Scorched Earth Strategies...

[Falken65]

Just how much destruction should you do as an invading army?

Should city razing be on?

Just curious what other people thought... personally, I pick my city spots well and don't want my work wiped out by an AI's dumb luck in capturing one of my cities, so I play with no razing on.

Also, when I park outside a city I'm about to siege, I will send units out to destroy improvements that will affect his military (early on, copper and iron... late game, oil and aluminum) and roads linking to the AI's other cities.

How many other people practice a "scorched earth" policy (yes, I know with no city-razing on, I can't really be truly called a "scorched earther" but as said above, I hate giving dumb luck AI's the chance to "kill" one of my better cities)

 

[Drakonik]

I do one of two things when I'm invading.

1) If my empire is below a certain size (Note: This is not a pre-determined size) I capture cities, to help spread my empire with as little effort as necessary. This, obviously, is good for expanding your empire quickly and efficiaently.

2) I initiate my "Slash and Burn" strategy- Once my empire exceeds are certain size (or I get bored with all micro-management involved), then the cities I invade and caputre get razed. I do this because I could not afford the maintenance costs involved.

That's what I do when invading.

 

[Woody]

If I think I can take the city in one or two turns I won't pillage anything since it will be my land shortly. The only exception would be if the enemies sole source of copper/iron/horses/oil/etc was handy, then I will pillage that one square.

 

[Ryder]

I was playing this game with two teams, each 4 players.
I was the only human.
I started on my island, two of my teammates started on their own, the rest on large continent.

I was jap and started war after I could transport my units. War lasted from ~1200 AD to the end, won conquest. Neither teammate was of any help (I had to defend the one on large continent). I alone defeated 4 combined armies and razed every single city (around 40 total). Game ended around 1500 with my samurai as best unit around (got musketeers 15 turns before win).

All the time, I had around 60% research. This was on noble.
So, theoretically, you can drag your wars all game long...

 

[katank]

There's no such things as can't afford cities most of the time. Courthouses everywhere and good location for FP along with Currency tech can let you afford a heck of a lot.

As for pillaging, I tend to kill only roads and strategic resources and mines to lower their production. Despite the gold payoff, I just about never pillage towns unless I can't take the city within 15 turns or so. That land is going to be mine soon anyhow and towns are slow to grow.

 

[frankcor]

That land is going to be mine soon anyhow and towns are slow to grow.

I never pillage for that exact same reason. I almost never raze a captured city either, unless it's in a horrible location or it will compete for city radius with a current or future super-city of mine.

I wish there was a way to pillage roads without first having to pillage any improvement in the tile. That would prove very useful in cutting down the AI pillaging on my own land just behind the front.

 

[Moonsinger]

I don't like razing city either, but the stupid AI often like to build its city 1 tile away from the ocean which makes it impossible to build the lighthouse. I have no choice but to burn down their city so I can rebuild a better one right next to it. It seems that the AI doesn't know how to pick good building site.

 

[Boppo]

I wish there was a way to pillage roads without first having to pillage any improvement in the tile. That would prove very useful in cutting down the AI pillaging on my own land just behind the front.

I agree wholeheartedly. I wish there was both a way to pillage them first and to bomb them later in the game with planes.

 

[VirtualM]

City razing is quite important. The AI has the tendency to put its cities to close together and often on some really strange locations (e.g. in the middle of the tundra to get one or two Fur). A city that isn't worth it's value should be razed or gifted to a third party civ (if they accept it).

As for pillaging, before an offence war I always create two/three stacks of mounted units (3 units per stack) and have them blast off towards copper and iron resources. I don't consider them part of my offencive force and will never use them to engage in combat (except to kill the units defending the resources).

I usually don't pillage villages and towns because it takes me too long to rebuild them after conquering the cities.

 

[rewster1]

I must be doing something wrong, because I always pillage, in the early game. I build mounted troops and run through enemy territory pillaging every resource, every farm, and every mine I can see. I hate wasting early (pre-catapult) military trying to take a city, especially one with a culture bonus, so I just try to "prune" my opponents back until I can take them out. I'll only engage in actual battle if the AI comes out to meet me (in his territory or mine). It's pretty easy to deal with at least one opponent in this way. Send him back an age or so in development, and then leave him be, so he will rebuild all the improvements just in time for you to harvest his backward civilization's cities. So far this has always worked noble and below, and it appears to be working on prince. But time will tell on that, and it may be a while before I have anything to add about higher levels.

 

[MetHimPikeHoses]

I don't like razing city either, but the stupid AI often like to build its city 1 tile away from the ocean which makes it impossible to build the lighthouse. I have no choice but to burn down their city so I can rebuild a better one right next to it. It seems that the AI doesn't know how to pick good building site.

I've noticed this too; its good stuff to exploit on certain maps: you can capture/raze only a few AI cities and then they are landlocked!

 

[AngryPants]

I don't like razing city either, but the stupid AI often like to build its city 1 tile away from the ocean which makes it impossible to build the lighthouse. I have no choice but to burn down their city so I can rebuild a better one right next to it. It seems that the AI doesn't know how to pick good building site.

So true, the weakest part of the AI is certainly city placement.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

Take the powerfull cities scrap the rest.
http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?AL_DA_GREAT

 

[thordk]

if the city is able to pay it's upkeep and there's no better site within it's area, why should i raze it? the more cities the better.

as for pillaging: i pillage in the early game or later on, if i don't go for a conquering campaign. when capturing cities i want this things being productive as soon as they come out of revolt. so i keep pillaging to a minimum.

pillaging strategic resources that won't fall within my boundaries is mandatory.

or the rather rare case: going for a full scale war with nation X, just to pillage their aluminium resources

 

[GoldenWheels]

The only time is destroy enemy infrastructure is when i feel I have a REAL battle on my hands, a war i am not 100% sure of winning. Then it's a must to cripple their growth and production.

But some wars you simply know with patience you will take them out, and I don't want to have to rebuild all those cottages and farms. Also, Enemy capitals have gone on to be some of my most productive cities in the late game, I wouldn't want to hinder that by needing another 40 turns to rebuild it.

The only things i'll raze in a surely-won-war is if I feel i can cut their strategic resources or MAYBE an easy health resource (I actually only do the latter to draw out a worker or two to capture.)

I never raze cities. If I expand to my max, I go to the peace treaty, and come back stronger later.