jimcat]

I tend to play a peaceful build/trade/research game myself, but, as the United States has found out on certain occasions, sometimes you just have to go to war.

As I posted in another thread, the best way to keep other civs from marching onto your land is to be militarily powerful yourself. Sure, you'd rather build a University than a Knight, but having those Knights now is going to keep your city from getting sacked later.

The best weapon is the one that you never need to use.

 

[Mozenwrath]

Yes, that's all well and good for a peaceful game but when I clos my borders it's usually because I'm gearing up for war and want to have a headstart over my enemies as oppose to them being right by my cities when I declare war...

 

[eyrei]

My last few games have been anything but peaceful. I did make ROPs with my immediate neighbors after my borders were defined. Before that I simply declared war on anybody that tried to build a city in 'my' territory. At one point I was at war with 6 other civs for that reason. I made peace just before I was going to be overrun, but at this point I had claimed my entire area, except for one Greek city. I surrounded it with my cities, and after about twenty turns, it switched allegiances. Keeping ROP agreements with your neighbors helps to keep your borders secure. For one, your neighbors are your friends (or as much as they can be in civ terms), and you can also place a few 'scouts' in your friends territory to watch for large stacks of enemy units moving through.

 

[Magnus]

Originally posted by eyrei
I have found that if you just give them the ROP agreement, they will not declare war on you, so you don't really have to worry about them being near your cities. Of course, I will not do this until I have filled in my cultural borders.

Just yesterday, playing as Egypt, neighborly Greece loads about 3-4 hoplites, 3-4 swordsmen and a horse unit into my territory not far from a border city (early middle ages). I am wonder-building so I don't wish a war, so I ask them for an ROP , that way they can get to wherever they want to go (although they are not at war with anybody presently), and if they DO attack me, its a clear backstab on their part.

Well they get on my roads and start wandering about - luckily my civ is industrious so I have many avenues and I start to shadow the force with about 10 knights. They get to my capital (building Copernicus).... and attack!!!! I destroy the ENTIRE force in a one turn counter with my knights, losing but two in the process (having several catapults helped wear down the hoplites). Then I turn and take 4 Greek cities before the opportunistic Iroqouis take their last city.

Well, at least with them dead, they won't suffer the diplomatic scar...