Do You Buy Cities?

[funxus]

I usually try to buy their last city at least, sometimes they still have a couple of hundred gold, and the city only cost 100g, I gain a city, units, improvements, money that covers the cost for the dip/spy, and extra money. I don't lose one single thing

 

[Titi]

But how can you buy the last city ? Unless there is a way of doing this I don't know, the last city is the capitol...

 

[Marlos]

Originally posted by Titi
But how can you buy the last city ? Unless there is a way of doing this I don't know, the last city is the capitol...

Easy, Titi. You capture the capitol before the last city. And if the enemy civ does not have 1000 gold, their government cannot flee to another city. This serves to make the rest of the cities easier to buy!

 

[ScottTheTwisted]

Buying cities is a truly great way to expand...but on to another point; I find that in some cases spies can be a more dangerous weapon than any millitary unit. In a recent game, i was in Democracy, but was in a very bad stragtegic location, between the Russians and the Mongols...not very nice people. Anyway, I was getting beaten back, so i revolted and switched to Communism. I did this specifically because under Communism you get veteran spies right out of the gate. I used these veteran spies to bribe the troops i needed, and then dismantle city walls. I then used my enemies own troops to take the cities back, and actually gained 2 Russian and 3 Mongol cities. I would've bought out the cities, but i was runnning very low on gold, so the price was too high.

 

[kotycha]

Buying cities is a good way zo expand. But I never buy cities, that far away from my civ: The enemy could buy them much cheaper back.

 

[gr8ful wes]

I buy them more often than pummel them. War is fun, but rebuilding all those improvements is tedious.

 

[Enforcer Talen]

I buy cities as often as possible.

 

[Garvarg]

Originally posted by Marlos


And if the enemy civ does not have 1000 gold, their government cannot flee to another city.

I always wondered what that was based on. Thanks.

PS Love your signature.

 

[Enforcer Talen]

^_^ many thanx

 

[CaptTuttle]

Buying Cities.

While I am impressed with some of the scores and strategies I have read about using the City Buy technique I personally really dislike it. Too much like a cheat. I would rather have seen it done in the following fashion.
When a city is incited into revolt by a spy, the city stops producing just as they do when the population is unhappy. A number of partisans are created based on things like unhappiness, city size, and corruption. The partisans and city defenders go at it inside the city. Some infrastructure takes a hit, and whoever is left standing owns the city. The outcome doesn’t have to happen in a single turn. If partisans are unable to attack further they coexist with the remaining defenders. The owner would then have the chance to putdown the rebellion on his turn, and if the partisans survive that they could continue the fight backed by further incitement or reinforcements, having captured the city gates, or retreat into the countryside and cause havoc outside the city on their turn. Once the city is cleared one way or the other the owner is decided.
Realistically the population of a city defended by a lowly rifleman is more likely to rise up and successfully change sides as opposed to a city with a battalion of tanks parked in it. Also if they had made it more like this then spies with parachute capabilities would have been fun to use.
Just wanted to add my two cents.

While I am here does anybody know how to turn off the city buy capability?

 

[Old n Slow]

I really haven’t played MP, but for SP you might try a) playing at a low level (where the ai bribe tendency is reduced b) edit the rules.txt (save the original copy just in case) and reduce the Dips & Spy capabilities. I recall that high levels (Deity for sure, less so for Emperor & King) have “contact” bribe capability where any ai unit can bribe one of yours; I don’t recall if any ai unit can bribe a city or not.

 

[GaryNemo]

I didn't realize we were talking MP. In MP that I know, people frown on buying cities, because it simply ruins the human war. It's the honor system rather than rules.txt, with great complexity regarding, may I bribe AI or not? Cities? Units? What if the AI bribed me, and so on.

For Single Player, bribing is the way to go. Cannon to capture the AI capital, then Diplomats from there. So many of the Masters have weighed in here, but I think I can add one point.

I go shopping with a Trireme and a Diplomat. I do not subvert an AI city because I have insufficient units to guard against revengeful acts. Instead, I bribe a unit, it becomes a None, then we hide in an empty AI fortress. Then bribe another one. Leonarno upgrades all of the AI Warriors and such. Eventually when my main thrust arrives, we have a merry band, already controlling all of the roads.

 

[Ace]

"While I am here does anybody know how to turn off the city buy capability?"

The "normal" way is to use democracy. Cities cannot be bribed when you are using that form of government.

 

[SlowThinker]

Originally posted by CaptTuttle
While I am here does anybody know how to turn off the city buy capability?

Simply don't buy them. The AI rarely buys cities.

 

[CaptTuttle]

I have never seen the AI buy a city till recently either. Using the SSC I am putting an end to my days at king level. However, in this game I was using howitzers and armor and taking 3-4 cities a turn. All of a sudden the AI starting buying cities back at three or 4 a turn. I had to do the same just to keep the howitzers from ravaging me and soon lost interest and retired.
If you haven’t seen them buy cities often then I did something to get the AI going???
Well now that I am moving up I suppose it is time to make democracy work for me.

 

[FLQ.Storm]

i dont know how u do guys but when i buy a city the cpu just by it back...

i was surprise how easy i could kill the stronger AI with artillery, they just can't stop em

then i try to kill another AI (he's in america while im in Asia,europe and africa) but everytime i take a city he buys it back
i dont know what to do lol

this on deity lev

and what is the thing you were talking about ? deity + 1 ??

 

[SlowThinker]

Originally posted by CaptTuttle
If you haven’t seen them buy cities often then I did something to get the AI going???

In fact I am not the best person to answer. I play very rarely and I don't have enough of experience with Civ2 so that I could tell you what thing causes that the AI starts to buy...

I see I will take back my statement about AI rarely buying cities and I will just watch the debate.

FLQ.Storm,
I play deity.

 

[funxus]

I've hardly ever seen the AI buy cities from me, but sometimes I see they buy it from some other civ. Try to invade them and aquire more than one city so that they wont be able to buy them all back.
I have never played it myself, but Deity + 1 is a game where everything is harder than on deity. e.g. your first city will start with an unhappy guy, unlike deity where the second guy is unhappy.

 

[SlowThinker]

I don't suppose the byuing of cities by the AI depends on the difficulty level. I have played Deity+5 (with normal happiness set by rules.txt) and nothing strange happened.

 

[Jace]

I have NEVER had the AI buy a city - mine or another civ's. I usualy don't play at a level higher than King, so that may be why.

I buy them whenever i have the chance.