Questions on Marco Polo and alliances

[rafisher]

1. Help file on Marco Polo's Embassy says you automatically
get embassies in all rival nations. Yet the times I've built
it and then sent diplomats to rival cities, the menu
gives "Establish embassy" as the first option. Why?

2. How do people form alliances that actually last? I've
occassionally managed to form an alliance (usually,
my offers are put off), but they only last a short time
before a sneak attack occurs.

 

[slothman]

I think that the answer lie in the fact that marco expires after some tech or another. If you use a diplo and "establish an embasy" it will be permanent, even after marco obsoletion. It silimar to why you can build some improvements while you have a "global improvement" wonder but not others. You may need city walls when you have the great wall when it expires but you'll never need reasearch labs again once you get SETI.

 

[Smash]

most times you need to get the civ to worshipful before they will sign on.Not always..or gauranteed.This means you need to gift techs.

if you are using mge it gets alot more tricky.You will need to contact less often and have some techs in reserve and give what they ask for or else they will cancel.Spend your gold down to less than 100 or so to avoid them demanding cash.This works for ceasefires also.Normally they demand unreasonable amounts of gold.If you ain't got none,they want techs.

The "weaker" you are the more receptive they seem to be.When I'm supreme,they don't sign.If I am "weak" like in OCC,I can get them.I had 6 allies at one point in my "another occ game" at one point using MGE.Raked in tons of gifts.

Techs are best.Make nice from first contact.Gift and trade.Share maps.

or just #$%@ em and wipe them out

 

[jc011]

you can tell if you have a good alliance under hand. After you trade techs, or give gifts, they celebrate with you, (the most wise and munificient leader crap). This usually will prove to be a very good alliance, but they can be broken! you always have to watch out, especially while building your spaceship.

 

[amadeus]

I never build alliances, after all, loose lips sink ships

 

[Magnus]

I will occaisionally do the alliance thing - but one thing I learned - NEVER do it with someone whom you share a continent! They will walk over your lands and get in the way, and sometimes build a city right in your lands! (so if the alliance crumbles, they are sent back to THAT city and not one further away). I learned this a while back but I would hate to see anyone else make such a blunder as I did!

 

[jomey]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I always thought that certain AIs were more susceptible to breaking treaties..(eg aggressive expansionists rather than civilised perfectionists).

I think that the answer lie in the fact that marco expires after some tech or another.

Communism as this allows you to build the United Nations

2. How do people form alliances that actually last? I've
occassionally managed to form an alliance (usually,
my offers are put off), but they only last a short time
before a sneak attack occurs.

Well if you will sneak up on your comrades????