Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[EMan]

Your attackers should always be veterans. Early in the game the AI will only have regulars. A vet sword against a spear fortified on grass will win about 50% of the time. For a horse, it's about 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 (win/lose/retreat)...

Using your calculation, you would lose your swordsman 50% of the time, the horseman 33%...per battle (Vet v Regular Spear). Additionally, a horseman can move twice as fast as a swordsman.....good for getting out of trouble & getting to the battleground. It looks like the odds of surviving to win 1 or 2 battles is about even (for promotion prospects)?

Anyways, it still looks like a no-brainer comparison to me, given the movement points!? Am I right?

 

[Abegweit]

Using your calculation, you would lose your swordsman 50% of the time, the horseman 33% per battle (Vet v Regular Spear). Additionally, a horseman can move twice as fast as a swordsman.....good for getting out of trouble & getting to the battleground.....And, because the horseman survival rate is higher, you have a better chance of getting promoted to elite and MGL, which in turn increase the Win/Loss/Retreat odds in your favor! (Is this last point statistically even?)

Anyways, it still looks like a no-brainer comparison to me!?

You clearly prefer horses to swords. Actually I do too but you seem to have totally dismissed all the advantages of swords. First off, the sword is more likely to take out the defender (50% vs 33%). Isn't this the objective? Using swords it takes fewer units to take down as city. Equals less preparation and faster DOW. Furthermore cats aid swords enormously. They have an invulnerable attack and strip an HP or so off a defender.

The horse's single advantage is speed. As such the cat can't keep up and you are going to have more losses. More losses. Fewer victories. More investment.

I think that, in general, speed outweighs all these disadvantages. However, the choice is not a "no-brainer". The sword is often right. Especially when you have lots of commerce to upgrade warriors.

 

[EMan]

First off, the sword is more likely to take out the defender (50% vs 33%)...

I thought it was about 50-50 because you have not taken into account a retreat followed by a victory after restoring to full strength. (The speed of the horses will more than compensate for the recovery period, no?)

...As such the cat can't keep up and you are going to have more losses. More losses.

I think this is an invalid point, because if we are talking about battles against spearmen, then you would build 2 more horsemen v 3 catapults because of the slow movement speed of the cats.

However, I do agree with you that if you HAVE to move at a speed of 1 movement point (at higher playing levels), the swordsmen/cats is a powerful combination.

Since I have given considerable thought to this now, I would have to agree with you that it's not a no-brainer issue!

 

[TheOverseer714]

I think it deals with when a bomber (or a fighter) bombs your ship...so I guess "0" as in, it can only AA the space it occupies.
I have never had a ship shoot down a bomber in a normal game, though I have shot down a bomber using Anti Aircraft in a scenario.

It does happen in the un-modded game, as I've had my ships shoot down enemy bombers, and had my bombers shot down by enemy ships. Its not common, maybe once in fifty times, maybe even higher. It could get interesting if it was 50/50.

 

[btfx]

...Especially when you have lots of commerce to upgrade warriors.

That's why I like them so much! I will generally have a lot of these shuffling around the map, so when I am about to go to war, I bring them back and upgrade. I try to save up a bit up to this point.
Unless I'm expansionist, then I have scouts, lazy scouts, only useful for scouting, not willing to fight...

By the way, people actually use cats? I thought the only point of pre-artillery bombardiers was to upgrade them when you get replaceable parts. I suppose I can imagine a sword+cat siege.

 

[Norton II]

By the way, people actually use cats? I thought the only point of pre-artillery bombardiers was to upgrade them when you get replaceable parts. I suppose I can imagine a sword+cat siege.

Cats help you minimize your losses by letting you weaken defenders before you attack them. This can be useful if you don't have horses, or on higher levels where you're facing more advanced units (e.g., the AI has pikes or muskets and you have swords). They're also very useful in Always War.

 

[Aceman101]

By the way, people actually use cats? I thought the only point of pre-artillery bombardiers was to upgrade them when you get replaceable parts. I suppose I can imagine a sword+cat siege.

