Congresses and war...

[wolfigor]

I'm playing the Russian and the match is a great fun.
I started in a rather inconsuete world:
- China collapsed (nobody try go get the spoils until the Mongolian do it)
- India will collapse after few turns (until it will come back centuries later)
- Persia collapsed (until the Turks will take a few towns)
- Egypt destroyed (only one town remained in the hands of Saladin)
- All middle east in Arab hands
- Atene and Constantinopolis independent (with holy town for christianity)
- Rome still alive & kicking (behind the great wall)

All the match is a succession of events, I am able to build a very good empire, and I try to create a stable equilibrium of power to progress pacifically...

Very good proposition but everytime a congress arrive a new war is almost sure to start.

The last one one particularly nasty in its consequences.

- Russia is the main power (by score) and dominates from berlin to seoul (including china and middle east).
- Rome is the top for science (infantry wehn the everybody else can count only with riflemen) with 2 vassals: Aztec and America.
Territory: Italy, Budapest, north africa, and good part of central and north america (this would deserve a story by itself).
- Japan: extends in indonesia and north-east asia, India is it's vassal
- France has all coast of Brazil and it's conquering india.
all the others have limited relevance...

It's the beginning of the 1800's and everything is calm and pacific (for me).
Russia creates a network of mutal defence and feel safe at the congress of Cyrene... But Augustus Caesar reserves a poisoned surprise for Stalin: Rome wants Constantinopolis.
That town is a great finacial centre and the holy town of Christianity, the religion followed by all nations (except India).
Both Rome and Russia feel themselves has the protector of the true faith ... Stalin doesn't want to decline from his responsabilities (and loose huge GPT) and refuse Rome requests.

The world war begins...

 

[Whitefire]

Looks like a fun game. Can you post the save?

 

[wolfigor]

Looks like a fun game. Can you post the save?

I always play preventing myself the possibility to reload (save-over the old saves)... very nice in the spirit unfortunately also prevents me from give out meaningful saves.

The war is already in progress and a lot of "funny" stuff already happened (*)

I'll keep in mind for next time I end-up in a similar situation... sharing is good.
Especially in so unusual super-war: everybody involved across the globe(**)

(*)
Budapest fell under the ordes from Russia... a real wave attack with bodies piling at the gates of the town.
Milan has been occupied by the French army.
Kyoto has been occupied by a russian army (I used 6 cannons and 6 cossacks in two waves, supported by 5 frigates)

(**) this is not completely true.
so far nothing special is going on in america, apart a few minor naval battles: all the fleets and the armies are concentrated around the Mediterranean sea and China sea.

 

[sdLeo]

yes, save and follow-up please

 

[wolfigor]

anyway I had in all matches a great "fun" with congresses... they surely bring some movement into static conditions.

sometimes the requests are really "impossible" like when in a match I got Spain that was requesting Paris from the French... yes, sure, just get the capital!

I always prepare for war everytime a congress starts.
However I also try to use them as a way to get some breaks into my opponents... If Civ A requests something from Civ B and Civ B is not a strategic ally of mine I always vote Yes to whatever they requests.
It brings some nice movements into the game.

What's your experience with congresses?



p.s.
I will look at some save games... probably the 1st save at start of the game should be still there.
It's a pretty interesting starting condition for Russia.

 

[lumpthing]

I just give in to Congress' demands. If I wanted to have a war over the city I lose it would make more sense and then just declare on the one civ that has my city.

To be honest I find Congressess a bit annoying and random. I'm playing as Carthage and I founded Saguntum/Sagunto in Spain, just as Carthage did in real world history, and managed to take it back it from Spain soon after it spawned. But Congress has twice awarded it to Spain (and twice back to me), presumably because it is part of Spain's alleged home area even though I founded it and culturally France has far more influence over it now than Spain.

Also, Congress is open to abuse. I was once at war with Turkey and voted in Congress for Turkey to be given control of Byzantium, the Christian holy city, just so I could conquer it without declaring war on the Greeks, its previous owner. Handy for me but completely divorced from any scenario that would make sense in real life.

Congress is meant to simulate things like the Congress of Vienna, but historically these congresses were the aftermath of major wars. They were peace treaties in which the defeated nations had to make concessions. But theyre nothing like that in RFC.

It's an impressive feature but I wish we had an option to disable it.

 

[lumpthing]

As for multiple collapses I think my game is unusual in that until recently (late 19th Century) not a single civ had collapsed or been wiped out, even Babylon. The only civ to go has been the Incas, who I accidentally caused to collapsed while I was try to force them into being my vassal state.