Do you use Privateers in you Navy?

[Nexushyper]

I have modded them to upgrade to a destroyer looking ship (Different name and different stats than a destroyer). My reason for this is that in RL pirates still exsist and even though they don't use destroyers, they atleast use modern type ships. Pirates today in RL use cargo ships (Metal hull with add-ons, like I-beams welded on the front and made to a point used for ramming).

 

[NTJedi]

I don't use them that often... I have heard a great strategy where you can stack powerful naval units under them. Then when the AI attacks they have to fight the powerful naval unit.... I haven't tested this myself and I'm not sure how this works against human players.

 

[Michael York]

NTJedi, I think you are refering to a strategy I posted, in a cheat thread I believe.

To cut a nations supply lines, you must fortify a vessel. They demand that you remove it if it is a normal naval unit. If you fortify a privateer, you cut their supply lines without the ai having an excuse to declare war. To keep them from destroying your obsolete vessel, you stack an UNfortified battleship over it (or anything for that matter). They can't attack your privateer, and you've cut their supply lines without a fear of retaliation.

 

[Lynx]

I never use them, period.

 

[CrackedCrystal]

If they were attack 3 at least, I would build them. I think I have built only one ever!!!!

Upgrades would be good, though as DiamondzandGunz pointed out, a real life example would be hard. I think a better option would be to make them like pirates. They board and try to plunder the ship (i.e. steal gold from the boat owner's treasury, learn a tech, etc.. ). That may be a little game imbalancing though unless you made them a one shot unit. But at least it would give these near useless boats something to do.

And yes, I have a privateer as my avatar!

 

[MTheil3508]

I like CrackedCrystal's idea about pirates.

Or, if they can't put that in, maybe they can put an automate feature on them so you can let them wander around and destroy things themselves (hopefully without being destroyed in the process).

 

[greenie]

I'm still palying Vanilla Civ 3 and build Privateers occassionally, mainly when I have coastal cities that I dont want to be building wealth or palace.

Even though they're still stuck on 1/1/3, they are useful for taking out Galleys and caravels... I've even been so adventurous as to having them attack frigates and more importantly, Galleons in big groups in order to make a practical distraction (groups of 5-6), especially when the AI still uses antiquated naval units.

Yet to update to patched versions.... 2 attack sounds promising, and when Mac PTW comes, having them bombard will make me think Twice and a half!

 

[GenMarshall]

I usw Privateers to blockade the other civ without causing any agrettion.

 

[thebignastyone]

I use them to keep the other navies in check. I attack any and all other ships. That way I am Supreme Ruler of the seas.

 

[bpowder89]

Posted by MTheil3508:

Do you think that Privateers should be upgraded or at least upgraded through the eras; an attack point here, a defense point there.

A Privateer againt any modern ship is a waste of resouces. You would need quite a few ships to put a dent in a destroyer.

Ha, not many pirates will be roaming around in the 1950's. I think it'd have to upgrade to a whole different unit like an unidentified sub or something like that.

 

[werdhertz]

There are plenty of modern day pirates.. they just dont cruise around in sailiing ships though. Like the guy said above me they usually use cargo ships and the type, sometimes even small pleasure vessels. I think they should upgrade through the years to something like this, i guess Firaxis would have to add an extra unit to the game in a new XP or something, or...someone could make 1?

 

[Dude76]

Usually, by the time I discover the advance there are certain sea routes I'd rather the AI not take. I immediately build 10 or 15 privateers (depending on map/civ size) to just go out and stir things up. I'm always surprised because it seems I've got a few privateers hanging on in the age of battleships! My main reason for building them, though (besides wrecking the AIs attempt at inter-continental settlement) is that I'm a relatively peaceful builder and need to get my aggression out somehow!

 

[bpowder89]

I like the idea that someone mentioned in this thread which was to keep the AI off of a continent you just discovered.

I hate it when I scroll over to my newly found continent and someone else has set up a city and ruined my perfectly colonized island.

 

[Illustrious]

Originally posted by werdhertz
There are plenty of modern day pirates.. they just dont cruise around in sailiing ships though.

They also don't go around attacking warships. And that's all there is for them to do in Civ3, because there is no civilian shipping for them to prey on.

With the naval side of Civ3 the way it is, there is no sensible justification for having a "pirate" type unit for the modern era.

The nearest modern approximations to the "privateer" in the 20th century were the German surface raiders (the converted merchanters like Kormoran rather than the line cruisers such as SMS Emden or Goeben). But even they differed from the Civ3 privateer model in that they were in no way "hidden nationality" - in game terms they'd just be normal warships.

The main reason the "privateer" concept won't update is that the idea that governments could either disavow the actions of their ships or utilise privately-owned naval forces died out long ago.

Privateering (the use of privately-owned ships to fight the country's enemies, under the protection of "letters of marque, mart and reprisal") was abolished in 1856 by the Declaration of Paris, signed by all the major naval powers - that falls around the time ironclads were coming into use. The fact that privateer units start to get seriously useless in Civ3 when ironclads arrive, suggests Firaxis are getting it about right.

 

[troytheface]

I voted yes. Units like explorers and privateers and helicopters, marines, paratroops, require finesse' in order to promote chaos.

 

[cromagnon]

Never. And I've never seen the AI use one either.

 

[MTheil3508]

Originally posted by cromagnon
Never. And I've never seen the AI use one either.

I have seen the AI use Privateers quite readily on the harder levels. Though I have not seen the AI do to much with them, only go to their closest neighbor and reek some havoc, never go much further.