Diplomacy

[Parmenion]

Although I'm relatively new to Civ III and this website, I have noticed a trend in the threads and replies that goes along the lines of, "Conquer first or be conquered thyself." Whilst this may have been true on the previous games, I feel as though Civ III gives the player more options than that, and to be honest I got a bit fed up with all the bloodthirstyness and intolerance that was often necessary to win on the previous versions. Civ III however has so far lived up to my expectations and allowed me to win the game through delicate negotiations with the other AI civs, in other words I won through Diplomacy. I don't feel it is necessary to march over your neighbours, crushing them underfoot and annexing their lands when a little use of tact and persuasion, combined with the right approach to science and city improvements can win the day. This is assuming that you have enough room to establish yourself before the Germans or the Japanese decide to declare war on you for no reason other than they thought you were looking at them funny.
Seriously though, I have played over 20 games with various civilisations on standard map size and above and always done relatively well, winning most games easily and more often than not only had to involve myself in one or two skirmishes. I feel that it is relatively simple to offer the minimal amount of gold or maps to an opponent for free to keep them sweet. You can then concentrate on your cities and science and by the time you reach the Industrial age your units should be lots more powerful than those of your opponents who have been squabbling over a couple of squares of burning desert for the past 300 hundred years.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy victory through force of arms (after all, it's enjoyment we all want from the game), it's just that I find it more of a challenge to really take on the role of a national leader, making decisions that will affect millions and having to retain your personal ethics throughout history whatever happens. I don't declare war on the AI opponents unless I really need to (protecting my people or keeping an agreement with another Civ for example), and I always try to keep my people as happy as possible, and NEVER make them into slaves just so I can build a poxy granary. Surely the point is that your own people have entrusted to you the responsibility of creating a civilisation that will stand the test of time and keep all of them happy to boot, not to whip them all into line and force them into battle against their neighbouring countries.
However, this is just one man's opinion. The key is to enjoy your game whatever rocks your boat.

Does anyone else share my opinions or approach to the game?

 

[enelrad]

Hi there,

I do like to play as you have suggested.

The difficulty is that you don't always have a choice. War can be force upon you whether you will or no.

I tried the One City Culteral victory on Regent twice and both times the Civs wanted me so dead I wouldn't leave a shadow as I fell. They had huge land masses but they had to have me dead. I did one little city's worth of room -- didn't matter.

I do play honourably, even in war -- if such a thing is possible. I want that cultural victory so bad I can taste it but it ain't usually easy.

So do you have any tips that get you over the rough spots. I refuse to be extorted - maybe that is where I go wrong.

 

[Parmenion]

I've never actually experienced the level of animosity you've desribed from the other civs. I hope I don't either. Still, I guess it happens in reality, so the AI must throw this in to the game now and then.
Generally, as soon as I meet another civ, I try and be civil to them and open negotiations etc... then try bloody hard to develop my civilisation so they are in awe of me. From then on it's easy to keep them quiet by offering gifts or cheap deals once in a while. When you are satisfied you have developed your cities enough you start to fortify your borders just in case and that tends to deter them from attacking.
For example, I'm currently playing the Aztecs on a large map and share a continent with the Germans and Americans. The Americans are great, and although they annoyingly send settlers traipsing through my territory they quickly remove them when I lay down the law. The Bosch on the other hand, whilst feigning friendship and comraderie have moved nearly a dozen units of archers and spearmen near to my relatively undefended border towns, their intentions only too clear to me. To stop the inevitable attack I simply (and seemingly spontaneously) offered them free gifts of maps and gold. This kept their forces in check on my borders for the next 5 turns (during which I continued to offer them more pressies) whilst my superior riflemen and pikemen moved into place to defend the cities. Then I simply stopped paying the Germans their tithes and waited for them to attack. They took a while to make up their minds (whilst I offered the Americans a mutual protection pact) but they eventually attacked and regretted doing so. It took the Americans and myself about 20 turns to annhialate them. I know this display of violence seems to refute all I have previously said, but the point is that the Germans were slowed down with Diplomacy whilst my reserves moved into position, and then wiped out through the use of allies.
Since then I swore to myself not to mobilise for war again (well, in this game anyway).

 

[enelrad]

I have found that many Civs hate you more if you are culturally or militarily powerful. The second place Civ seems to be convinced that if only you didn't exist, they could have all those wonders -- well, I guess that is true.

In my first OCC attempt, it was the Americans who were really annoyed at my existance. They were Totally ticked when my bowmen wiped out their 15 warriors in the first attack they made. 4 Bowmen in a city with walls - they couldn't touch me but then they brought in the big guns and i was a goner.

It did surprise me that they were so vehement about getting rid of me. One little (OK huge) city and they couldn't stand it.

Who knew?