I don't build cats. But many players do. I generally wait for Trebuchet's then go to war.

Aceman, according to your story "The Golden Empire" if you do something evil, only the AIs you have contact with will find out about it. Is this true? If so, it changes everything. If you scout a lot, you will get the advantage of trading tech with them, if you keep to yourself, you can slap around some of the other civs without serious consequences. This seems less advantageous. Is there any case where it is not?

Yes, it is true (At least, I'm pretty sure it's true). However, if an AI has contact with an enemy of yours, then they will find out and they might have more contacts. Resulting in many civs getting cranky with you. However, if you have scouted out you continent and there aren't many civs, then you can pretty much do anything you want with them. One good example: Rop Rape.

But you should still be careful. Say a few galleys come from another civ. Chances are this civ will have contact with most other civs. And you can't see the galley (They're in the fog). And they make contact with a civ in your continent. If you do something like Rop Rape a civ, then they will know. And because this new civ has contact with all or most other civs, they will all be cranky with you.

 

[BavariaValkyrie]

@BavariaValkyrie

That's the kind of question that deserves its own thread!

I can answer one quick question: yes, I've moved the capital once. But very rarely.
Also, the fastest way to do this is to disband your current capital and make sure the location you plan the capital to be ha enough population around. The capital will then automatically switch to that new site.

You can play the game in any way you like, of course, but best advise on governments is to switch from despotism to republic, and stay in republic. (though I'm not saying you should switch back, use this for your next game)

War in democrazy is possible, you just have to be more careful about it. You can avoid War weariness by not losing cities, minimalize losses by attacking in a clever way. Prevent being attacked (attack enemy units on your turns, rather than defending enemy attacks on their turns) make the war short and to the point, ensure yourself that you will win before you even start it.

Thanks, MAS - interesting you should recommend republic; I was more than often playing despotism - monarchy - democracy. Never have played republic!!!

If I had switched my capital I would have lost the improvements such as e.g. Knights Templar (I know a lot of people think they're a waste but I love them, they sure can kick up a real stink if needed), and I guess I could not get them back....?

 

[Scratcher]

Originally posted by Tone
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sashie VII
Although it would be good to keep in mind that ROP-rape, false gpt agreement (declaring war before you pay a cent etc) is allowed in HOFs, so if you're not inclined to such tactics...HOF is probably not for you.

I don't use such tactics and I have a fair few games in the current tables.

I also do not use these tactics, and I even try to honour 20 turn deals.

 

[BavariaValkyrie]

You did have a "challenging" starting position!
Tips:
1. Time, time, time is of the essence. (And in this case: Location, location, location!)
2. Your start position is so bad that you have to focus on a lot of things....if you want a long, Peaceful game.
A. Beeline to Republic government, Replaceable Parts for All-irrigatable tiles & Railroad. Build up cities around your capital and maximize settler & worker production.
B. Or, move your original settler to a better start position.......or throw the game away and start again.........On Regent level!
3. Don't build spearmen......Only Horsemen (& Cavalry, if needed) are good enough to win games at Warlord as long as you remember Rule 1. In fact don't build defensive units (waste of time...Rule 1), only fast-moving offensive units. If you get in a bind, build stacks of artillery (or lesser bombardiers).....and wagons roll.....over the AI's cities!
4. Don't have military units sitting around in cities.......use them to attack or don't build 'em.

ad 1) - time... that's something that requires patience and that's something I don't have
ad B) you gotta be kidding - I couldn't master Regent level for a minute.... that's why I'm still warlord!
ad 3) I always thought spearmen were necessary to leave behind as defenders... but I'll try the fast moving unit approach next time!


Oh, and finally: I did win the game (although called Hiawatha the Meek in the end ) - I was in Democracy but my people got so tired of me fighting that they went into anarchy and when I finally came out of anarchy I chose Monarchy from where I continued with my war and finally won.

