How do you stop a run away AI?

[Question]

I often see this situation : One of the AIs got a good start, possibly started on a continent by himself, and is building wonders and teching like crazy. For some reason, even if aggressive leaders surround him, he can do this and not get ganged up on.

For various reasons, i usually can't take them out via war yet (fighting other AIs at the same time, his cities are stuck in a jungle/forest and i don't have dynamite yet, i need to research frigates first, etc, etc).

Meanwhile his advantages are getting larger and larger, and my spies can't even steal any techs without spending 40+ turns or some absurd amount.

How do i catch up? I've found that getting other AIs to declare war on another AI is a waste of time...it makes absolutely zero impact in the war, even if you help them to take out most of the enemy units.

 

[Smokeybear]

You have to triage the game. You have to factor in what era you're currently in, how much farther the runaway civ has to go to win a science victory (or conquer the world, if they're into that), as compared to how well you're doing and whether you have the potential to either ramp up your civ to beat them to it, or maybe do a sneak-nuke attack if you can get to that tech before they win.

Most of the time, if they have a serious tech lead and you can't catch up or beat them militarily, you're just screwed, plain and simple. Hit the retire button. One exception is if you are going small civ/cultural... I've won a few games against incredible tech leads by runaway AI civs, just by staying the course and playing a good culture game. And sometimes a runaway civ will just peter around and screw off and fail to complete the space rocket or conquer the world, for some unknown reasons. Never underestimate the AI's ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, given the chance. It may not happen all the time, but it does happen.

 

[Bob_]

Except for war, the only possibility I see is becoming a runaway civ urself. If that does not work: good night!

 

[notadummy]

You have to triage the game. You have to factor in what era you're currently in, how much farther the runaway civ has to go to win a science victory (or conquer the world, if they're into that), as compared to how well you're doing and whether you have the potential to either ramp up your civ to beat them to it, or maybe do a sneak-nuke attack if you can get to that tech before they win.

You need to do this.

By what percentage of literacy are you behind? Is it maybe he has more of cheap techs completed than you?
I would try to convince the closest AI to him to declare war on him. Force him to build lots of units, while you try to catch up to him.
As a side note, in most of my games, AI's that have teched themselves to become a runaway are normally hated by everyone. If this is the case, denounce him, make a few friends, then go to war. (I suggest nukes and stealth bombers if in the late game)

 

[sizesixteens]

Like in every other situation, you analyze your bang for your buck. How effective will 30 turns of unit production be in a war vs. 30 turns of building/wonder production? Which will help you achieve one of the victories faster and more safely? If the AI is just running away with the game, war will cost you loads of time and force you to neglect infrastructure. I never fight that kind of civ if I don't have to.

 

[MarauderCH]

I had a really good game going today that I had to retire on because Russia was running away with it. I had Mehal Sefari (Riflemen) as my highest military tech and started organizing a war to slow Russia down. They were an age ahead of me and when I friended a nearby CS I saw Russia had SAM units already. It was time to retire. It was too bad Askia had to keep picking fights with France instead of slowing down Russia...

 

[cakes]

the best way to combat this is to take preventative measures and make sure this situation doesn't arise. probably more fun too

 

[Yzman]

the best way to combat this is to take preventative measures and make sure this situation doesn't arise. probably more fun too

That is not practical if they are on a different continent. Hence why runaways are usually not starting near the player.

 

[Tachii]

That is not practical if they are on a different continent. Hence why runaways are usually not starting near the player.

You can kind of tell if you have the score list up. If there's an unknown civ that's at least 200 points and higher, it's likely a runaway civ. I often just go warring with some civs unless I'm playing a cultural game. Even if not a runaway and just a wonder hog it would be a good city to take down later on.

 

[Question]

How do you translate literacy into science output anyway?

In my latest game, someone on another continent is 400 points infront of me and has completed the big ben while im in the medieval age..and i just got frigates.

 

[smallfish]

That is not practical if they are on a different continent. Hence why runaways are usually not starting near the player.

You are in for some fun times if they do!

Spoiler :

Just don't end up like this Rome here.

 

[Smokeybear]

How do you translate literacy into science output anyway?

