New Video Walkthrough is Up!

[TheMeInTeam]

That's exactly it, every single AI in the game either liked me enough to not declare, or hated someone else more than me.

Using power to deter war is a huge fallacy ---> it only works on low difficulty levels. If you're even 1 soldier below the threshold that prevents a DoW, it's the exact same as if you had zero soldiers at all. In the BC-early AD years nobody who plays monarch+ is actually deterring war with their soldiers, that's completely rubbish . Most AIs who are actually a threat to declare war at all will declare on you even if you're somewhat stronger...and some like monty will declare on you until you've got close to double his power. For the warmonger AIs on immortal, it is LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE to use power to prevent war ahead of time early in the game, you HAVE to use diplo or just protect yourself when war does come.

Now, what soldiers CAN do is keep you alive once war comes. But, I was 99% sure that I wasn't going to be attacked, so why divert hammers? Or rather, if I spent hammers there rather than on tech in a peaceful game, I'd have fallen behind.

 

[Firenforget]

Excellent Video Learned alot from following it. Keep up the good work.

 

[Firenforget]

Forgot to ask when you where checking too see if the AI was in war mode, what where you looking for when you would see if they would declare on someone?

 

[TheMeInTeam]

If they're in war mode, they'll say "we have enough on our hands right now" when you mouse over an attempt to bribe them to declare.

On the forums, this is frequently abbreviated "WHEOOHRN".

 

[Shurdus]

And it is easy to spot with bug.

I like how you say Hatsheput. It is pronounces Hatshepsut.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I'll stick with hatty.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Heh just started watching this, lol'd at the "The M in TMIT does not stand for micro" pop up

 

[Negator_UK]

It's bad enough I stay up half the night playing Civ. Now I can stay up half the night watching others play.

Hooraaaahhh !!!

I don't watch television, so i watch these instead. If TMIT was playing at his level this time I expect lots of action, gratuitous violence, thrilling suspense and no snogging...

 

[Firenforget]

Just finished watching the last 4 videos in the series. Excellent win. Love the way Washington switched out of the civic for you to seal the victory. Was always curious how to get a dipo victory with the U.N., was actually planning on reading a guide about it sometime in the next few days and now i dont have too

Just watched the first 3 videos in your first series where you rush Alexander on Monarch hehe, cant help myself im hooked and a fan of your series now. I see that you have a lonely hearts video series also going to check that out got the next 3 days off of work woot. Does anybody else make any series like yours? Having problems locating any others.

@Shrudus: I just got the Bug mod a couple days ago and you state that it is easier to find the WHEOOHRN". using Bug mod. Could you enlighting me on how that is done?

Keep up the good work Themeinteam and im looking forward to some more of your great video series

Oh almost forgot do you have any more series besides the 3 you have up there now?

 

[Jedi_Otis]

It's highly unlikely for an AI to even consider a declaration with no shared border in the first place. Then probably there's someone on the way with no open borders, so they simply can't attack you.

I'm not sure I agree with this assesment. "Highly unlikely" seems a bit too strong. I've seen whackjobs like Monty and Shaka march a stack from coast to coast on a pangea map to get at me far too many times after I told them to go eff themselves for demanding tribute.

Sometimes they don't have a route to you, sometimes you can bribe your neighbors to close borders, but sometimes that's just not the hand you're dealt.

I find it particularly frustrating when a more tolerant "Brother of the Faith" allows a heathen to march thru his territory to get at you and you can't do anything about it.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

And it is easy to spot with bug.

I like how you say Hatsheput. It is pronounces Hatshepsut.

What's more worrying is him referring to DaveMcW as "Dave Em-Cee-Double-Yoo" instead of "Dave 'Cottages!!' Mack-Double-Yoo".

 

[Ai Shizuka]

I'm not sure I agree with this assesment. "Highly unlikely" seems a bit too strong. I've seen whackjobs like Monty and Shaka march a stack from coast to coast on a pangea map to get at me far too many times after I told them to go eff themselves for demanding tribute.

