Isolation

[Khanate]

After multiply MP games I have learned one thing - don't ever trust nobody! Last night was it, I had a good lead as Spain on Earth18Civs, then England, Germany and Greece all attacked - two of them being my "allies", because Persia was strongest empire in the game. Because of this I now want to play a total isolation, and never trade or open borders with anyone in MP games. Usually I use trade routes to the max and run free market, so it buggers me that I'll have to change this. I tried in a SP game, with Japan on the same map, and when I switched from decentralization to mercantilism my research dropped from about 500 to 350 beakers/turn - with free market it raised to nearly 600. But if I try SE with mercantilism (maybe state property later, if I have a large empire), it might be of use. Anyway, do you have any thoughts on how to develop a protective/isolated strategy for the game, even if you have neighbours?

 

[cabert]

I assume you play no tech trade anyway?

Let's face a simple fact : most MP games don't last to banking (required for mercantilism).
You just have to live without foreign trade routes (or just with absolutely foreign ones maybe? like people out of reach militarily?) for most of the game.

 

[Khanate]

True, no tech trading in MP. I usually play long games, like earth and "one continent each", so often it goes long beyond banking.

 

[cabert]

I guess that playing a SE will help you a lot, and civics for this are
representation, caste system, mercantilism (, pacifism)
+ nationhood (you don't want to face an army with scientists, do you ?)

 

[Mutineer]

When I played MP in past I allways state non scouting rule when offer open border.

Simple state, I do not scout you, you do not scout me.

The moment anyone enter my cultural border I drop open borders or declare war. In MP you should not trust anybody, everyone want to win or as minimum screw someone else.

About fereign trade. Remember, trade is mutial. If no trade your research fall and there research fall.

So, week, backward empires in MP tend to open borders to each other and run free market. But if they are smart they will not open borders with biggest/strongest to slow him down.

In addition, even if some one open border to you and you are big they will benefit more from trade with your many big cities then you with there few.

So, correct trade strategy actially demand to you to go to merkantenilism later in game.

If you running representation and food ritch mixed economy you probably better of in mercantenilism.