Diplomats

[RecycledElectro]

I had ignored Diplomats during first decade with Civ 1. They can be amazingly useful. If you already use Diplomats, please ignore my idiocy.

* You can drop a Diplomat (on another continent by boat) near an enemy city and make peace with them when they want to talk to you. You can then establish an embassy. If you do not make peace, they may attack your Diplomat.

* If you want an embassy without making peace, use a military unit with a strong defense (e.g., Riflemen) on the same tile as your Diplomat.

Embassies give you useful info on the civilization, but the level of info depends on the level you play at (e.g., Chieftains get the number of enemy military units, but all other levels do not.) Embassies also let you try to meet with their leader whenever you wish.

* You can use a Diplomat to bribe people to Incite a Revolt in another civilization's city, so it switches to your side. The cost depends on many things, including how much you outmatch them. Sometimes it's easiest to drop off a few Armor units and a bunch of diplomats, attack and conquer one of their cities with the Armor units, and then incite revolts in almost all their other cities with your diplomats. You cannot incite a revolt in their Capital city. you can even incite a revolt while you are at peace with them. If you are at war with them, cover your Diplomat or it will be attacked. (e.g., Move the Diplomat with a Mechanized Infantry unit.)

My next game will be an attempt to win by building a large civilization at peace, then taking everyone's cities (except their capitals) by inciting revolts. I'm not sure what I'll do when (if) I get to just myself and the enemy Capitals.

* Diplomats ignore units close to them when they move. Have you had a unit trapped so it cannot move in the direction you want, because enemy units are close? It's possible to use a Diplomat to lead the way through enemy units. Move the Diplomat one tile from the trapped unit, the move the trapped unit towards the Diplomat.

* Diplomats can use bribed to turn an enemy unit to your side. It costs money, but can break a barrier of (maybe 3) enemy units completely blocking your units from an (almost) empty part of a continent.

* Diplomats can map inside an enemy civilization, as they do not start wars when they move onto another civilization's squares (and they ignore close units when moving.)

I have never used Diplomats to sabotage industrial production or steal tech. I'm not that advanced.

 

[Whelkman]

I think someone is or was doing a challenge where all "military" units are/were Diplomats.

 

[Theov]

you could stay in peace for a whole game and buy almost all other cities

 

[Tristan_C]

There are ways to get the bribery and revolt costs down.

Unit Bribe = (Unit Type) * (Unit Build Value / 10) * [ (Rival Treasury + 750) / (Distance from Palace + 2) ]

Unit Type = 1 if target is a Settler. Otherwise it's one-half. So, Settlers cost twice as much to bribe.

Unit build value = the value in shields; i.e., Phalanx = 20, Armor = 80.

Rival Treasury can be a serious late-game effect. An embassy reveals his treasury; however, if you know all the other variables in the equation and you attempt to bribe a unit, you can deduce the treasury.

Distance from Palace = The capital city is defined as the one containing a palace improvement. Each square of distance from this improvement is 1. Each diagonal square is, I think, sqrt(2), or 1.41. Max = 32. If there is NO palace, Distance from Palace = 32.​

City Revolt = (Disorder) * (Pop) * [ (Rival Treasury + 1000) / (Distance from Palace + 3) ]

Disorder = one-half if there's civil disorder; otherwise, 1. Versus despot/monarchy/commie you can often throw a city into disorder by killing some of the garrison, which undermines martial law, but I don't think it's worth it. Flip the city outright and you get the garrison.

Pop = 1 for each citizen​

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Distance from Palace is pretty much always the crucial consideration. Capturing the enemy capital makes it a joke to bribe / revolt all his other assets. You can buy huge cities for the cost of a couple improvements.

You cannot destroy the palace improvement with your diplomats' sabotage mission

If the closest city to a bribed unit is foreign, you pay no maintenance for the unit, anywhere. Godly for settlers, or for military units in Democracy.

 

[Whelkman]

I wish Microprose would have made those mechanics transparent. It would have added another dimension to the game. No one used Diplomats because they didn't know how they worked.

 

[Theov]

I wish Microprose would have made those mechanics transparent. It would have added another dimension to the game. No one used Diplomats because they didn't know how they worked.

no one?

 

[Tristan_C]

I wish Microprose would have made those mechanics transparent. It would have added another dimension to the game. No one used Diplomats because they didn't know how they worked.

Very eventually...... you got your wish. The formulas were printed in Rome on 640K.

My personal fondness for diplomats is that they scale up in power with the difficulty level, as opposed to everything else, and they strip a hell of a lot of messy randomness from the game.

In particular they bypass the lottery, and can make huge resource conversions in stealing tech and cities

 

[Whelkman]

My problem was I saw Rome on 640K once as a cash-stared teenager and told myself "I'll get it next time" then never saw it again, at least until Amazon Marketplace. I had just paid north of $400 for a "multimedia kit" that included Civilization.

 

[Tristan_C]

My problem was I saw Rome on 640K once as a cash-stared teenager and told myself "I'll get it next time" then never saw it again, at least until Amazon Marketplace. I had just paid north of $400 for a "multimedia kit" that included Civilization.

Man, I'm so spoiled by comparison. I was a fourth-grader when I laid hands on my dad's copy of the book I have his (heavily marked) copies of all the old microprose strategy guides...

 

[Gundus]

I think someone is or was doing a challenge where all "military" units are/were Diplomats.

I did try this approach combined with some other parameters to make the game difficult,
if I remember right I tried it twice and lost both times.

 

[Gundus]

I did try this approach combined with some other parameters to make the game difficult,
if I remember right I tried it twice and lost both times.

However, the diplomat is a ridiculously powerful unit, especially when you have saved up some
gold. I encourage all to check out the potential of diplomats if you havent already.

 

[InnateGamer]

There are ways to get the bribery and revolt costs down.

Distance from Palace = The capital city is defined as the one containing a palace improvement. Each square of distance from this improvement is 1. Each diagonal square is, I think, sqrt(2), or 1.41. Max = 32. If there is NO palace, Distance from Palace = 32.

I think a diagonal square is 1.5 squares. That's true at least in some rules in Civ 1 or 2, or maybe it's a common rule.

 

[loopinaloop]

However, the diplomat is a ridiculously powerful unit, especially when you have saved up some

Why ridiculously? One of things that I love in Civ1 compared to others is that you can actually win the game while being in a catastrophic position. Once I'd launched a hopeless yet successful crusade of Roman Knights against Aztec Armors defending Montezuma's Tenochtitlan. He left only one Rifleman. I've also captured two other cities: one was captured after desperately throwing my poor Sail to attack. It was a total surprise. I've take the Automobile, Conscription and something else. A Civil War in Aztec empire has started. What are you waiting for? Sell all your Temples, send an army of Diplomats and CONVERT their cities. It's the FALL OF AN EMPIRE which historically accurate, right?

Look, it's THE ONLY Civ game that allows hopelessly loosing player to actually turn the tide. It doesn't guarantee anything but I've tested it many times: with careful planning, huge effort and a stroke of luck... anything can happen.

Man, I LOVE THIS GAME