Culture Flips are back

[Vidszhite]

I know this because it just happened to me, in my favor. Some of you probably already knew that because the game tells you it'll happen once a civ reaches -20 unhappiness, but for anyone who hasn't gotten into the game yet, here's another neat thing to get excited about.

Spoiler :

I'm playing on Emperor, going for massive culture to try out the new mechanics (very fun btw), and my influence is everywhere. By Industrial, I'm influential or dominant with two other Civs, so when I pick an ideology, the rest of the world listens. I've picked Freedom, but Shaka decides to be an Autocrat; because my culture is very popular with his people, it caused their citizens to dissent. Once Brazil, another high culture civ, went Order, the pressure to change ideologies was just too great for Shaka to handle, and his citizens went into full on revolt, leading to a city defecting to my nation.

Now, the culture flip happened because a lot of very specific circumstances lined up at once: my culture was quite embedded into his (not Influential yet, but Popular), which caused Ideology pressure in my favor (citizens like the ideology of the culture they like best). I was not Influential yet, so this, on its own, was only enough to get his people to make some noise (Civil Dissent), but once another culture they really liked (Brazil) went something that also wasn't Autocracy, they started to hate their government, and Shaka's Ideology Approval dropped all the way into Revolutionary Wave, smacking him with a whopping -80 Unhappiness. He stayed this way for several turns, and since my culture (and thus, preferred ideology) was at the top of their list, a city adjacent to my borders culture flipped, and joined my country.

This was probably the best way for Culture Flips to make a return. I'm so impressed at seeing it, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was, indeed, back. It took me totally by surprise, because all of a sudden I get a popup asking me if I wanted to annex/puppet/raze a city, when I wasn't at war, and then I realized what must have happened. The city I happened to get was also one that I had my eyes on for a while, so now I don't have to DOW him for it.

 

[Rub'Rum]

Neat, I thought the AI would simply do everything to prevent city flipping right away, even terrible decisions. "This useless city is about to flip! Let me change my entire ideology and diplomacy relationships so I don't lose WorthlessIceBurg! (to a human player that is, if it was another AI, whatever just take it)".

 

[bcaiko]

This was probably the best way for Culture Flips to make a return. I'm so impressed at seeing it, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was, indeed, back. It took me totally by surprise, because all of a sudden I get a popup asking me if I wanted to annex/puppet/raze a city, when I wasn't at war, and then I realized what must have happened. The city I happened to get was also one that I had my eyes on for a while, so now I don't have to DOW him for it.

That would be hilarious if you raised the city.

"We're so unhappy, we're joining Arabia!!"
*Arabia burns them*
"...still better."

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Sounds great! I loved flipping cities in IV. I hope to find a way to optimize the chances of flipping cities at least a little bit.

 

[GenjiKhan]

What kind of advantage do you receive when you got popular/influential status with another civilization who has the same ideology of yours,which in this case,it's freedom?

 

[IAmOzymandias]

My buddy was playing as venice and puppeting every city state on the map. I was trying out the tourism and culture systems (I was on my own continent after taking out my neighbours early game) and he starts buying up the CSes on my continent, this drives his unhappiness up and Budapest flipped to me.

One thing that I found strange is that after I culture flipped budapest and it gave me the option to raze it rather than liberate it. Hope they patch that because i'd much rather have a happy CS, than an angry or razed city.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

One thing that I found strange is that after I culture flipped budapest and it gave me the option to raze it rather than liberate it. Hope they patch that because i'd much rather have a happy CS, than an angry or razed city.

Venice must work like Austria then. It's not a bug. It's designed by intent.

 

[Vidszhite]

What kind of advantage do you receive when you got popular/influential status with another civilization who has the same ideology of yours,which in this case,it's freedom?

The other leader likes you a whole lot more for picking the same ideology, and his citizens will behave, because the ideology feels natural to them.