Tribute refusal often means instant war preparations. There's a thread floating somewhere about that stuff. Only thing I remember, the french leaders have the highest probability (was it 100%?) to start preparing a war if you refuse. So that's a different topic. You are just asking for it by refusing tribute, esp. with the kind of leader you mentioned.

Let's imagine it wasn't Washington but Shaka in the video. You really have to annoy him purposely to make him hate you more than anyone else on the way.

Of course it's not a very common situation. I mean the civs all lined up like in the video. On a more "blob-like" pangaea they don't have to cross 4 different civs to reach you, so you have to be more careful.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Actually IIRC monty tops the sneakprob for refusals, but all 3 french leaders make the top 10.

But yes, refusing a demand is a good way to get into war. Most AIs who have a worst enemy will select that worst enemy before you (exception: you border the AI, and they roll an unlucky range for you in the nowarprobs...). If you don't border them and a worst enemy does or is near them, check their power against their worst enemy's. If they're even remotely stronger, you being the target is just about impossible.

I actually didn't think it was possible either, until I saw how obsolete did it. I'd say diplomacy is the only thing I've just about mastered in civ IV now, thanks in large part to DanF and a lot of explanation threads from him and others .

 

[Negator_UK]

Watched about he first 4 episodes last night. Good stuff as always.

However.....

You make the statement "You can see my research is dropping" (or something like it).

um, no, we can't, cos the Utube resolution isn't good enough to allow us to read the text.

Suggest you watch more Superbowls, for commentary tips

 

[Naokaukodem]

Nice stuff, TheMeInTeam. I still can't figure exactly how you managed to run a game with 0 army. Now that's an example for developers to figure that diplomacy is unnatural for most people. You just have to know the tricks about AI behavior. IMO, that's just an exploit. Or maybe not.

I can't wait for a game when you start to build an army. But well, do you ever need to do so?

 

[ruff_hi]

"As long as I don't get declared on, and I cannot check yet because I cannot get the trade screen"

Hold down the ctrl button and click on a leader. It brings up the trade screen from the first turn you meet them. You might not have anything to trade, but you can see what cities they have, etc.

Just be careful not to hold down the alt key and click on their name ... that declares war.

 

[Verision]

Actually IIRC monty tops the sneakprob for refusals, ...

... Most AIs who have a worst enemy will select that worst enemy before you (exception: you border the AI, and they roll an unlucky range for you in the nowarprobs...).

"skeakprob"
"nowarprobs"

I've heard people mention these types of, I guess you would call them AI variables (?) before, but I've never seen any sort of explanation. I know this thread isn't the place to discuss them, but any chance you can point me in the right direction for a thread/article on them? (I did a forum search but the threads only seem to mention them, not explain them)

 

[Firenforget]

Just finished a monarch game and won it via. U.N. Like in your game i had almost zero army besides garrison forces. Always wanted to win a diplomacy game never knew how untill now.

 

[dennisg]

@MeInTeam: Next time disable Diplomatic Victory: I want to learn how to fight! : )

 

[TheMeInTeam]

"As long as I don't get declared on, and I cannot check yet because I cannot get the trade screen"

Hold down the ctrl button and click on a leader. It brings up the trade screen from the first turn you meet them. You might not have anything to trade, but you can see what cities they have, etc.

Just be careful not to hold down the alt key and click on their name ... that declares war.

Oooh, thanks. I was aware of control-click but did not know it forced the trade screen. That's good info!

I've heard people mention these types of, I guess you would call them AI variables (?) before, but I've never seen any sort of explanation. I know this thread isn't the place to discuss them, but any chance you can point me in the right direction for a thread/article on them? (I did a forum search but the threads only seem to mention them, not explain them)

It's in the leaderheadxml, but also you see lots of discussion on it in the thread titled "is there any logic to an AI DoW" over on strategy and tips...should still be on first page, possibly 2nd.

@MeInTeam: Next time disable Diplomatic Victory: I want to learn how to fight! : )

I can't wait for a game when you start to build an army. But well, do you ever need to do so?

Although technically all 3 games were UN wins, the LHC game was NOT a peaceful endeavor from me. I completely obliterated 2 civs and could have carried that on to domination via just picking up vassals, but didn't see any point in recording a mopup and just took diplo once the game was in hand.