Military Tactics for Defending and Attacking Cities

[Big J Money]

Since many of the most important buildings are now in unprotected city centers that are vulnerable to pillaging, how will this change military tactics?

It can be beneficial to declare war with no intention to take land, but to ravage cities
Cavalry units will be better at getting in, getting out, and interception other cavalry
Units and promotions with pillaging bonuses (if any) will be more valuable
Having a mobile military that actively patrols and defends your borders (versus only your city center) will be valuable
Terrain with implications for military significance may have more value
What if forts/great wall are actually useful and fun... (not crossing my fingers)

What else?

 

[gfeier]

How will the AI go about attacking your districts? That's the big question for me.

 

[Big J Money]

In Civ V they possess the ability to pick targets of value, between cities and improvements, so I assume the logic will be similar. But good question, will they declare war only to do some damage and then sue for peace?

 

[magha77]

Since districts repair themselves, I think this will be a common component of warfare in the game.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Since districts repair themselves, I think this will be a common component of warfare in the game.

Districts don't repair themselves.
Cities repair pillaged buildings(in districts)
Builders repair pillaged improvements (just turn, no charge)

Districts themselves are probably repaired by one of the above methods

 

[stealth_nsk]

Districts are repaired by cities. You put the "repair" into your building order. So they could take significant time to restore.

Attacking districts is planned to be viable tactics. But we don't know how this will be balanced.

 

[tedhebert]

Defensive promotions might finally be really useful

What I can't wait to see is: Will naval battle be significant to the game, or just a sideshow like V because the AI couldn't do squat on the water ?

 

[Atlas627]

Defensive promotions might finally be really useful

What I can't wait to see is: Will naval battle be significant to the game, or just a sideshow like V because the AI couldn't do squat on the water ?

Both of these, but even more important than the AI (which works fine with some mods, actually) is if Naval Combat is even useful at all. It was useful in V because you could bombard the city and it was difficult to lose your navy if the opponent had none, but coastal cities don't even need to be coastal in VI.

And water trade doesn't seem any better than land trade so far, so I'm not sure why it would even matter if you did lose naval presence.

 

[ftl]

I think the new setup is going to make defensive wars harder.

An AI that doesn't manage to take your cities can still mess you up a lot just by pillaging buildings, districts, etc. So even if one AI is bad and can't really defeat you, it'll have a lot easier time dealing enough damage to make you hurt. You have to make sure to fight on your borders, you can't just let the AI get close to your cities and then let the city contribute to killing them.

 

[Fourmi1]

Both of these, but even more important than the AI (which works fine with some mods, actually) is if Naval Combat is even useful at all. It was useful in V because you could bombard the city and it was difficult to lose your navy if the opponent had none, but coastal cities don't even need to be coastal in VI.

And water trade doesn't seem any better than land trade so far, so I'm not sure why it would even matter if you did lose naval presence.

Well at least, having only non-coastal cities with harbour to reduce the bombarding ability of your opponent navy will not be totally viable: I'm pretty sure that navy will be able to pillage harbours (if not, which unit will be able to ?). And I'd bet that pillaged harbour will create naval unit slower or even not be able to produce them at all. So I guess "Battle for the harbour" will be a thing. And control over the see is world control

But I also hope for modern naval unit to be very long range (like those modern naval railgun who shoot severe severe km away), it'll at least change the end-game viability of non-coastal cities.

 

[Fourmi1]

I think the new setup is going to make defensive wars harder.

An AI that doesn't manage to take your cities can still mess you up a lot just by pillaging buildings, districts, etc. So even if one AI is bad and can't really defeat you, it'll have a lot easier time dealing enough damage to make you hurt. You have to make sure to fight on your borders, you can't just let the AI get close to your cities and then let the city contribute to killing them.

That's true, but, imo, it's a bit compensated by the new way of using movement points, cavalry raids will be devastating if they only aim pillaging, but "footed" units will have trouble to move while being harassed by *improved* ranged units (so defensive wars will not be as difficult as you may think)...

However, I have to admit that you will HAVE to use the terrain strategically in order to defend yourself. Taking terrain in count when you settle may be more important in this game... and with the instant builders, building forts on hills or between your enemy and your plains will be something important, even if you erase your previous improvement just for the duration of the war.

 

[aguliondew]

I thought your encampment district and city district could fire at enemies with the right buildings? Since your unit come out of the encampment district once it is built? I am more curious about end game wars and how they will play out. If your city strength will get very high or be low but have a longer ranged attacks.

 

[unpossible251]

Oh and hey, dont forget that cities are razable, and districts too most likely... But wonders persist. So, wonders can be used to block the terrain, to funnel your enemies...

 

[stealth_nsk]

Oh and hey, dont forget that cities are razable, and districts too most likely... But wonders persist. So, wonders can be used to block the terrain, to funnel your enemies...

They are passable.

 

[unpossible251]

They are passable.

Really? D'oh! Oh well.

 

[Cerilis]

"Commander, we can't reach them! They are too wonderous! Laughing over us from their golden palaces and we can't even throw a stone at them!"

 

[Ryika]

That would be really annoying if you could build a wall of wonders.

Although in such a system I guess you could always do the ISIS and just attack them until they're destroyed.