Quick Answers

[Grille]

i got that thank u but HOW can u advance? And WHAT is an advance in diplomacy?

Not sure waddya mean. First, forget civ1,2.

Facist and communist governments have veteran spies, other govs have regulars. That's just it, spies are never promoted to a higher rank (if that's the idea of an "advance").

Some techs enable certain diplomatic/spy abilities/missions.
Know writing, have a contact, have some gold to spare > can establish embassy by e.g. clicking the "E" right next to the info box in the bottom right corner. (must not be at war with civ in question and must not be in anarchy yourself).
If you have an embassy in a specific civ's capital, you can undertake certain missions at/with that civ only. As for a diplo option, you could e.g. sign a military alliance (you or/and your partner must be at war with the target civ). As for a diplomat's mission, you can try to steal a tech (must be peace). Your diplomats aren't "units", they're just flocking around in your rivals' capitals' streets, sit in dark corners or hang around in bars to pick up bits that stick.
Pretty much the same with spies, just that they have more missions. Very important difference, though: during war time, the embassy gets closed (to be re-opened automatically at peace time). A spy, however, is not supposed to be a spy (which is certainly the main idea behind the concept of spying). Thus the spy could also act during war time.
(note: chances on tech stealing are higher for spies than for diplomats, while it costs the same and a failed attempt dooms the spy anyhow!)

A working embassy helps to gather some intel info (who trades with whom and alike), that's what F4 is for. If there's a "dot" next to a leader-head on F4, you have an embassy in place (and, logically, a peace treaty).
(On world map, if you have an embassy in a foreign capital, there's a dot in the star-icon of your rival's capital; a 'crest' or something if there's a spy in it).

With the exceptions noted already, opening an embassy will always succeed and they work both ways (other civ will have an embassy in your capital, too). The civ that opened an embassy gets a free capital investigation (map around the capitals is revealed for both civs if it was under the FOW yet).

Of course it's different for spies. You could fail to plant them. A spy does not work bi-directional.
Note that failed missions involve the risk of getting a war declaration.
(which could be [ab]used to avoid deal breaking from your side...)
A failed plant attempt leads to a deadsure fail on any follow up attempt(s) during the same turn at the same civ.
A spy caught in the act of a spy mission is used up and must be re-planted.

So... how to contact your spies/diplomats and make stuff with them?
They sit in a tavern which could be entered by clicking the "E" next to the info box.
Other than that, a double click on your capital star icon or on the intel-agency-city's 'crest' icon (if your intel agency was not built in your capital) also helps to build embassies/plant spies.
([hmm]IIRC double clicking the rival star with dot'ed/crest'ed star-icon would let you issue commands for your diplomat/spy in it).

Finally, I recommend this great thread by Oystein on spy chances:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=97042&page=1


Gweeto just completed morsing latest news out of your capital, hence it's time to stop my spammy red herring...[]

And happy spying!

 

[Tubby Rower]

what does IIRC stand for?

thanks, kc

 

[Arathorn]

If I Recall Correctly.

Arathorn

 

[JoSnow]

Hi,

Can't find anywhere how to abandon a city I no longer want (Vanilla Civ 3). Any help?

Jo

 

[Tomoyo]

Patch it to 1.29. Then right click on a city and select "Abandon City".

 

[Perugia]

Automatic Bombardment

Does anyone know how automatic bombardment works? Whenever my catapults/cannon/artillery lay siege to an enemy city there is no difference if I use normal bombard or automatic bombard. It does not matter if I click on the on screen icons or use the keyboard shortcuts. On the next turn the units do not bombard the city again.

 

[Turner]

The units will stop autobombarding if an enemy unit is near them. There is a preference you want to shut off, something about cancelling orders for enemy units. Be careful with this one, because if you turn this off, your workers won't 'wake up' when there's a unit near them.

Now, if you were doing this with bombers in the back lines where there were no enemy units, you would see it work as intended. Actually, the game is working as intended, just not as expected. A small, subtle difference.

