Frustrations with war

OK, I'm frustrated. Why is it near impossible to play a conquest game (Capture capitals) of all the AI players without EVERYONE denouncing you and refusing to trade luxuries? None of these have been sneak attacks or lying about why my troops are on their borders. I think I read somewhere that if they ask why your troops are at their border there is a penalty if you say passing through and then attack.

Even England attacked one of my city states I was suzerian of and I had to denounce them in order to be able to start a protectorate war. Why do I need to denounce them first and get 25 grievances on me when she is starting the war with my city state? Makes no sense.

It's just frustrating how everyone goes against you including the war mongers when you take a capital. Plus the loss of diplo favor for holding capitals is dumb. It's a strategy in the game, why am I penalized so heavily? I have done no sneak attacks or stabbed anyone in the back. I simply mass my troops on border and attack when they ask my intentions. A few of them actually started wars with me.

I dunno, is there something I am missing here or a better way to war without being the pariah of the game to all CIVs? Thanks!

 

Domination snowballs much, much harder than any other Victory. Diplomacy is its counter, diplomacy is how all the weaklings try to stand up to the bully.

But let's be honest it's irrelevant for a warmonger, by the time you've captured 2 or so capitals you want to be fighting (and conquering) on multiple fronts. If you like fighting, the game gives you more things to fight, sounds good to me.

 

Yes you can but it is not easy because they built warmongering penalties into the game later that made it harder because everyone was complaining, even me. Let’s be honest, if China started taking everyone out there would be denouncements all over the place
You can take someone out early before meeting anyone else but more importantly you justify your war, always running formal wars and being strategic in the cities you take. The grievances are the subtle killer underneath and it becomes quite an art to deal with it right. A lot depends on map and situation but you have to trade, open borders, joint war, bribe and so forth to get the right balance. More than I will sensibly type in here on a quick message.

 

Also run a plain war economy. You need commerical hubs, at least you can trade with some cs. What also works well is, leaning on what victoria said, meet two civs, denounce the juciy target and send a delegation to the next. Give it open borders, trade some thing, declare a joint war and befriend until later. Once a friend, they'll wake up when death is certain.

 

Because of the ineptitude of the AI, wars are too easy to win, making the blitz of denouncements necessary to ramp up the game's jeopardy. I also think it's realistic that those who are angry with you would refuse to trade luxuries.
IMO, the next generation of Civ needs a total rethink about conquest. It should be difficult to capture cities, not a doddle.

 

It is difficult for many, I have seen plenty of people who cannot win on emperor even though they have tried.
This game is made to sell copies not pander to a few elite players is my view.

 

I feel your frustration.
Most of my posts on here highlight the problems with Early War.
I run into them in about 5% of my games.
This game I wanted to play around with horse armies.
Have some Fun but Horses weren't inside my capital.
I was planning on my second city near the Bananas and Horses.
Turns out I have 3 Civs right on top of me.
I made the mistake of not trying for military first this game.
Now the Civ I am at war with got up Early Walls.
Early Walls gives me more trouble than Early Wars lol.
I didn't tech correctly to see if I have Iron to get up swords quicker.
I just lallygaged this game.
Check Spelling for lallygaged.
I really just thought I'm gonna have horses and have fun.

This game is my usual go to with Deity All Standard Pangaea Map.
I guess I just turtle here and try to expand a little more to the East and North East.
Perhaps make peace if possible and go attack Canada.
It's gonna be a long, cold game that is going to last me the rest of my life.

What do you players out there do to defeat Turn 30 or 40 walls?
The best thing that came of this is I got my two neighbors to hate this civ and war him as well.
Almost every game where I do something like this I figure its over.
But I tech up to Bombers and realize that the AI never has an Army.
Feels a bit like cheating.

 

The AI rarely repairs walks as a priority, chipping away with archers helps but also the horses help noticeably once the walls are reduced to around 50%. The crippler comes if they decide to get archers. Both should be a better priority for them and normally you can take 1 city but no more so getting to swords helps. Walls are much more frightening at 100%
TBH, I find a mixed army and a GG is a better all rounder that a pure horse rush and it just feels right unless playing a horse civ.
Lollygagging is how I have known it (my dad used it) and not often used now, there are so many slang alternatives and it is I believe an old slang term misused a bit. I would have thought lollygag/lallygag is probably used in the past tense but have not checked. Why did you use this word?

 

Because I am old.
Old People use Old Words.
I use this word a lot.