I've discovered a better way to Seige enemy cities.

[skullers]

Ever noticed that Caravans/Diplomats don't take away "shields" because they're not military units? Ever noticed that they can walk on AI squares even if you have peace? Well, they also take away resources from the enemy, if they stand on enemy city square. Caravans/Diplomats are not military units, so they don't make people unhappy under Democracy.

I was playing americans. And there were 2 HUGE AI civs that had a lot of large cities. So I made mass Caravans (about 100), send them to AI cities and fortified them there. After a few turns, those cities started to shrink. I switched to Communism to make military units and layed waste to those cities.

P.S. I'll go take some screenshots of my improved Seige, and post 1-2 of them here.

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The great leader of the barbaric skull collectors.

 

[skullers]

Here are the screenshots. They are on MY site, so they don't watse YOUR server space.

http://skullers.mailru.com/1.jpg
http://skullers.mailru.com/2.jpg

As you see, that city is now size of 1, but it used to be 12! Mech. Inf. was moved there about 2 centuries after the Caravans did all the work.

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The great leader of the barbaric skull collectors.

[This message has been edited by skullers (edited July 16, 2001).]

 

[TTG]

It's certainly successful, but not a new idea. Using non-military units such as diplomats or caravans to pass through enemy territory or to set up a seige is something I've documented in my strategy guide.

The double advantage of being able to use them during peace as well as them not producing unhappy people makes this tactic really worthwhile.

Not only that, but you can set up a cold war seige like this when the peace is just barely agreed to (bribe them, say). Then, when the seige starts to take effect, your enemy will become weaker and weaker. Weaker enemies want peace more so the more you seige them the more they want peace with you, which only buys you the time to seige more and more of their cities. Whole civilizations can be destroyed like this.

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Civilization I Master of masters and webmaster of Civilization III Arsenal
<IMG SRC="http://www.strategyplanet.com/civilization3/images/ani_swordsman_thumb.gif" border=0>

 

[thedirk]

I too have often used this strategy. It's really great being able to cripple and destroy and enemy civ while being at peace with them. I guess this is the same idea behind economic embargoes and sanctions. Only in civ it acctually works.


[This message has been edited by thedirk (edited August 20, 2001).]

 

[Marco Pogo]

This is my first-ever post. Anybody know anything about the Civ I CD that's s'pose to come with the Computer Games Magazine?

 

[stormerne]

Welcome Marco Pogo! It would probably have been better if you'd posted your question here or as a new and separate topic.

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<IMG SRC="http://www.anglo-saxon.demon.co.uk/stormerne/stormerne.gif" border=0>

 

[Kefka]

Iv'e never tried it but does anybody know if it works for 2 also, or has it been fixed on 2?
I guess Im gotta find out next time it play

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<IMG SRC="http://www.grworld.com/vanillacubesgames/files/kefka.gif" border=0>"Why Create things when you know they must be destroyed!"
"I will Create A monument to nothingness!"
good smilies at http://www.plauder-smilies.de/

 

[^TheBlackKnight]

I tend to use that caravan tactic if I have a city nearby that needs an extra bit of resources, and the opponent is using it...so, I 'borrow' it.

 

[Cilpot]

Ahhhh... I became nostalgic by viewing those screenshots... Does anybody know where I can view more screenshots from civ 1??

BTW: Good tactic... have used it often..

 

[scwawcaac]

I use diplomats to also keep an eye out for approaching enemy units. I never thought to try using them as siege resources.

 

[Caesar Augustus]

It seems like this would mean the use of a lot of production. I mean, a hundred caravans is at least a hundred city/turns of labor. Under a democracy, sure, there is the necessity of keeping a war going but without keeping military units out of a city, but how long would it take an enemy civ to destroy all of the diplomats/caravans? Unless your enemy is particularly weak (then why do you need to resort to trickery) or particularly peaceful (then why war at all; you've gotten yourself into this mess peacefully, get yourself out), he'll eventually declare war and sweep your massed armies of pencil pushers and merchants away with little more than a few outdated war machines.

