My latest immortal game, or stopping an AI space racer

[Shurdus]

So my first game I ever tried on immortal - outside of the immortal university games back when I still had no clue what I was doing - was with Darius since he is economical a real powerhouse and as such easy to start with.

So anyway, I took out Saladin in an immortal rush just fine. After that I teched to Liberalism and won that. On my continent was also Ramesses. We were Islam buddies and there was no worry in the world.

After I teched to steel and popped a GM on the right time, I upgraded my trebs to cannons and declared on ramesses after scouting him for centuries and ensuring he was inded as much of a wussy as he seemed. My cannons + maces rippe his cities apart and I vassalised him after a succesful was. there were minimal losses on my side.

So by now I had met the other continent and rather soon too, so I got to prove the world is round. I was doing just peachy. By the time I won the war I was a little behing in techs so I teched biology and used it as trade bait. Every tech I really needed was in and now I was set to space race!

I lost the space race by about 20 turns or so. I knew Isabella was ahead, but she had a considerable army. So now my question is as follows. Is it possible to hinder the space race of an opponent by - say - razing her capital? If not, is there effectively a way of stopping someone who is ahead when you are not powerful enough to take them out completely?

I am sure I could have razed a city or two but I was not powerful enough to take on her and her Buddhism buddies. Taking and holding cities was probably out of the question. If razing a city or two would haves stopped Isa I am confident I would have won. So is it possible to lay waste to a city and stop an opponents space race dead in its tracks?

 

[Bleys]

Post a save bro, as close to Lib as you can. I would love to have a go trying to stop them. These are the kinds of lessons its hard to get "great" at because they dont get enough practice. The only times I have had AIs close to Culture wins I have been able to take out a coastal city easily and it was over.

 

[Shurdus]

here is a save. I took nationalism for the Taj as I had marble, so I am afraid you will have no liberty to choose...

Here it is. I am teching for cannons. Never mind the weird name, it is in Dutch and I do that to remember what I was doing.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Post a save bro, as close to Lib as you can. I would love to have a go trying to stop them. These are the kinds of lessons its hard to get "great" at because they dont get enough practice. The only times I have had AIs close to Culture wins I have been able to take out a coastal city easily and it was over.

Fighters or cruise missiles (or nukes) will reach inland just fine, and with 2 move units it's rare that the AI isn't within a turn of landing, especially if you:

1. Capture a coastal city
2. Move transports into it
3. Unload them so that your troops can move 2 spaces this turn
4. Use fighters or missiles to bombard
5. Capture anything within 4 tiles of the coast by turn 2

 

[Shurdus]

Fighters or cruise missiles (or nukes) will reach inland just fine, and with 2 move units it's rare that the AI isn't within a turn of landing, especially if you:

1. Capture a coastal city
2. Move transports into it
3. Unload them so that your troops can move 2 spaces this turn
4. Use fighters or missiles to bombard
5. Capture anything within 4 tiles of the coast by turn 2

I am not sure what it is you are saying. So is it possible to take an AI on that is slightly ahaid in techs and closer to winning a space race? I am not sure how I would apply the tips you are giving here...

 

[shyuhe]

Yes you can disrupt a launch if you capture their capital before their SS lands. You don't have to raze it - just capturing it is enough to reset their progress.

I would plant a few more cities - 7 cities at 17% land seems a little light on a standard map. And I think the Buddhist lovefest didn't help your cause - too bad Ramesses founded all of those religions!

 

[BurN]

So my first game I ever tried on immortal - outside of the immortal university games back when I still had no clue what I was doing - was with Darius since he is economical a real powerhouse and as such easy to start with.

So anyway, I took out Saladin in an immortal rush just fine. After that I teched to Liberalism and won that. On my continent was also Ramesses. We were Islam buddies and there was no worry in the world.

After I teched to steel and popped a GM on the right time, I upgraded my trebs to cannons and declared on ramesses after scouting him for centuries and ensuring he was inded as much of a wussy as he seemed. My cannons + maces rippe his cities apart and I vassalised him after a succesful was. there were minimal losses on my side.

So by now I had met the other continent and rather soon too, so I got to prove the world is round. I was doing just peachy. By the time I won the war I was a little behing in techs so I teched biology and used it as trade bait. Every tech I really needed was in and now I was set to space race!

I lost the space race by about 20 turns or so. I knew Isabella was ahead, but she had a considerable army. So now my question is as follows. Is it possible to hinder the space race of an opponent by - say - razing her capital? If not, is there effectively a way of stopping someone who is ahead when you are not powerful enough to take them out completely?

I am sure I could have razed a city or two but I was not powerful enough to take on her and her Buddhism buddies. Taking and holding cities was probably out of the question. If razing a city or two would haves stopped Isa I am confident I would have won. So is it possible to lay waste to a city and stop an opponents space race dead in its tracks?

If you capture the capital after she launches, she will have to rebuild the space ship again. I'm not sure what would happen if she retakes the capital, I'd suggest razing it anyways.

edit: shyuhe beat me to it.

 

[Bleys]

Thanks for the game Shurdus, I will take a look tomorrow, might even report if I see some cute trick, but since I dont do well with late-game intercontinental warfare (my exploits were well documented in the LHCs, turning totally winning positions into losses, LOL) I dont expect to see anything new.

Fighters or cruise missiles (or nukes) will reach inland just fine, and with 2 move units it's rare that the AI isn't within a turn of landing, especially if you:

1. Capture a coastal city
2. Move transports into it
3. Unload them so that your troops can move 2 spaces this turn
4. Use fighters or missiles to bombard
5. Capture anything within 4 tiles of the coast by turn 2

Good post T. This is the stuff I am just starting to get "good" at. Its rare that I play a game much past Infantry, and if I do, its usually because I am having a blast rolling tanks or something. I tend to struggle and flounder a bit with late-game wars though, turns take so long I tend to lose interest in the details, and thats exactly what I need to learn to I can make them second nature and spend less time doing them yet do them better.

That make any sense?

Oh, and I did see it was Space, and I was thinking Space, then those games where I took out Culture chasing AIs jumped into my head. I think I need to back AWAY from the bong today!

 

[Shurdus]

Thanks shyuhe and BurN, that was the info I was looking for.

I guess I will load the game from biology or so, just to see what would happen I am still a big noob on warfare, so it may take a few times to get it right. I will just have to keep in mind to quit a turn or 2 before winning since in reality - without loading - I lost the game.

I also posted afew screenies to give you an idea of the game as it is. Please note Izzy's capital is coastal so horrible inland wars are not needed. I just need to raze her capital quickly and end the war.

Ok, so I have biology, and infantry. I will post a save. What would you recommend me doing? Keep in mind, my target is razing Izzy's capital. If you guys see another way out to victory that would be cool as well.

 

[Sian]

might just be me, but i find your continent lacking a few cities, specially around the area of pasargarde

 

[Shurdus]

I noticed that too. During the game however, It seemed like not a good idea to found one there. There is a mountain pass that greatly reduces the numer of good spots.

Also, during the course of the game it seemed a bad call because it was all jingle, and Ramesess would have culture-pressured the city into uselesness. Right now I might found a city and make it work, but now it will just slow me down.

 

[assass1n]

Sabotage after getting all the techs ??

 

[Shurdus]

Sabotage after getting all the techs ??

I have no idea what you mean by that. Could you be more specific and explicit?