I think I'm in trouble here!

[dante alighieri]

I think I’m screwed on this one. New game, me as the Americans. Noble level, ‘cuz I’m not good enough to move up on a huge world with continents. My ommediate neighbors are Montezuma and Mansa, with Genghis Khan close by. Farther north Caesar. Great….3 leaders that love to fight. Especially Monty. Gah…..WHY IS HE ALWAYS right next to me?

But I got a lucky break early on with a goody hut that allowed me to found hinduism. As soon as open borders became an option I opened them with everyone except Montezuma. He started off hating me, and won’t agree to any trades. So sharing the same religion with the others took a lot off of the tensions. But then that jerk Mansa founded christianity. I had to pay him but I got him to reconvert to Hinduism. (I’ll be pretty po’d if he changes back after I paid him). Still, the AI civs seem to have a lot of techs that I don’t. They won’t offer anything to me in trade but they’ll ask for freebies with the ones that I have that they don’t. (I gave horseback riding to Caesar though. Our relationship was diving, and I don’t want any wars right now.) The only one that they will offer stuff for is Literature, I assume so they can build the Great Library. I think I should just trade it and get what I can. I can’t spare the production to build it myself. Barbarians kept me from improving a lot of my cities. (They always pillage my camps and farms) I’m trying to build up my army right now, because I’ve got too many warmongers around me. But as a builder that sucks for me. I’d rather work on my infrastructure, but I can’t because it’s a given that Monty is gonna attack. As it stands he could probably really take a huge chunk outta me, if not just plain destroy me. I don’t know what he’s got, since he’s not hinduism and he won’t open borders. When the top most powerful civs popup came up he was number one, even though I’m leading in score. I don’t trust Genghis as far as I can throw him but he is “friendly” towards me. I don’t trust Mansa at all just ‘cuz he’s too darn close and he always seems twitchy to me.

So that’s my dilemma. I need tech trades in order to compete, but the AI’s are being stingy, even though I’ve gifted early techs and traded resources. Monty is gonna attack, and I don’t know if I can stop him. Caesar’s threatened me a few times and I’m only keeping him pleased by trading and using missionaries to convert him. I think my only chance is to bribe Genghis and maybe Mansa to go to war with him, let them duke it out while I try to build up my forces and infrastructure. Will the AI’s hold a grudge if I do that but don’t actually declare war myself? What do you guys think I should do?

 

[dworkin]

"If one wishes for peace it is best to prepare for war."

A limited, defensive war can be conducted with only a few units in the right conditions. If waged corectly it can quickly become a horrifying one-sided slaughterfest. Stay in forests, preferably ones on hills. Your catapult (or two) costs far less than the AI offensive stack. Do not be afraid to atttack.

"What this populace needs is a short, victorious war."

Not every war is a no-holds barred fight to anihilation. A small force can be used to gain one (or two) desirable cities and force a suing for peace while you're ahead. Again, the value of one (or two) catapults is insignificant to that of an extra city and a cowed enemy. The key is to pick the fight yourself.

Being a builder does not mean not fighting. It just demands being very picky about when and where you fight.

 

[lbhhh]

dworkin has given you some good advice.
If you feel the war with monty is inevitable, then might as well fight it on your terms, not his. If you want to bribe the other AI's into fighting monty, it will be a LOT cheaper if you are already at war with him. Keep building units.

 

[Junuxx]

Get Genghis to attack Monty (y). Keep 'em busy

 

[Dnomal]

In my own experience Genghis CAN be a great ally, IF you can get him to share your religion, and that he's not to close to start wanting your lands. If you can use him to take out, or at least weaken monty you have an advantage.

Bribing is expensive, its a lot easier to ask people to stop trading, it'll pee of monty and he'll refuse to talk to them.

I agree with Dorkin, fight the war on your own terms. If you fight a defensive fight it'll be a hard fight, however if you can get a step up in technology you can steamroller over your opponent, e.g using maceman or xbows as soon as possible, a maceman against an archer will win. Or Grenadiers against longbwoman, Infantry against Rifleman.

That's what i try and do. Also out of interest what civ are u playing?

And finially if you're preparing for an attack or defence, have half of your cities producing units, thats what i do when i get suspicious, if you position 3 stack armies next to the border it'll make even monty think twice.