 

[Bartleby]

I have contact with all the civs in the world, but Russia only has contact with me. I gifted Russia to the IA and she got Nationalism. I don't really want Nationalism but I think that I could get it from her for lots of GPT+ luxuries. Since I'm about to destroy her anyway my question is...if I make peace, do the trade then destroy her will my global reputation be shot?

 

[Gainy]

if I make peace, do the trade then destroy her will my global reputation be shot?

Not at all, That is if you are certain Russia has contact with no other civs

 

[punkbass2000]

It's a girl! 7lbs 1.8oz 19:17 16 Nov 04 (CST)

Congratualtions! (just noticed )

 

[Grille]

It's a girl! 7lbs 1.8oz 19:17 16 Nov 04 (CST)

w00t!
Congrats!
[dance]

 

[Perugia]

The units will stop autobombarding if an enemy unit is near them. There is a preference you want to shut off, something about cancelling orders for enemy units. Be careful with this one, because if you turn this off, your workers won't 'wake up' when there's a unit near them.

Many thanks for the answer Turner - I understand what you are saying and will reset the prefs and carry on with the attack. I will think about change the prefs back when the SoD is on the move or certainly when at peace to get reactivate waking up.

Now, if you were doing this with bombers in the back lines where there were no enemy units, you would see it work as intended. Actually, the game is working as intended, just not as expected. A small, subtle difference.

Once catapults and cannon are upgraded to artillery if may be worth leaving the cancelling orders pref set and initiate autobombardment from a range of two away from the enemy city under siege and halt if the enemy sortied so my artillery could change targets. That could be useful as long as two range bombardment is as effective as single range.

 

[Turner]

Once catapults and cannon are upgraded to artillery if may be worth leaving the cancelling orders pref set and initiate autobombardment from a range of two away from the enemy city under siege and halt if the enemy sortied so my artillery could change targets. That could be useful as long as two range bombardment is as effective as single range.

I don't know if that's how Firaxis intended the Cancel moves to work (I'm guessing no, since AutoBombard didn't come about until a later VC3 patch) but that's certainly how I use it.

But I though Cannon's had only 1 range? Maybe you're thinking Artillery and Radar arty? I know those two have it.

AFAIK, there is no penalty for shooting two squares away instead of one.

 

[punkbass2000]

He said 'once catapults and cannons are upgraded to artillery'.

 

[Markus5]

Can you buy or bribe a Civ out of its MPP with another Civ?

I was threatening Babylon with a massive invasion and now its got a MMP with Greece which shares its island. I don't want war with both. One at a time, please.

How fast does a MPP kick in? If I could attack and conquer Babylon in one turn, is it possible that MPP with Rome doesn't kick in because Babylon doesn't exist any more?

I think the MMP will kick in as soon as I attack at the beginning of my turn, but I don't know that for sure.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Can you buy or bribe a Civ out of its MPP with another Civ?

I was threatening Babylon with a massive invasion and now its got a MMP with Greece which shares its island. I don't want war with both. One at a time, please.

How fast does a MPP kick in? If I could attack and conquer Babylon in one turn, is it possible that MPP with Rome doesn't kick in because Babylon doesn't exist any more?

I think the MMP will kick in as soon as I attack at the beginning of my turn, but I don't know that for sure.

Nope...you'll just have to wait it out or fight with Greece at the same time.

I beleive as soon as you move troops into their land (once you've declared war) or attack them, the other nation will automatically declare war on you.

 

[Markus5]

Figured as much.
Well, I' ready to blow this pop stand anyway. I'll have the space race won in a few turns. I'll save the game just before winning, then after the victory I'll go back and see if I can invade and conquer Babylon in one turn. Or, just play on after the victory.

 

[Tman65]

In the Foreign Advisor screen, how do I see more than the 8 civs shown?

 

[EMan]

Hold down the "Shift" key and click on a Leaderhead.

 

[Bartleby]

But you can never see more than eight at once. If you use the little "D" button on the panel at the bottom right of the screen or (I think) SHIFT-D (I've been wrong about that kinda stuff before) you can open diplomacy without having their ugly mug on the Foreign Advisor screen.