Drafting and mobilizing

[morchuflex]

Hello.

Do you ever use these? I certainly don't; but maybe I would if I found myself just about to be overwhelmed by a superior enemy...

It looks like the AI loves drafting. In my last game, I was at war with the Celts. The military advisor told me my forces were comparable to theirs. But shortly after the Celts had discovered nationalism, the same advisor told me my forces were ridiculous compared to theirs. I planted a spy in Entremont and realized they had 95 riflemen overall! (with about 15 cities).

 

[New World Order]

All the time - what difficulty you at?

I try and draft a few good men comfortably after nationalism (riflemen) and/or Infantry, adding them into the pile quite possibly near to, or at the front lines

Interesting what you said about the AI I wouldn't doubt it at all if they did that. LOL!

 

[cfacosta]

I do not draft much because I dislike having conscript quality troops. Mobilization, however, is practically a god-send. Domination/conquest are my preferred victory styles, so most of the time I don't really construct much in the ways of city improvements after I develop nationalism. I just mobilize and turn out units as fast as possible. Besides...most of my cities are turning out units under pre-nationalism conditions anyway. The mobilization is just a boost to what is already occurring. You should really consider using mobilization if you get to the industrial era on higher difficulties.

 

[morchuflex]

Well, I play Emperor level... But I prefer a pacific playstyle. I only construct enough troops to be safe. So that's why I don't use mob nor draft.
BTW, does having a barracks in the city make your drafted troops regular?

 

[budweiser]

I used to draft regularly as often as public opininon and my pocketbook would allow. Somehow, in my last wo games, I have been able to dominate the world and avoid the draft altoghter. This was using the netherlands on emporer and the clets on DG. Both were agricultural which I think is a bit over powering.

Edit - Actually I just realised that the last two games were standard, continents and before that i was mainly playing large pangea. Large pangea was proving to be too easy so that's why i changed. But I think the map has more to do with it.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

I only really recall needing to draft a lot of troops a long time ago. I was the Germans on N America, the Chinese and Jap were in S America. I go to war with anyone that builds a city in N America. Anyway, they did that, so I immediately declared war. I lost my city in the Yucatan, at that time I was just able to draft mech infantry, I sent my standing non-draftee army down to retake the city. The Chinese and Japs formed an alliance and I met about 50-65 enemy units coming up the Yucatan, all cavalry and the like, against my army of about 15-20 units (tanks and infantry). Needless to say I was wiped out (the surviving troops destoyed all the roads to the rest of my continent and then dug in on the mountains). Then to save the rest of my continent I drafted about 30 units (most of my cities were around size 20) over a period of about 3 turns. The conscripted mech infantry gained exp quickly and when joined with my veteran panzers I had created in the time bought by the conscripts. I sent these units down and suprisingly enough I routed the enemy and ended up removing the evil alliance from the earth.

 

[cfacosta]

Nice save with the conscripts Tank Guy. BTW Patton is the best movie ever.

 

[New World Order]

BTW, does having a barracks in the city make your drafted troops regular?

I don't have C3C running in front of me right now, (blasphemy) but to the best of my recollecction, they remain conscripts still when drafted with barracks. (not 100% sure though)

 

[budweiser]

Wouldn't it be nice if you could re-join conscript troops into the city and get your pop points and WW back after you dont need them anymore?

 

[Zelda's Man]

They are still conscripts even with barracks. (100% sure) I basically never draft. Although if the necessary situation arose I might. I rarely use mobilization, although I probably should try it out a few more times.

 

[morchuflex]

BTW, isn't the very concept of drafting a bit of an oddity in the Civ system? I mean, why don't all units cost population?

 

[crimson238]

I don't normally draft unless I need to. Sometimes, If i feel like being a pacifist, and i've played into the modern era, I'll draft up a bunch of units and fortify almost every sqyare of my borders, sit back, relax and wait for the AI to go to war with itself. As for mobilization.. I never used it, I like building things.

 

[Khan_Asparuh]

Draft is fine for me when the city is too big and starves so no WLKD, and it's awesome under communism. You get a unit, who plays as a MP so no hapiness change and good to quell resistance.
I'm rarely forced to go on mobilisation, on emperor. Recently moved on DG, we'll see. I'm happy having survived long enough to get Nationalism

 

[budweiser]

Just to clarify under communism, the people still do get mad if you draft them, but they dont get war weary.In the communism game I am playing, I have tons of cities and I can support 450 military units for free yet I only have about 250. I have been pretty much fighting non stop for hundreds of years. I keep a close watch on all my cities and when ever they get below 10% on conscription unrest I go ahead and have another round of draft. This keep the ranks filled up.

 

[Khan_Asparuh]

In fact what I meant was that under any government that supports MP (any other than democracy i think) your drafted unit comes as an MP so the unhappy citizen doesnt appear as unhappy.
I said that because I hate having huge army, I allways feel as if those shields were wasted instead of building something else. So in my case, many AIs declare, I still manage to handle them and to expand in their lands and switch to commi to lower corruption. Coming from a republic, with 4MP for commi, drafting is really a good option.
I didn't know that drafting causes war weariness too (combined with unhapiness)...

 

[budweiser]

I didn't know that drafting causes war weariness too (combined with unhapiness)...

No, it doenst cause war weariness, that is a separate function. It causes people to become unhappy about the draft in their city. There are several things that cause people to be unhappy and drafting is one of them, too crowded, give peace a chance, etc...

 

[Rambuchan]

I use Mobilisation off and on (playing on Monarch level) depending on how strong I am militarily and my chosen civ's traits. I tend to use it less nowadays but that may be an indicator I need to move up a level. Anyway, I was converted to the ways of mobilisation after playing the Napoleanic Conquest where it was clear that mobilisation made a real impact and was the difference between winning and losing the game. That scenario really showcases Mobilisation IMO. This life or death situation applies now and then in epic games for me. So I happily mobilise then but that's only if the war is going to be close fought, otherwise I prefer to have the infrastructure keeping pace with my research. When mobilising I always try and do it before the war to get a kind of military 'run-up'. I do not prioritise my research path so I can get Mobilising early. I don't consider it that important.

Drafting I use for emergencies only, for instance when a distant island gets invaded and no ships are near to make a delivery of reinforcements or a rival attack looks like it will fall short and I have a turn to perhaps save the city - but those are about the only instances.

 

[gunkulator]

When mobilising I always try and do it before the war to get a kind of military 'run-up'.

You need to be at war first in order to mobilize.

One situation I have found it useful to mobilize is when you lack a particular resource and an AI has a spare. Find out if he's at war with anyone. The AI's are almost always at war once MPPs come around. Agree to an allianace unless of course it's against a powerful neighbor. You can often get a significant discount on the resource if you sign up for the alliance. Try to use gpt to pay for it because the AI is fickle about war and will often end it before 20 turns. Use the short resource-filled window to mobilize and upgrade/crank out the units you haven't been able to build. I wouldn't do much fighting, just use the war to build units.

 

[k-a-bob]

You need to be at war first in order to mobilize.

Actually, no you don't. You just can't get back out of it unless you have gone to war and made peace (or destruction.)

 

[budweiser]

What you do is, get in a phony war with a weak civ and mobilize. During that war, declare on you main opponent. Then, make peace with the weak one and you are free to exit mobilization at any time.