Out of the woodwork

[darski]

I have had a few games recently where I have been surprised by the sheer numbers of units that my AI opponents seem to be hiding from me. (ok, it's warlord)

I discover all the units most often when I get them into one of my wars against another AI and when the IBT comes along I just sit collecting my jaw while the units just stream into the war zone.

Now one of the reasons I like to use the MA is because I know some of my dear friends are jut itching for a fight and I like to give them an outlet for all that steam.

Still and all, it is scary to see all those units streaming into war. At least they are going the other way ... for now.

Is this common? I don't start a lot of wars so maybe they are all just 'saving up' and I get to see them all at once.

 

[Rodent]

how many units do the AIs send at a time? Doubt it can be more than 20-30 units.

I Agree When the AI finishes building everything in the core, it starts going non stop Military Production and the numbers can pile up

 

[Puppeteer]

Yeah, but most of the units are ancient-age units that the AI has had sitting around for thousands of years, right?

Yeah, if the AIs haven't been warring with each other then they'll have a whole bunch of units sitting around. They never disband them and use so much of their money in research and cash rushing that they don't upgrade much.

But the good news is that usually they're ancient units that are easy to pick off.

Remember you can peek at an AI's forces using the diplomacy screen and investigating a city. You can see the garrison and nearby units. You can also send in a worker, scout or explorer (possibly a boat) and the AI will ask you to leave once but never boot you out as long as only non-military units are in their territory. (I've only once been booted with only boats in their territory, but I had 4-6 boats in their borders at the time.) With the scout units you can see how many units are patrolling around. Of course you can also see their entire military if you have Nationalism and plant a spy.

 

[darski]

Of course you can also see their entire military if you have Nationalism and plant a spy.

I have never been given the option or the opportunity to do a spy mission other than planting the spy.

nothing comes up on that screen other than plant a spy... maybe I don't have the money and the inclination at the same time but this just doesn't come up. when I have tried a mission *nothing* happens. I click the buttons but nothing happens. Oh wait, I lied... I have investigated city but that doesn't tell me anything about their overall military unless I guess the correct city to check.

In addition, yes they are largely anything from ragtag old warriors and archers up to Cavs but the time it takes for all these units to play out is just fascinating. The most memorable time was when the Japanese suddenly showed up with heaps of Samurai... just a bit of a "wow" moment is all.

of course, the alternate is also true. In my current game, Liz does not have much of an army to send against me if she so chooses.

 

[vmxa]

I would not expect more than 10-20 units so early in the game at that level. I landed on Germany with only had about 11 towns and was just in the Middles Ages as was I. I founded a town and they sent about 400+ units the first round.

I finally kill about 750 units on that island, but it was Sid. That is not the most I have seen, but it about the most so early in a game. They were mostly horses and archers and spears.

 

[Spoonwood]

Could you post a save or screenie as an example? The AI units can seem scary, but if you manage to see swathes of obsolete units in the industrial or modern ages you can get some fairly easy promotions for your cavalry, mechanized infantry, tanks, etc. One technique consits of using mechanized infantry to go out and destroy an obselete unit and then run back to the city it defends on the same turn.

 

[EvilConqueror]

I played a Regent game a few weeks ago and the last civ I needed to knock out was the Celts who had been stuck by themselves on an island the entire game. After I landed with a small invasion force and settled a city, huge stacks of archers and swordsman in addition to a few medieval infantry and pikes started appearing.

They easily had close to 200 units in addition to their city defenders. The other civs, who had been in wars, had between 10 and 25 when I paid them a visit.

 

[Greyhawk1]

Nothing worse than being half asleep and watching nearly a full minute's worth of Cossacks cross into your border. I was wide awake after that minute.

Luckily my industry was good at churning out Cavalry quickly and I was able to gradually contain them. They only garrisoned all their captured cities with one or two injured units so I just retook them a few turns later.

 

[vmxa]

Could you post a save or screenie as an example? The AI units can seem scary, but if you manage to see swathes of obsolete units in the industrial or modern ages you can get some fairly easy promotions for your cavalry, mechanized infantry, tanks, etc. One technique consits of using mechanized infantry to go out and destroy an obselete unit and then run back to the city it defends on the same turn.

That game was years ago. It was played on Poly, so it is possible the thread is still around. You can probably have it occur, just play a huge map with continents or islands on Sid.

In this case I still recall it pretty well, as it was one of the first 3 or 4 games of Sid I played. Germany was very close to me and they had no contact, but I did.

I had two small islands on the other side and 2 other nations came around. They did not get to Germany as I went to war with them.

I was able to get galleys and reach Germany. I had a pike army and landed. I caught the town with 4 or 5 units and razed it. Founded my town and had a few horses that were able to get in attacks, before Bismark's horse got to me.

I got a leader and had recently learn Gun, so I made a musket army and held on. I do not remember how many units I had, but I was landing next to the town and moving in more.

The reason I managed to hang on was the AI had trouble getting many horses to me and many of the units were of course spears and they do not attack.

So just keep plugging away and got leaders and made armies. Eventually I was able to go on the attack and caught all the towns with just small numbers (6-10) as they keep moving the stack of spears around in a pointless pattern.

I had a much worse time later with someone like the Byz that had lots of cavs when I got there and was able to punish even my rifles.

I have a few games other than civ going and will be up in GR23 next, but I think I will see if I can get one going and will post it if I do.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Once you plant a spy, the information for that countries' overall military strength is on your military advisor screen. You'd need about 3000+ bucks to steal their military plans, and that's onlly good for one turn. If you need specifics, investigate city works better and is far cheaper.

 

[darski]

Nothing worse than being half asleep and watching nearly a full minute's worth of Cossacks cross into your border. I was wide awake after that minute.

Please understand that I am laughing with you and not at you



That would sure wake me up in a hurry too.

 

[Sweetchuck]

I have a theory that, when you play the AI on a lower level and start to rocket past them with techs, they bail out on science and start building massive amounts of units.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

you haven't lived until you land a stack of 20 rifles on a hill to invade an AI homeland on SID and seen them get wiped out by an unending flow of archers. it takes a LOT of archers to kill a rifle - what's sad, is that the AI still had enough units to cover all visible tiles 2 deep...

 

[timerover51]

Hmmm, in one of my first games, no modifications on Vanilla, I was hit with an unending stream of elephants by India. Not very much fun that. One reason why I got turned off to the game, and now do modifying.

 

[darski]

you haven't lived until you land a stack of 20 rifles on a hill to invade an AI homeland on SID and seen them get wiped out by an unending flow of archers. it takes a LOT of archers to kill a rifle - what's sad, is that the AI still had enough units to cover all visible tiles 2 deep...

Oh my! That would keep me thinking for a few days. wow!

 

[Sweetchuck]

Those archers cost money - what does the AI pay for them with?

 

[Bartleby]

Extra free unit support, fascism and deficit spending.

 

[Death_Machine]

Extra free unit support, fascism and deficit spending.

almost sounds like our US govt.

 

[vmxa]

Just a bump to help me find the thread, if I can get a game save to post. I subscribe so I can find it eventually.

 

[Greyhawk1]

Had a fun time in my last game. I landed a rifle and a settler on untamed land at the same turn the Ottomans landed a rival musket and settler right next to my tile. There was a Barbarian camp nearby that had been "massing" and contained around 20 Horsemen.

The next turn 5 came after me and the other 15 went after the poor musket. Poor guy lasted until the very last Horseman when he lost his final hit point . I settled the tile and got the money from the camp. Seemed a little unfair but thats fate I guess.