Do You Ever Have Problems Killing Friendly Civs?

[iamdanthemansta]

I find myself in the situation again where my best choice for expansion, there are only a few civs left, is to take out the small weak civ next to me. The only problem with this is that I like them. They've been friendly to me all game and were useful as when a larger civ was invading them I took the opportunity to wipe out the larger invading civ. Now it seems there's no real benefit to leaving them alone, far back in tech and power as they are, but I'm just having problems bringing myself to kill them. It just seems dishonorable somehow. It's not like there land would add that much, but mostly I just want some ally left. With them gone I'll be alone. Granted my civ would be bigger than the rest put together. So does anyone else run into problems bringing themselves to destroy a weaker friendly civ?

 

[Lone Wolf]

I'm always roleplaying to an extent. I usually can rationalize an out-of-lore decision if necessary, though.

 

[hbar]

Take the risk and kill someone bigger, then vassalize your friend for, you know, protection.

 

[phizuol]

Absolutely. I often get attached to AIs that don't act like pricks. Making them a vassal is the best answer because then you can make sure they don't do anything foolish. Sometimes you need to "convince" them with strong arm tactics, but that's their fault, not yours.

 

[Lone Wolf]

I usually play FfH with vassal states off.

 

[JonathanStrange]

I, too, feel a bit guilty stabbing an allied civilization - but after conquest, I allow the citizens of the defeated to join our ranks in the Imperial Army! So that's something - plus they get 20% off all purchases at approved merchants.

 

[kumquatelvis]

I try to make decisions based on my alignment and religion (sometimes you have to use force of arms to make them see the light).

 

[A_Hamster]

I find myself in the situation again where my best choice for expansion, there are only a few civs left, is to take out the small weak civ next to me. .. [Snip] So does anyone else run into problems bringing themselves to destroy a weaker friendly civ?

It depends on the game. In FfH, since the game is more immersive, one does value a friendly AI more and so backstabbing them "feels" wrong. That only applies when I'm playing a good or neutral civ though: as Svartalfar or Calabrim, the backstab is standard operating procedure.

In straight BtS (or a similiar game like GalCiv2), the less immersive experience makes it easy to remain Gamist. Goal is this victory condition, therefore you do what you must to win the game. That being said, once when I was playing on a Terra map and was solidly landlocked, I needed a target with coastal cities. One of my potential targets was Isabella. For the first time ever I had Pleased or better relations with Isabella, and really did not want to backstab her. However, I did, since she had pretty much all the holy cities (with Shrines) and had a resource-rich area, while my eastern neighbor was impoverished. I felt bad about the betrayal though.

 

[Emptiness]

"It's easy. You just don't lead them so much."

It's rare that I have no other option for expansion than to eliminate a specific (peaceful) civ; I can always get open borders with them and go attack someone else.

I usually play with Permanent Alliances enabled, so if there's a civ I don't want to kill for some reason, then I can work to get them to ally with me, and we can win together. Otherwise, there's the vassal option, if I don't want to wipe them out entirely.

 

[GordonF]

I'm with you on that. The worst is when you're playing a peaceful (good/neutral) civ and totally dominating the others in tech/industry, because you know you've got a lead and they know you've got a lead, and they're not going to do anything to provoke you.

Now granted, part of thats my own damn fault because I only usually play with Conquest victory enabled. I don't remember if you can sign permanent alliances with more than one other civ (you used to not be able to in vanilla), but that would be a good way of allowing a peaceful coexistence without vassalizing another civ. Oh well.

Sometimes I just wish there was a persistent game mode where I didn't have to worry about conquering everyone.

 

[Neomega]

I don't play with vassals, but if I like a small neighbor, I give them techs, get buddy buddy with them, and urge them to join me in wars etc.

In other games.... I use nightwatch and HN esus units to experience farm my neighbors I like.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

"It's easy. You just don't lead them so much."

It's rare that I have no other option for expansion than to eliminate a specific (peaceful) civ; I can always get open borders with them and go attack someone else.

I usually play with Permanent Alliances enabled, so if there's a civ I don't want to kill for some reason, then I can work to get them to ally with me, and we can win together. Otherwise, there's the vassal option, if I don't want to wipe them out entirely.

This, except I never find myself having to resort to vassalizing. There are just never enough friendly civs (who won't ally with me) to put me in a situation where I have to conquer them to have my military victory.

 

[FireBlaze]

I wrestle with it, and I usually don't declare war, but the second they ask me for something as petty as "Stop trading with the guy that took half our land", they die.

 

[Tlalynet]

I usually prepare a very big army to go attack the strongest opponent I can, and while building my SOD my power rating gets high enough that weak, adjacent friends just offer to become my vassal state.

Its the Strong allied players that bug me, because I often need some of their territory to win, and there is no way they will just roll over and become my servant.

 

[Emptiness]

but the second they ask me for something as petty as "Stop trading with the guy that took half our land", they die.

You must do a lot of killin'...

 

[FireBlaze]

You must do a lot of killin'...

They never learn

 

[Ribusprissin]

I have difficulty attacking women and children (Cardith Lorda).

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Would it be easier if you thought of it as attacking a Dragon?

 

[Humakty]

I use classicals like :

" There was a border incident, one of our brave men died a painfull death to your vile troopers's ambush, I'll avenge this loss in pools of red !"

"How you dare eat salad on a friday, you heretic !"

"It's well known people having (put whatever here, ie : long hairs, green clothes) are servants of the Veil, we ought to purify you."

The last one works too if you are a servant of the Veil, after all you're a convinced liar.

 

[badtim]

no, they all die when it is the most convenient. i've never won by anything other than conquest. maybe i should try