Military alliances a problem

[colontos]

Tell me if I'm misunderstanding something here. It seems like MAs are more of a curse than a blessing in most cases since they force you to be at war for 20 turns or take a rep hit. I almost never want to be at war for that long, so I never make alliances. Is there a way to make an honorable peace before the MA runs out? Or does breaking an MA really give you a rep hit?

 

[Pounder]

Sometimes you can include a resource in the deal. Then when you want out, pillage the road on top of your resource, the deal should be broken. I'm not 100% you forgo the rep hit, maybe someone could confirm.

BTW, that would have to be a resource you have zero extra in.

 

[Tomoyo]

If your ally makes peace first, they get the rep hit, not you. Also, you can end it by destroying the target civ.

 

[bkwrm79]

I think it makes sense that a Military Alliance entails certain obligations - if you convince someone to help you out, then make peace and leave your new friend in the lurch, you should take a rep hit! The real problem is that you can't have a three-way peace negotiation.

 

[Willem]

Sometimes you can include a resource in the deal. Then when you want out, pillage the road on top of your resource, the deal should be broken. I'm not 100% you forgo the rep hit, maybe someone could confirm.

BTW, that would have to be a resource you have zero extra in.

Anytime a trade deal is cut off you take a rep hit, even if it wasn't your fault. The only way out is to see it through to the end or hope that the other civ ends it first.

 

[Willem]

Tell me if I'm misunderstanding something here. It seems like MAs are more of a curse than a blessing in most cases since they force you to be at war for 20 turns or take a rep hit. I almost never want to be at war for that long, so I never make alliances. Is there a way to make an honorable peace before the MA runs out? Or does breaking an MA really give you a rep hit?

Sometimes making an alliance is a very smart move. Look for civs that are on the other side of your enemy. That will divert many, if not all of it's troops in the opposite direction. Quite often I'll get into an alliance and find that I don't even have to fire a shot since the other civ is taking the brunt of my enemy's attacks. You just have to select your partner wisely.

 

[colontos]

Well, I guess I'm kind of a balance of power player and I don't usually like to eliminate civs, so an MA basically guarantees 20 turns of war (unless my ally ends it first). Three way peace negotiations would probably be the best answer.

 

[Bluemofia]

you don't have to get MA, but that is useful in causing World wars, and you don't have to do anything at all. also, to get MAs means 1 less person an AI could recruit against you. but, if it's online, then human players have a tendency to get mad at you if you don't attack the enemy enough.

 

[bkwrm79]

Bluemofia makes a good point - a Military Alliance means one less potential enemy. This can be very valuable in guarding your back, and can be worth a substantial bribe even if the civ isn't positioned to actually do any fighting for you.

Besides, every now and then they surprise you... in RoR I made a MA with Macedon against Carthage (playing as the Romans) purely so Carthage couldn't recruit Macedonia against me again, and to my delight saw a huge stream of galleys go sailing past Sicily to attack Carthaginian ships.

 

[Willem]

Bluemofia makes a good point - a Military Alliance means one less potential enemy. This can be very valuable in guarding your back, and can be worth a substantial bribe even if the civ isn't positioned to actually do any fighting for you.

That's not necessarily a guarentee. I've had allies suddenly switch sides and go after me.

 

[Desertsnow]

I'm generally reluctant to enter into an alliance if the AI asks for it; it has a tendency to renege and leave me holding the proverbial bag.

 

[Tomoyo]

I love it when the AI reneges. That means I can make peace.

 

[Bluemofia]

The thing is, in my experience when an AI breaks a MA, World wars tend to develop.

 

[JMK]

If your ally makes peace first, they get the rep hit, not you. Also, you can end it by destroying the target civ.

I am pretty sure that destroying the target CIV will be considered as bracking an alliance; and you will get permanent attitude change penalty with all CIVS, the penalty being higher with the CIV(s) you signed an alliance.

 

[tR1cKy]

I am pretty sure that destroying the target CIV will be considered as bracking an alliance; and you will get permanent attitude change penalty with all CIVS, the penalty being higher with the CIV(s) you signed an alliance.

Are you really sure? This sounds a nonsense to me.

 

[IbnSina]

Yes it sounds like nonsense, but in my experience, if I am in an alliance with another civ and destroy the last city myself, I get both an attitude and rep hit. Thus, I always save the last city for my ally.

 

[rajwhitehall]

Sometimes making an alliance is a very smart move. Look for civs that are on the other side of your enemy. That will divert many, if not all of it's troops in the opposite direction. Quite often I'll get into an alliance and find that I don't even have to fire a shot since the other civ is taking the brunt of my enemy's attacks. You just have to select your partner wisely.

I agree. What I sometimes do, is decide who I want to be in a war with. Then figure who they are likely to attack. Then I get an MPP with that civ. I don't make any resource trades with civs likely to be at war with my new friend. I limit MPPs to at most 2 civs at a time, and ONLY when I am looking for a fight anyway. If they don't oblige by attacking my friends, I'll start a war with them before the MPP runs out.

 

[The Last Conformist]

I love it when the AI reneges. That means I can make peace.

The real classic is when you're allied with Civ A against Civ B, Civ A switches sides, and you make peace with Civ B, and then sign in Civ B for an alliance against Civ A.

(Incidentally, don't include the alliance in the actual peace treaty if there's much of a risk that Civ A is eliminated within 20 turns - if it is, the alliance is made void, and so is the peace treaty, putting you instantly at war with Civ B against. Or to be more precise, don't do this unlike you feel like getting revenge on Civ B (for fighting you in the first place) ASAP and do not care about your reputation.)

 

[Bluemofia]

The real classic is when you're allied with Civ A against Civ B, Civ A switches sides, and you make peace with Civ B, and then sign in Civ B for an alliance against Civ A.

I do that all the time!