[GS] Dealing with Chandragupta next door?

[ConShonnery]

I've never beaten a game on Deity, and I just rolled a Canada game with a great starting location. Until I met my first nearby civ, Chandragupta, who I haven't really played with/against before, but his agenda appears to be basically to wipe me out if I become his neighbor.

Is this inevitable? Do I need to plan on conquering him before he conquers me?

Does anyone know how negative of a modifier I'll get for being his neighbor? Is it possible to make friends?

I was hoping for a bit more of a peaceful game, and there's plenty of land for me to nab without touching his empire, but I'm also sure he's going to drop settlers close enough to me that we'll become neighbors sooner rather than later.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Bangau]

If you go to the diplomacy/trade screen you can see how big the negative modifier is for being his neighbor. You can do all you can to get positive modifiers (delegation at first meet, open borders, trade deals or even gifts). There's a chance he'll start to like you, but yeah the chances are significant that he won't and will attack at some point. Make sure to get a proper defense up, if you get to walls before he attacks and get a few ranged units or even an encampment (with walls), you'll be fine. Have fun!

 

[The Highwayman]

If Chandra is your neighbor but there is a reasonable amount of room between you two, you can kiss up as stated in Bangau's post and delay the inevitable. Sooner or later, however, the gap will close with your and his expansion. I'd prepare for war before it's too late, meaning walls and units in border cities. Try and see what he's building and respond appropriately (i.e. anti cav if he's building horses, etc.). Just take it as a certainty and mop him up when the time comes.

 

[ConShonnery]

Thanks for the help y'all.

FWIW, his anger switched "flipped" when I settled a new city that was in the area where he had loyal effects (not very strong, like -2). In fact it wasn't even close enough that it could ever naturally grow enough to touch his borders.

So far the negatives are:
-3 Settled near him
-5 Empire is near his

Which I can offset with good stuff. But I expect maybe this will grow when our borders actually touch, or as we progress in era? I guess I'll see.

 

[ConShonnery]

I thought I'd follow up in case anyone finds this thread down the line.

I was able to keep friendly with him the whole game by constantly making trade deals, friendships, etc, even with an entire border against him once he started claiming all the remaining rinky-dink city spots. I was fortunate that his other agenda was keeping the barbarians down which is a pretty easy one to fulfill. So even when the "empire near his" was at something like -22 in the Atomic Era, I still had enough positive modifiers that we were in an Alliance. I'm sure it helped that he had another neighbor to the south that he was constantly at war with as well.

(Apologies if I'm not supposed to double post... I scanned the rules thread and didn't see anything against it.)