How to make alliances?

[ireuel]

I used to play Civ I years ago, recently picked up Civ III and found how much has changed. Whoa.

So I'm a newbie tard here. I've been all over the pedia and the advisors page and can't figure out how to ally with other civilization.

Any help? Thanks a bunch.

 

[Globex]

Welcome to CFC

To get an ally against an enemy, go to the foreign advisor and double click the leader-head of the civilization that you want to be your ally. In the diplomacy screen, you should see "Military Alliances" on one of the sides. Click on it and you should see a list of Civilizations to ally against. To do this, you must:

a. Have an embassy with the nation that you want to be your ally
b. Be at war with the nation that you want to ally against

Sometimes you have to pay money to get an alliance. If you break a military alliance, other nations will not trust you and the price of alliances will rise.

 

[ireuel]

Awesome. Thanks a ton, man. I was going nuts trying to figure out why I couldn't do anything on the foreign advisor page.

 

[Optional]

It's not a prerequisite to be at war to sign the alliance, you can first try and get your ally, and then declare war.

And don't raise your expectations of your newly found ally too high.
In a recent game, I had some trouble getting an AI civ as my ally. Then the Hittites joined me in an alliance against the French. But what happened a couple of turns later? Those same Hittites I was in an alliance with, declared war on me!
Then the Arabs gave me bother. I found the Romans willing to sign an alliance with me against them. But what did the Romans do a couple of turns later? Yep, you've guessed it; they also declared war on me!

I'm not saying this is how it always goes, but the AI are definitely opportunists that can go with anybody that holds a piece of candy in front of them. If you'll brake a treaty with them, they will scream murder, but they don't apply that moral to themselves!

Still, please do try and get an AI with you every now and then, because the balance works still in favor of alliances.

 

[gmaharriet]

It's not a prerequisite to be at war to sign the alliance, you can first try and get your ally, and then declare war.

I think you're wrong about that...you must declare before asking an ally to join you.

And don't raise your expectations of your newly found ally too high.
In a recent game, I had some trouble getting an AI civ as my ally. Then the Hittites joined me in an alliance against the French. But what happened a couple of turns later? Those same Hittites I was in an alliance with, declared war on me!
Then the Arabs gave me bother. I found the Romans willing to sign an alliance with me against them. But what did the Romans do a couple of turns later? Yep, you've guessed it; they also declared war on me!

I'm not saying this is how it always goes, but the AI are definitely opportunists that can go with anybody that holds a piece of candy in front of them. If you'll brake a treaty with them, they will scream murder, but they don't apply that moral to themselves!

Still, please do try and get an AI with you every now and then, because the balance works still in favor of alliances.

It's helpful to offer something per turn, gold or lux or resource, to prevent your ally from backing out. If he turns against you, he has something to lose. OTOH, you can't always count on them accomplishing very much even when they stay in the alliance. They may only send a small token force or none at all.

 

[Aabraxan]

. . . . They may only send a small token force or none at all.

Interesting. I sometimes do the same thing.

 

[I. Larkin]

I think you're wrong about that...you must declare before asking an ally to join you.


It's helpful to offer something per turn, gold or lux or resource, to prevent your ally from backing out. If he turns against you, he has something to lose. OTOH, you can't always count on them accomplishing very much even when they stay in the alliance. They may only send a small token force or none at all.

There many features in MA stuff. Some advanced topics in my article
War happines work! http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=246590,
You may do MA if at least one at war with common enemy. MA break is most severe rep break, if you do this, you will be asked to pay Lump sum in advance for next MA.

 

[Optional]

I think you're wrong about that...you must declare before asking an ally to join you.

Yes, you're right, GmaHarriet. What fooled me is that the option is always open on the diplo screen to sign an alliiance against any civ you both have knowledge of, war or not. So you can ask, but a small test on game saves learnt me that I'm always getting an answer like 'We don't think a deal can be worked out.' if I haven't declared war yet. If I have declared war, then they are willing (provided I make the deal nice enough for them).

So it's game design that misled me a bit here, but I'm glad I know better now. Cheers.

 

[I. Larkin]

Yes, you're right, GmaHarriet. What fooled me is that the option is always open on the diplo screen to sign an alliiance against any civ you both have knowledge of, war or not. So you can ask, but a small test on game saves learnt me that I'm always getting an answer like 'We don't think a deal can be worked out.' if I haven't declared war yet. If I have declared war, then they are willing (provided I make the deal nice enough for them).

So it's game design that misled me a bit here, but I'm glad I know better now. Cheers.

