Endgame impending: prolonging the inevitable?

[1940LaSalle]

Here's the hypothetical situation: the game is in the 2020s; my civilization stands third (close behind second; fourth not too far back) and I can see that there are numerous mutual protection treaties, etc., getting signed around me. Plus, I've fended off repeated incursions by the second-ranked civilization. It all looks to me like a big setup. What's the best move toward possibly getting one or more of these pacts among the AI civilizations to fall by the wayside and provoke them into getting at each other's throats, thus prolonging the inevitable?

 

[TheOverseer714]

The only way you can win would be go science all the way, and launch a spaceship in a 1-3 turn period, before the AI even knows there is a space race. Do all the techs and use ICBM's as pre-builds, and then complete the parts all at once. Do everything to boost your score while doing the research. And maybe attack someone nearby who has only far away mpp's, and get an army to their capital and cut it off by pillaging, leaving no road or rails and then they can't make any deals.

 

[Quintillus]

See if you can get the #2 guy to fight the #1 guy or vice versa, and you ought to see a domino effect of war declarations. Even if it requires you to declare war on one of them first, you'll be OK if you hold off on invasions until everyone else declares war.

Disclaimer #1: This still doesn't solve the fact that one of them will still end up higher up than you. I don't see how you'll overtake the lead without making some nice land gains.

Disclaimer #2: These mutual-protection pact things are tricky. Evaluate carefully first to avoid a miscalculation and every ganging up on you instead.

Disclaimer #3: It could end up with everyone going against one of the two and the other becoming even more powerful.

That said, if you hope to win by score, you need to get the mutual protection pact wars targeted against someone else, and it might as well be the top dog.

Or try for space. You know best which is more feasible.

Nice sig, TheOverseer714

 

[drakdan]

I'd go for a diplomatic win, followed by a science win if possible. Since you're 3rd we can assume domination and conquest are out.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Nice sig, TheOverseer714

Thanks Quint! I thought it quite appropriate, as us civvers are always taking over the world. Do you like the Romans? Here would be an excellent sig for you: "The Roman legions captured the world, but their engineers made it an empire" Anyone else want one, I have a way with phrases, and I work cheap....as in free!

 

[1940LaSalle]

I wonder about a Machiavellian approach to Quintillus' recommendation of trying to get all the others to go for the throat by disseminating propaganda? Seems to me there ought to be some advantage of having radio so that one could broadcast appropriately, but I have no idea how that might be done.

 

[civverguy]

Propaganda rarely works.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Save your spy money for important stuff, like getting your spies out there, or stealing tech, though its cheaper to buy it or research it yourself.

 

[drakdan]

Propaganda rarely works.

Propaganda rarely works? Propaganda usually works. Care to elaborate?

 

[Sashie VII]

My take on propaganda is that it's a luck thing. There's a chance for it to work every time you try, but that's it: chance. One player may be successful all the time, while another may have never had a town flip to him by this.

 

[Zibong]

I get my best luck from propoganda when a city is captured by the enemy and it's swarming with resisters of my own nationality. Unfortunately, that means that its only use is pretty much restricted to defensive purposes, and for that matter, it's more of a Hail Mary then any kind of concrete method. It's worth a shot if you can't get forces over to your target, but under most circumstances, it'd be better to just build up some conventional forces.

 

[Aceman101]

I've never had propaganda's work with me...

In this case I would go with Space Race.