shotdown08
Chieftain
I only watch my rep if it is to my advantage to do so. If not then I just don't worry about it
List of actions that will damage your reputation?
- Thread starter hecose
- Start date
allan
Cabrón
"I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation!" --Joan Jett and the Runaways
When I started playing CivII, I thought if you kept your nose clean, never screwed anyone, etc., then the others (AI) would respect you more. WRONG! If you're numero uno, you're suddenly the Great Satan....
So now, while I generally don't go out and start wars (just finish them
), sometimes I will make Israeli-style pre-emptive strikes if I see buildups of certain units (like tanks and howies) on my borders, or if the other civ keeps putting units into my territory after I've told them two or three times to get the f*ck out. I've found that these are signs that the civ is about to sneak attack you, and since everyone hates me anyway due to my power being supreme, why do I burden myself with a spotless rep that they don't even consider? Besides, the AI isn't burdened by rep--they can sneak attack as often as they want and other civs will still be buds with them....
I hope in CivIII, rep WILL mean something--because I generally would rather play clean myself....
When I started playing CivII, I thought if you kept your nose clean, never screwed anyone, etc., then the others (AI) would respect you more. WRONG! If you're numero uno, you're suddenly the Great Satan....
So now, while I generally don't go out and start wars (just finish them
I hope in CivIII, rep WILL mean something--because I generally would rather play clean myself....
Right on, allan!!! I think we have been harping on this theme quite a bit. The individual AI civ must observe and be affected by the same rules as us humans. Give us better AI and clean rules that affect all civs equally - AI or human.
allan
Cabrón
Oh, and how many times have you guys had that fortress that's two spaces from both your city and the enemy city (on an overlapping square), usually after you capture an enemy city and sign a peace treaty after? I swear sometimes the AI builds them that way on purpose--because your rep is damaged if you keep troops there, but if you don't, THEY will....
That's another reason why I say, to HELL with rep (although overall I play clean, and never let it get below honorable).
That's another reason why I say, to HELL with rep (although overall I play clean, and never let it get below honorable).
Well, that's why when I attk, I usually go all out and conquer all the cities of that civ (or at least all the cities of that civ on that island or continent). Cleanly, efficiently and quickly so that I won't end up with such a problem. No half measures for me - either no attk or attk till the enemy is dust. There is always a time when patience will run out and to hell with rep, just destroy that AI civ.
allan
Cabrón
Ah, but if you're a republic (or especially a democracy), sometimes you can't do that without overthrowing the gov't.... Also, I've sometimes actually been SURPRISED by a sneak attack, and didn't have sufficient counteroffensive units to do a sweep--especially of those pesky fundy civs that have 5-10 units per city.... My biggest consideration is securing what I've conquered (at least 4 or 5 mech infs, howies and/or armor to zap attackers, partisans if I've bought them from the enemy, in EACH frontline city and its associated fortresses); I do that and then some before taking the next step, which may be a few turns away.
The pattern is generally (when republic), they sneak attack (or I pre-empt, if I'm lucky with the hawks), I take one city, they ask for peace (sometimes I'll just take it and regroup, sometimes I'll see if the senate hawks still back me), I either stop or take one or two more cities, then stop before I get thin; a few turns later, they sneak attack me again (but it's a typical halfassed AI attack, you know), I take one (or two) more cities, they call cease-fire, etc. I slowly grind them down that way.... I hope that by the time they have two or three cities left, they'll start giving me some big money for peace.... By then they are "pets" and no longer want to "taste my steel"
.... Don't worry, I make them my b*tch sooner or later....
If I can get rid of them all at once, I'll go for it--but I usually don't build huge militaries as much as settle the frontier (spread over lots of islands and continents)....
The pattern is generally (when republic), they sneak attack (or I pre-empt, if I'm lucky with the hawks), I take one city, they ask for peace (sometimes I'll just take it and regroup, sometimes I'll see if the senate hawks still back me), I either stop or take one or two more cities, then stop before I get thin; a few turns later, they sneak attack me again (but it's a typical halfassed AI attack, you know), I take one (or two) more cities, they call cease-fire, etc. I slowly grind them down that way.... I hope that by the time they have two or three cities left, they'll start giving me some big money for peace.... By then they are "pets" and no longer want to "taste my steel"
If I can get rid of them all at once, I'll go for it--but I usually don't build huge militaries as much as settle the frontier (spread over lots of islands and continents)....
allan
Cabrón
Oh, if they're a new nuke power, and I have the capacity to kill them dead right then and there, I WILL (unless they can activate an alliance with an ESTABLISHED nuke power that might have a few of them now, and I have very few SDIs (or none) up yet)--I try not to use nukes on them though, and befoul my new lands....
As for nukes (there's another thread about this, I know), I try not to use more than two per game (I actually strive for a nuke-free game, but that ain't always possible), after that I'd likely get global warming and turn that beautiful farmland of mine into swamp
As for nukes (there's another thread about this, I know), I try not to use more than two per game (I actually strive for a nuke-free game, but that ain't always possible), after that I'd likely get global warming and turn that beautiful farmland of mine into swamp
I never engage in wars of conquest until I got the howitzer unit unless under great duress. Prior to that, never attk into enemy territory whatever the provocation even if I am at war with them. W/o the howitzer, find that it's just not worth it to take a few cities at the expense of falling behind the tech race with other AI civs or develeopment.
If I am sharing a land border with another civ, will build a line of fortresses and put 2 units in each to guard my frontier. Usually supplement with some attk units to wipe out enemy units that come near esp those idiotic artillery and catapults that come in ones and twos. Of coz, it will guard against diplomats and spies too. Also no roads connecting to the enemy civ until I am ready to strike into their territory.