In my latest game, someone on another continent is 400 points infront of me and has completed the big ben while im in the medieval age..and i just got frigates.

A civ's literacy score is a composite of all their science-y stuff... libraries, universities, science wonders, etc. I'm not sure if it factors in total citizens, specialists, and great-person research bases, or not. Unless you have the mod InfoAddict, it would be pretty hard to tell who has how much, anyway. All you can see from the stats in an unmodded game is the lead civ. Which is but one of the multitude of great reasons why I would never, ever play CiV without InfoAddict enabled, ever again. With it, you can see every civ's literacy%, their total science output, and total techs researched, at a glance- and you can check them at any time. Among many other important things you can see with it. Unless you have an aversion to mods for some reason, go get it. You'll thank me later.

 

[Tachii]

You are in for some fun times if they do!

Spoiler :

Just don't end up like this Rome here.

Well I think a general lesson was learned here today: go after your immediate neighbours before you tackle another civ on the other side of the continent.

 

[Zenstrive]

Stealth Bombers, Battleships, and Rocket Launchers would do nicely

 

[smallfish]

Well I think a general lesson was learned here today: go after your immediate neighbours before you tackle another civ on the other side of the continent.

I did.

In fact, if that Hiawatha wasn't covered with forests and just out in open terrain like Washington and William, I would have crushed him flat out no contest. Legions v Mohawks, Immortal spam or no, is extremely one-sided in open grounds.

The problem began when he started off in Arborea land, everyone else on flat lands.

 

[Pook]

Agree with Tachii & Smallfish.

Here's one way to catch up in money, which may help a bit in other areas.

When you give nearby civilizations the benefit of your benevolent leadership, you will likely acquire several useless or nearly useless cities. Gift one to the runaway AI. Then offer to sell an adjacent useless city to the runaway. Since the runaway already owns a city sharing a border with the city being offered, the runaway will usually pay a lot for it. I've scored over 8,000 gold selling a city that way.

 

[trevpow]

I did.

In fact, if that Hiawatha wasn't covered with forests and just out in open terrain like Washington and William, I would have crushed him flat out no contest. Legions v Mohawks, Immortal spam or no, is extremely one-sided in open grounds.

The problem began when he started off in Arborea land, everyone else on flat lands.

I think what tachi means, rather than jump across the continent and try get the really good areas (spreading yourself thin)spread out in a closer network and keep yourself in a complete unit so you can defend, also the closer Civs will alway be more aggressive so best to keep them in mind before getting further away and giving the civ's further out more aggro and having less defense.

 

[smallfish]

I think what tachi means, rather than jump across the continent and try get the really good areas (spreading yourself thin)spread out in a closer network and keep yourself in a complete unit so you can defend, also the closer Civs will alway be more aggressive so best to keep them in mind before giving further away civ's more aggro and having less defense.

What I should have done was to stop after taking Washington, and then just build up my science until I hit artillery and frigates. Going after Amsterdam was a bad mistake, one that prompted Hiawatha to denounce our friendship and then DOW

It was likely both Netherlands and Hiawatha would have gone to war with each other, even more likely Netherlands would have been forced to conquer some CS and provide a better bulwark against New Yorkers while I get Artillery and frigs in place

What a game

 

[chazzycat]

best way to stop a runaway, is to BE a runaway yourself. It's unlikely you'll have the ability to project your forces to stop someone on another continent unless you have a massive economy/military yourself.

 

[Question]

A civ's literacy score is a composite of all their science-y stuff... libraries, universities, science wonders, etc. I'm not sure if it factors in total citizens, specialists, and great-person research bases, or not. Unless you have the mod InfoAddict, it would be pretty hard to tell who has how much, anyway. All you can see from the stats in an unmodded game is the lead civ. Which is but one of the multitude of great reasons why I would never, ever play CiV without InfoAddict enabled, ever again. With it, you can see every civ's literacy%, their total science output, and total techs researched, at a glance- and you can check them at any time. Among many other important things you can see with it. Unless you have an aversion to mods for some reason, go get it. You'll thank me later.

I tried installing the info addict mod, and i have it activated, but i don't see it ingame...