Honey Pot Cities.

Joined
Nov 3, 2003
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In computer security circles a honey pot is known as a deliberately weak machine designed to be the first machine attacked by a hacker for no loss.

I dont know why I didnt think of this before but it turns out a similiar idea is a great way to handle AI wars on your turf. The idea is to ring your empire with cities placed on hills on the edge of your cultural borders preferrably where an AI will probably be funneled to.

When the war starts instead of feeling compelled to have enough units everywhere to sweep up the enemy stacks before they pillage you are in a somewhat more comfortable position in that the AI heads for cities you barely care about that are always set on hills.

This idea has worked remarkably well in the games since i thought of it and have been deliberately settling strategically placed honeypots next to AIs. And its one of those things that i go "hmmm why didnt i think of it before"
 
Interesting point.
Of course with the cities being on hills the enemy will need to throw a lot of attackers at them to take 'em too.:)

My problem though is I never have the self dicipline to say "this is the edge of my empire, no more expansion" :rolleyes:
 
I dont get attacked often by AI. I try to avoid it through diplomacy or just attacking first. I can certanly see this be helpfull in MP though. however they might just ignore the hard to take fringe cities.
 
Ive specifically been working on the current HoF challenge. Where its proved useful and I have to break so many eggs to stop the AI from launching a spaceship I get attacked frequently. Usually as soon as I get another AI on the ropes someone will decide to invade the opposite border it seems like lol. I make alot of enemies in that HoF too because i have been actively inducing people to go to war with each other and organizing trade embargoes etc.

In alot of games it prolly doesnt make sense. In this HoF game its been very handy to handle invasions on the opposite side of the empire from the "frontline". Its also been handy in handling UUs that i dont have the counter for. Navy seals, redcoats, cossoaks, all in one attempt or another have been stalled by the honey pot while i gathered a counter attack from another front.
 
Interesting idea, but founding cities merely for the sake of them being honey pots places a damn heavy burden on your upkeep costs. Perhaps one on a strategic bottleneck, but "to ring your empire"... :rolleyes: . I am pretty much convinced, that the cash could be used more effectively.

However, this is an issue which once again clearly shows that forts should be improved in Civ4.
 
Yeekim, I love your signature :)

Honey pot city is very much worthwhile in cultural games.
You need 9 cities anyway and most of the times, you have to plant a few useless ones simply to get the number of temples.
The outter ring should be on hills.
I managed to deter superior attacks (a cavalry attack on my LB honey pot city, or an infantry attack on my musketmen honey pot city).
And if the city is taken, but slows the attack down enough for the few missing culture points to come in, I just don't care losing the city (ies) :lol:.
 
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