Nobody loves me!

[Reznaak]

It's been a long time since I've played a civ game. (When I logged on the forum a few days ago it said I haven't been here since '03!). So I'm pretty much re-learning how to play.

The last two games I have played have ended with the largest civs all declaring war on me. I can can understand them declaring war on me if they have grievances against me, but in these two situations it has been friendly civs that I have been at peace with and had good relations with the entire game.

In my latest game, same thing happens. Mansa Musa who I had very good relations with (over +10) suddenly decided to try and wipe me out of existence!

Is the AI always like this? It seems every game the AI decides just to dogpile me, most of the time for no good reason!

 

[CoZe]

which difficulty setting are you playing ? the AI seems to get more hostile at higher levels ... It's also worth mentioning that if you're an easy prey, even your closest allies will have their eyes on you. Always keep a modest military force as deterrent.

 

[Reznaak]

I've been playing on noble. Army size is probably my main issue. I always think I have enough, until another civ wanders over with a stack twice as large.

 

[LucyDuke]

Keep a close eye on the power graph. If you're weak, you're going to be a target - even for your "friends".

 

[Iranon]

While Mansa Musa is generally peaceful (hinting that your military was woefully inadequate), others aren't. Keep the warlike ones busy... with yourself or others. It's actually safer to fight a constant defensive war where an AI wears itself out suiciding units against your fortified border cities than to be in peace. They might build up a ridiculous stack and surprise you.
World peace is about the least desirable gamestate there is.

Trying to get along with everyone won't work... you will constantly be asked to cancel trade with someone and you will take a diplomatic penalty either way. Pick someone to bully, and the rest will like you more... dynamics of the schoolyard.

 

[apenpaap]

Mansa Musa is a real backstabber, though he builds worthless armies. Others you should watch out for are:
Shaka
Genghis
Montezuma
Hannibal
Ragnar

 

[Iranon]

You can trust everyone but Catherine when relations are friendly, and you can't trust anyone on cautious.

On Pleased, you can trust:
Asoka, Augustus, Boudica, Brennus, Charlemagne, Churchill, Cyrus, Darius, Frederick, Gandhi, Hammurabi, Hannibal, Hatshepsut, Joao, Justinian, Lincoln, Mehmed, Pericles, Ramesses, Saladin, Sitting Bull, Wang Kong and Washington.


Some of the others might declare a war on their own accord, others can be bribed to go to war against you, and with some you stand the risk of both. This just covers whether or not a leader is likely to attack a friend; this has nothing to do with power ratings.

Example:
To be safe from Boudica, you need to be her friend.
To be safe from Mansa Musa, you need a credible army.
To be safe from Frederick, either will do.
To be safe from Napoleon, he needs to be dead.

 

[andersw]

I've been playing on noble. Army size is probably my main issue. I always think I have enough, until another civ wanders over with a stack twice as large.

I believe so as well, I've become more and more a real warmonger.
In my current game I was in a somewhat tight spot concerning diplomacy but luckily for me there's also Saladin and Ragnar (Ragnar seems to do bad in diplo most of the time).
Saladin is now my vassal I'll soon join the fray vs Ragnar (though it seems most of the others just declared for show).

I pretty sure they (Isabella and Co) went for Ragnar instead of me thanks to my intimidating force.

 

[Supr49er]

I've been playing on noble. Army size is probably my main issue. I always think I have enough, until another civ wanders over with a stack twice as large.

Like LucyDuke says, keep an eye on your military strength - 'Info Screen' (F9) click on 'Demographics' at the bottom of the screen, and watch the 'Soldiers' row carefully.

 

[^alon^]

walcome to the real world.....lifes a . .. .. .. .. ........everybody is a backstabber.....

 

[Pir Lan Tota]

Also, what I think helps, atleast on monarch are raging barbs (keeps enemy armies down in the beginning) and aggressive AI. AI fights more amongst them selves keeping their armies down...of course, you still need to have a decent army to prevent becoming their whipping boy

 

[Diamondeye]

You can trust everyone but Catherine when relations are friendly, and you can't trust anyone on cautious.

On Pleased, you can trust:
Asoka, Augustus, Boudica, Brennus, Charlemagne, Churchill, Cyrus, Darius, Frederick, Gandhi, Hammurabi, Hannibal, Hatshepsut, Joao, Justinian, Lincoln, Mehmed, Pericles, Ramesses, Saladin, Sitting Bull, Wang Kong and Washington.


Some of the others might declare a war on their own accord, others can be bribed to go to war against you, and with some you stand the risk of both. This just covers whether or not a leader is likely to attack a friend; this has nothing to do with power ratings.

Example:
To be safe from Boudica, you need to be her friend.
To be safe from Mansa Musa, you need a credible army.
To be safe from Frederick, either will do.
To be safe from Napoleon, he needs to be dead.

Other than that, there is one solution to the backstabber-problem: Be fastest

 

[Bob-san]

My favorite thing is to crush an opponent early, force their capitulation, and then make a new vassal in captured territory (if it's a large island or something). That, or just wipe out the civ before they can try the same for you. Last game I won (OCC), I ended up having to declare war on TWO of my "friends" (Frederick, Willem van Oranje who tried backstabbing me before but went back to Pleased a few hundred turns later and waged a war with me v. Augustus Caesar), as well as the super-power PA (Hannibal and Justinian). In short--I was behind for tech because there were so good AIs--I had no uranium and no iron the entire game, and made sure that nuclear weapons were banned. I did have oil and aluminum (oil south of my city, I was lucky to have aluminum pop in my city square). I finally had to use my knowledge from the forums to win a game--I ended up razing 3-4 cities to cancel the AI's space ships. I also had an interesting perspective on early-game teching and neutrality. I was unsuccessful at getting a PA with the AI, probably because of the massive "You razed one of your cities!" penalties. It sucks to have Willem van Oranje try to settle 2 cities (at a time--probably 5-6 cities built on or near the ruins) and then declare war. Cripple the laughable invasion force and keep a navy outside the capital. I had exactly one serious naval invasion--which I had enough frigates to destroy all their troops before they left their galleons.

So yes--be faster when backstabbing. I had to return a backstabbing a few times, since I simply lacked the resources or hammers to spare for a serious and long war effort. My most interesting war with the AI was myself and Willem van Oranje against Augustus Caesar. The Dutch had weakened Caesar so I went in for the kill, razing about 2/3 of the cities near the Roman's capital continent, which was shared with Willem.

 

[one2tieyourshoe]

I'd rather have random names than the generic "Great General, the Great General has been born in London..." WTF?

 

[Shekwan]

Stalin backstabbed me when he was friendly and +15 relations - didn't do a single thing all game to piss him off, when he attacked he didnt have enough troops to take a single city. Makes no sense at all... Maybe all the Russian leaders don't believe in friendship?