 

[darkChild]

very cool strat, and augustas (sp, sorry) i think even if you dont need the strat, its still fun to try new things and figure out new ways to do things. thats part of why civ is so fun even after you beat it 100+ times.

 

[gonzo_for_civ]

Boy, I think I might break out in tears. It's been a while since I played a good Civ I game. Ohhhhhh. The memories.

 

[Father Beast]

Originally posted by skullers
Ever noticed that Caravans/Diplomats don't take away "shields" because they're not military units? Ever noticed that they can walk on AI squares even if you have peace? Well, they also take away resources from the enemy, if they stand on enemy city square. Caravans/Diplomats are not military units, so they don't make people unhappy under Democracy.

I was playing americans. And there were 2 HUGE AI civs that had a lot of large cities. So I made mass Caravans (about 100), send them to AI cities and fortified them there. After a few turns, those cities started to shrink. I switched to Communism to make military units and layed waste to those cities.

P.S. I'll go take some screenshots of my improved Seige, and post 1-2 of them here.

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The great leader of the barbaric skull collectors.

I must be missing something. in civ1, ANYONE can walk on AI squares when you have peace. no city limit "get off my land" demands.
Of course, I do understand the happiness benefits.

 

[highway chile]

I must be missing something. in civ1, ANYONE can walk on AI squares when you have peace. no city limit "get off my land" demands.

Your half-right. Anyone can walk on anothers civ's city square if u are not at peace with them, or have never met them.

When u have met them, talked to ruler etc and u are at peace with them then u cannot go into thier city squares without declaring war, (ps it has to be a square they are using to, ie for food/production whatever, if it isnt u CAN enter that square without declaring war.).

and then if u are a republic or democracy, u cannot enter their used squares if u at peace, and u cant enter thier squares and declare war either. (unless u coax them to attack u first!).

 

[Father Beast]

Originally posted by highway chile


Your half-right. Anyone can walk on anothers civ's city square if u are not at peace with them, or have never met them.

When u have met them, talked to ruler etc and u are at peace with them then u cannot go into thier city squares without declaring war, (ps it has to be a square they are using to, ie for food/production whatever, if it isnt u CAN enter that square without declaring war.).

and then if u are a republic or democracy, u cannot enter their used squares if u at peace, and u cant enter thier squares and declare war either. (unless u coax them to attack u first!).

I must be inexperienced. I am so used to them damned zulus coming up and fortifying right next to my cities.

I never knew there was a limitation for doing that. hmmmnnn... do caravans have that no ZOC flag, so they can walk around with impunity? i.e. without having to maneuver around the other units?

 

[KiwiExpress]

Yeah, i think Highway Chile is right, but maybe the rules only apply to u, the human player......i'll have to go back and check that one out properly but it definitely applies to the human player, maybe the computer ignores it, anyone know for sure?

Originally posted by highway chile

When u have met them, talked to ruler etc and u are at peace with them then u cannot go into thier city squares without declaring war, (ps it has to be a square they are using to, ie for food/production whatever, if it isnt u CAN enter that square without declaring war.).

I think that is all correct (for the human player anyway), just something else, u can also go onto any square of another civ without declaring war by entering it by way of the sea, as in getting off a boat!

So other civs can land onto your city square off the sea and not break any peace treatys.

.Originally posted by Father Beast

I must be inexperienced. I am so used to them damned zulus coming up and fortifying right next to my cities.

Are u at war with them? If u have not met and made peace with another civ, they can continue to plunder your squares to thier hearts contents

i cant remember whether caravans can move around other units, but they can definitely move onto any civs square without declaring war etc.

 

[Father Beast]

Originally posted by KiwiExpress
[B

Are u at war with them? If u have not met and made peace with another civ, they can continue to plunder your squares to thier hearts contents
[/B]

No, They had a habit of meeting with me, deciding that I was "worthy" of a peace treaty, then sending a good unit to fortify right next to my city. happened in at least 3 games that I remember offhand.

Can't remember if I was using that square, though.

another interesting thing I didn't realize. in Civ2, you can't block access to sea squares with ships, so starving a coastal city was out of the question. guess you can in Civ1, huh!