What really bugged me was that one of my towns kept "deposing" the governor because of the high culture of the Celts. Would it have helped if I had churned out lots of Culture in that particular town or does the overall culture of my civ count? The Celts seemed to have much more culture than me. When I Looked at the summary in the end - it showed that they had many leaders throughout the early stages which they probably used to speed production of small wonders or god knows what!

 

[Fuzzz]

I've been playing a lot of lately and now I'm used to grouping my units (stacks) and moving them simultaniously. I used to play v1.29f a lot and I am playing it again now for the last couple of days.
So I was wondering if there was a way (hotkey, whatever... ) to simultaniously group-move your units which are on the same tile to another tile. I don't remember me always having to move every single unit seperately, but it might just be me getting too used to .
Thx in advance,
Fuzzz

 

[thetrooper]

Yo Fuzzz!

j for all units, ctrl-j for units of the same kind.

Drag your mouse to the tile you want them to move to.

 

[EMan]

ad 1) - time... that's something that requires patience and that's something I don't have

That's exactly the right attitude!!

When I say Time, I mean "Get Moving". Don't sit around building useless units like spearmen. (Viz. Your cities don't need defending!) Build Settlers & Workers. At the same time, build that road to Horses or Iron, sacrifice a worker for colony (or settle on the resource), build some Barracks, crank out the Veteran offensive units and conquer the world.

Remember, at Warlord level, the AI is less-developed than you.....and he doesn't understand the Time Factor!

BTW, Congrats on winning that game ..........I was wondering if you had enough Time left to do so!

If you can win from THAT starting position on Warlord, you're definitely ready for Regent!

 

[BavariaValkyrie]

That's exactly the right attitude!!



BTW, Congrats on winning that game ..........I was wondering if you had enough Time left to do so!

If you can win from THAT starting position on Warlord, you're definitely ready for Regent!

Thank you

I was playing a tiny world do you think it would have made a difference to play a bigger world? Or does the size of the world only influence your points in the end (size matters and all that???)

I think I give regent a try but I may just be tempted to switch the AI to not the full aggressiveness (yet)!

 

[Fuzzz]

Yo Fuzzz!

j for all units, ctrl-j for units of the same kind.

Drag your mouse to the tile you want them to move to.

ah yes, now I remember... :d thx

 

[EMan]

...I was playing a tiny world do you think it would have made a difference to play a bigger world? Or does the size of the world only influence your points in the end (size matters and all that???)

I think I give regent a try but I may just be tempted to switch the AI to not the full aggressiveness (yet)!

The bigger maps just means Time is even more a factor........to build more cities quickly, to build roads to resources and other civilizations. The games will take longer, because there's more work to be done to win.

Regent Level+: The biggest factor in playing at higher levels is that the AI develops faster (Production & Science).......but luckily its programming for defending cities stays the same!

AI aggressiveness........Good question. I don't know if this is a factor because I always set it at the minimum. So, I don't even know if or how it works!?

 

[sercer88]

I have a quick question about a possible cheat (for humans)
Is it considered a cheat to do this (the "get out or declare" option must be available in diplomacy):
1) make a deal, say 200 gpt for a tech.
2) demand some of their cities until they become furious (and then some)
3) tell them to get out or declare war
4) of course, they declare, and you just shafted the AI out of 40000 gold: just gotten a free tech.

 

[garyg]

I don't think it's a cheat.
If I see a stack of AI units headed my way and I'm all but certain that they will declare in a turn or two I'll turn down my science slider to zero and trade for as many techs as I can for gpt. You can also do the same with luxuries.

 

[Tone]

I'll do what garyg says and I'll wind them up to declare war to benefit from War Fever but I won't set up a juicy deal and then get them to declare. That's just a personal preference though. Others will take a different view. As has been said many times before, in the end you play for your own enjoyment.

 

[Sashie VII]

I don't think purposely signing gpt deals when the AI has an obvious sneak attack coming is a cheat. The AI wanted to attack.

But I feel differently towards signing a gpt deal, get them really furious and then demand that lone exploring unit out to get DoW.