No If he or she at war, you do not need to declare first. You may get good deal if you not. If you declare first and then ask for MA deal will be lot less if any.

 

[Optional]

Yes, Thanks Larkin, I was was talking about the situation were your potential ally was not at war yet.
But, now that I'm realising better how it works, it might always be worth checking whether you can sign an alliance before you declare war, because if you have only just freshly established the embassy, you will probably not have received a message that that civ is at war, even if they are. And it's handy to know.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but:
- If you have an embassy with a civ, you will always get a message when that civ goes to war, right?
But:
- Mutual Protection Pacts are not mentioned when they get formed?

 

[I. Larkin]

Yes, Thanks Larkin, I was was talking about the situation were your potential ally was not at war yet.
But, now that I'm realising better how it works, it might always be worth checking whether you can sign an alliance before you declare war, because if you have only just freshly established the embassy, you will probably not have received a message that that civ is at war, even if they are. And it's handy to know.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but:
- If you have an embassy with a civ, you will always get a message when that civ goes to war, right?
But:
- Mutual Protection Pacts are not mentioned when they get formed?

My impression is that if you have embassy on both AI, MMP msg appear. Did not make a test, what if you have emb with only one. But you will see it at diplo screen anyway.

 

[AznWarlord]

You don't need to be in war. You must have writing and an embassy, and they must have discovered the civ you want to war with.

 

[Globex]

OTOH, you can't always count on them accomplishing very much even when they stay in the alliance. They may only send a small token force or none at all.

Instead of getting a MA against the civ that you want destroyed, you can instead declare on the civ you want to do the fighting and get an MA with the civ you want eliminated. In a previous game, I was the French and Rome was preventing me from expanding. I declared on the Chinese who bordered Rome in the north and signed an MA with Rome against them. A few turns later, the Chinese army had completely destroyed Rome.

 

[Light-Giver]

Dont get in to many mutual protection pacts, they can be brutal to you if someone declares war, for example lets say you have a MPP with rome and carthrage. rome declares war on the celts. not so bad but here is the complecation. the celts allie with carthrage AGANSED rome, the MPP forces you to declare war on rome your allie. This senerio dosnt get you at war with carthage but causes tention between your 2 nation cause you allied at 1 point againsed their enemy and trade stops between you 2.

 

[ChaosArbiter]

Dont get in to many mutual protection pacts, they can be brutal to you if someone declares war, for example lets say you have a MPP with rome and carthrage. rome declares war on the celts. not so bad but here is the complecation. the celts allie with carthrage AGANSED rome, the MPP forces you to declare war on rome your allie. This senerio dosnt get you at war with carthage but causes tention between your 2 nation cause you allied at 1 point againsed their enemy and trade stops between you 2.

You can still go to war with Carthage - You have MPP with Rome and Carthage, and Rome declares on the Celts. The Celts sign MA with Carthage against Rome, and if Carthage attacks Rome, you go to war with Carthage; if Rome attacks Carthage, you go to war with Rome (and you're still at war with the Celts, too). And, IIRC, you'll take a Reputation hit for breaking an MPP, as well, no matter who goes to war with whom.

 

[Aceman101]

I think you're wrong about that...you must declare before asking an ally to join you.

I might be wrong, but I've noticed that if an AI player just recently (1-10 turns ago) finished a war with a certain civ, you can make an alliance against the civ the AI was previously at war with, without declaring war first. But (usually) you do have to give the AI a small amount of gold in exchange for the alliance.

 

[cronullasharks]

If you are only attempting a quick smash and grab then sometimes its better to do without any allies.......making peace before the 20 turns ends will get you a rep hit

 

[TheOverseer714]

Some times, an MA can be used to distract an enemy. If you are duking it out with Civ A, ally with much weaker Civ B, and watch Civ A's troops turn around and trash Civ B while you are taking their cities. Just make sure Civ B isn't destroyed totally during the alliance, or you will get a rep hit. When Civ B isn't useful any more, ally with a weak Civ C so you get the same benefit. Avoid MPP's like the plague, they invariably bite you in the end(rear end, usually)

 

[Nergal]

I always try to ally with their weaker neighbours, if its a pangea or continents. I'll conduct a steady war against the actual enemy and try not to help my ally, but I will retake their cities if I get chance. Usually they are not too well defended. As the Overseer pointed out Civ B will be worse than useless if you can keep the war going long enough.

 

[AznWarlord]

Allies are USEFUL, but not really HELPFUL.

I once lost a Cavalry army stationed in a Galleon thanks to my allies Privateer.

EDIT: In war with another civ.