If I am on an island continent, just watch out for units landing on my island. Then demand that they leave. If they refuse and declare war, just send in my attk units and wipe them out.
Because early in the game, I usually have peaceful relationships with everybody so no problems with spies/dip (most of the time). And in the later part when I am on the warmongering path, my main cities will be too expensive to be bought. Also will have spy units accompanying my invading forces so they can't bought back cities I have just conquered.
If I am sharing a land border with another civ, will build a line of fortresses and put 2 units in each to guard my frontier. Usually supplement with some attk units to wipe out enemy units that come near esp those idiotic artillery and catapults that come in ones and twos. Of coz, it will guard against diplomats and spies too. Also no roads connecting to the enemy civ until I am ready to strike into their territory.
If I am on an island continent, just watch out for units landing on my island. Then demand that they leave. If they refuse and declare war, just send in my attk units and wipe them out.
Because early in the game, I usually have peaceful relationships with everybody so no problems with spies/dip (most of the time). And in the later part when I am on the warmongering path, my main cities will be too expensive to be bought. Also will have spy units accompanying my invading forces so they can't bought back cities I have just conquered.
starlifter
Deity
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2001
- Messages
- 4,210
Though you don't need a good rep for score, I personally always attain a spotless rep because when I first started playing Diety I found it was hard, but tended to equalize my superior strategy, which of course the AI lacks. Regretfully, even keeping "spotless" is only a temporary challenge, since you rapidly evolve ways to account for the fact that you refuse to break a treaty.
Admittedly, I did break a treaty in late game OCC here while back... but I needed the 650 gold for my SS, so I did drop to excellent, LOL.
Anyway, if you decide never to break treaties, you must naturally discover ways to get the AI to break them "on command", which is failry easy to do, esp. if you're not in republic (or Democracy).
allan
Cabrón
Like I said, for the most part I do try to keep my rep clean. I've had quite a few spotless games. However, I will sometimes do a "pre-emptive" strike if a nation (particularly a fundy one) keeps violating my territory. For some reason I'm not as squeamish about backstabbing those annoying fundies--I don't like fundamentalists in real life either!--but I make sure I CAN strike quick, sure, and with extreme devastation because if not, they WILL recover quickly! But I generally only strike pre-emptively if they keep violating their side of the treaty--i.e. putting units in my territory and I've warned them a few times, etc. IMHO, that SHOULDN'T hurt your rep (they keep violating the treaty), but somehow it still does. I just get pissed off and do it--and if I have the UN, I sometimes send the delegate over after I've done max damage (try to in one turn), and if they talk at all, they must offer a cease-fire (I did this once AFTER taking an enemy city that had the UN once, BTW...it was funny)! Also with the SoL, I can go back to republic again the same turn (assuming I had to switch in the first place), or democracy (lately I've been trying my hand with that, and when you're BIG with certain wonders it actually doesn't work out as badly as I thought it would!).
I did an experiment once--an enemy civ had kept putting units back in my territory after two or three warnings. This time he had some offensive ones (tanks) thrown in there too. The previous warnings, he gave the usual apology and moved out, only to keep moving back in the next turn. But this time it looked a bit different, so I saved the game, then sent my emissary to do the usual b*tching, seeing if I could head off a sneak attack (I had the UN). Well, this time he was tired of my "vile provocations" or whatever they say in that situation, "Prepare for war!" (which I didn't think they could do if you had the UN). I then restarted the game, and didn't say anything this time. Sure enough, they sneak attacked that turn! So I restarted again and did the original routine, and had myself a nice enjoyable rout of their forces (since they made the remarkable mistake of starting a war with me when it was MY turn!).
Took a city, they asked for peace, and never even got a shot off!
Yes I know, btw, if you are commie (or fundy, etc.) you can demand tribute and that MAY start a war.... But sometimes even then the civ will avoid the issue ("we ignore your feeble threats")--usually when relatively weak but still a nuisance....
I did an experiment once--an enemy civ had kept putting units back in my territory after two or three warnings. This time he had some offensive ones (tanks) thrown in there too. The previous warnings, he gave the usual apology and moved out, only to keep moving back in the next turn. But this time it looked a bit different, so I saved the game, then sent my emissary to do the usual b*tching, seeing if I could head off a sneak attack (I had the UN). Well, this time he was tired of my "vile provocations" or whatever they say in that situation, "Prepare for war!" (which I didn't think they could do if you had the UN). I then restarted the game, and didn't say anything this time. Sure enough, they sneak attacked that turn! So I restarted again and did the original routine, and had myself a nice enjoyable rout of their forces (since they made the remarkable mistake of starting a war with me when it was MY turn!).
Took a city, they asked for peace, and never even got a shot off!
Yes I know, btw, if you are commie (or fundy, etc.) you can demand tribute and that MAY start a war.... But sometimes even then the civ will avoid the issue ("we ignore your feeble threats")--usually when relatively weak but still a nuisance....
starlifter
Deity
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2001
- Messages
- 4,210
It is because of this and similary silly AI handicaps that I force myself to abide by the treaties, or not sign them to start with. If the AI would quit agreeing to war so stupidly on my turn, I might need to do a few sneak attacks at times, too.
BTW, I find the AI ofen routinely sneak attacks me when it suddenly discovers a "local" unit advantage during the regular movement of its pieces. This often means disaster in another place in the world.
A big beef I have with the AI "thinking" is that it does not scan all of its postions across the board, and then weigh war in view of its overall position. After deciding war/peace and the tactical/strategic position, it should only then begin moving pieces. So my keeping "spotless" is in some measure a small concession to help equalize the great handicaps of the AI.
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