 

[ArataWata11]

I wish there is an option to decline revolting city flipping in your favor, thus become independent city state.

there would be a time, when you have hard time managing your empire happiness, then suddenly your rival empire's city flip on your side.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I wish there is an option to decline revolting city flipping in your favor, thus become independent city state.

there would be a time, when you have hard time managing your empire happiness, then suddenly your rival empire's city flip on your side.

There is. It's called the raze button. Hilariously callous.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

There is. It's called the raze button. Hilariously callous.

No it just means that instead of a city "flip", the population decided to leave this terrible place with memories of oppressive elections and free speech and move to your wonderful orderly cities.

 

[adwcta]

Nice! Anyone else have a city flip to them? I'm wondering if that's an isolated incident, or if AIs will really just sometimes let their cities flip to you even though they're suffering crippling unhappiness (-growth, production, unable to expand, military negative modifiers) and can fix all of that with a click of a button.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

What kind of advantage do you receive when you got popular/influential status with another civilization who has the same ideology of yours,which in this case,it's freedom?

I have heard that they will still flip to you if their happiness goes to -20 (and you are the dominant ideology)...

but if their ideology is the same as yours, the dominant ideology, your tourism doesn't make them unhappy.

(so it Might be useful... but not likely)

 

[Ogrelord]

As a CIV IV Rhys and Fall (and all of its modmod) player, Public Opinion is one of my fav BNW unadvertised feature. Reminded me of Stability, and brought a smile to my heart when one of my puppet city revolted to another Civ.

 

[Optional]

Thanks for showing this, Vidszhite, very informative!

 

[Mercade]

One thing that I found strange is that after I culture flipped budapest and it gave me the option to raze it rather than liberate it. Hope they patch that because i'd much rather have a happy CS, than an angry or razed city.

Agreed. If you "take" a city that someone else conquered (or bought in this case, but that's a form of conquering) then I'd expect to be able to liberate it and have Budapest go on its own again.

I wish there is an option to decline revolting city flipping in your favor, thus become independent city state.

there would be a time, when you have hard time managing your empire happiness, then suddenly your rival empire's city flip on your side.

Agreed. It's nice if they want to join you because of your awesomeness, but normally you'd be able to decline them from joining the party. Transform into city state would be a nice touch.

 

[oopsy poopsy]

Anyone know/think it's possible to use this in warfare? Like you actually go to war with the civ, but instead of actually capturing cities, you just wipe units, increasing war weariness and unhappiness until the cities revolt in your favor? Obviously, one would have to be the dominant ideology for this to work, but someone should give it a try, unless there's a mechanic that you know won't let it happen.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I don't think they will flip if you are at war with them. Consider it to be similar to the Korean conflict. If NK weren't technically at war with SK & the US, their people would've demanded a new ideology or flipped over to the South by now.

 

[Evanescence]

I don't think they will flip if you are at war with them. Consider it to be similar to the Korean conflict. If NK weren't technically at war with SK & the US, their people would've demanded a new ideology or flipped over to the South by now.

Off topic, but the North Korean people are too starved and brainwashed to mount a successful revolt. Too bad real world cities can't just up and change sides

 

[oopsy poopsy]

I don't think they will flip if you are at war with them. Consider it to be similar to the Korean conflict. If NK weren't technically at war with SK & the US, their people would've demanded a new ideology or flipped over to the South by now.

You're probably right, but I think it's too bad, although balance would be a serious issue. Still, if this worked even just for MP, it could be tons of fun. Super warmonger goes all out, you go peaceful and while he's working his way into your territory, you're picking off enough guys to start having his cities flip behind him.

I get the SK/NK point, although I wouldn't say by any definition of warfare in civ games you could say those two are actually at war. They're just hostile. In the game, such a situation should be rectified by SK nutting up and taking it back. Jokes, mostly I'm certainly not advocating an NK invasion by SK in real life, but that's why games are more entertaining than political reality.