Stopping culture flip

[DasScoot]

So I'm currently fighting a war against Carthage, and winning, but Carthage is a tough nut to crack. In one of the major cities I captured, after owning it for a few turns and finally getting the resisters out, it culture flips on me. I lost an army in the process, so I reloaded and moved some more in. It flipped again, costing me 3 20/20 MA armies, plus some other artillary and MAs for no enemy losses. I ended up going back and just abandoning the city, although in hindsight I probably should've moved my guys out, let it flip, and recaptured it.

My question is, is there any sure-fire way to stop a culture flip? I'd always assumed armies were enough, as I'd never had a city flip that had an army in it before. I had a temple but couldn't rush anything else due to the resistance.


Also, I'd like to rant about how unrealistic this is. I could've poured 10 armies in there, and lost em all at no cost to Carthage? I can understand a rebellion destroying a tank division or two, but Carthage's entire attack forces would've had trouble budging me from that city.

 

[Ramboost]

When I take enemy cities with high culture, I always set all citizens as entertainers (except for the resisting citizens off course). This has two purposes: 1) to make the city as happy as possible and 2) to starve the city, thus reducing the number of foreign citizens. When the restistence is over, I still starve the city with all citizens as entertainers. This often gives me "I love the King Day", which reduces the possibility of flipping by half (or something like that). And off course don't forget to rush buy that temple as soon as possible, as you mentioned yourself.

This strategy has proven me well. I doesn't eliminiate culture flipping entirely, but I have experienced far less flipping when using this strategy.

Ramboost

 

[jeremiahrounds]

If you look at the equation the chance of a flip has a ratio of the number of units and the number of resistors.

So ya. Shrink shrink shrink. And if your going for it go for it with every unit you have.

LOTS of military or NO military. No middle.
Also the chance of a flip is double on riots.

 

[The Economist]

In a broader sense, you can reduce the chances of flipping by just making culture a higher priority for your empire. Part of the flipping equation is the relative culture totals of both civs. Also if it is a city far from your capital and near the enemy capital a flip is more likely.

Another thing you can do is try to take many enemy cities on the same turn so that their culture total drops appreciably relative to yours, making a flip less likely. But I think the important thing is to make sure you have a decent number of cities, and that they have some decent culture in them.

 

[Woody]

Of course to reduce the chances of flipping to near zero all you have to do is eliminate the enemy completely. I only leave one defender in captured cites until after the war is over then I worry about getting the city under control. If it flips before I kill off the enemy I only loose one defender and new offensive units coming from my core cites can usually take it back the next turn.

 

[DasScoot]

Originally posted by Ramboost
When I take enemy cities with high culture, I always set all citizens as entertainers (except for the resisting citizens off course). This has two purposes: 1) to make the city as happy as possible and 2) to starve the city, thus reducing the number of foreign citizens. When the restistence is over, I still starve the city with all citizens as entertainers. This often gives me "I love the King Day", which reduces the possibility of flipping by half (or something like that). And off course don't forget to rush buy that temple as soon as possible, as you mentioned yourself.

This strategy has proven me well. I doesn't eliminiate culture flipping entirely, but I have experienced far less flipping when using this strategy.

Ramboost

The entertainers seem to have done the trick, a couple of other cities that were going to flip love me now.

 

[DaveMustDie]

Now here comes a newbie question: how do you set citizens to be entertainers?

 

[Codo Stejans]

Open the city view, and click on a tile that is being worked. You will see the resources disappear from tile, and a "entertainer" show up in the population list. You could then click on the entertainer to switch it between entertainer, scientist, or taxman.

 

[Codo Stejans]

Oops double post.

 

[DaveMustDie]

Thanks

 

[Clown2TheLeft]

Flipping is calculated by (among other things) number of foreign nationals in the city.

A quick way to reduce the chance of a flip is to reduce the amount of foreign nationals.

You may set specialist citizens to entertainers. Do this enough, and you'll wind up with a starvation situation on your hands. This will--over time--reduce the population.

Aside from that method to starve down population, it may be worth your while to rush a couple of settlers out of the town as soon as resistance is negated through garrison. Here's why:

Settlers reduce the town's population by 2.
Foreign nationalist settlers do not require upkeep.
Thus, you can use them to resettle areas you have razed, moving them quickly to the destroyed city, as they are generated close to the front.

Alternatively, you may consider keeping them to claim resources from the enemy at a later time because, as mentioned before, they require no upkeep--you do not have to pay gold per turn for settlers generated in this manner.

You can reduce the population quickly using both of these methods in conjunction.

Admittedly, this idea is not mine; it was from, I believe, Moonsinger, in an article from the strategy forum. I can, however, attest to its usefulness. I have often applied this tactic. Results from its implementation have been positive.


Later!

--The Clown to the Left

 

[DasScoot]

Here's another question, is there a way to keep all citizens as entertainers? After the city starves one turn it gets set back to self-sustaining levels.

 

[Clown2TheLeft]

No, there's not--at least, not to the best of my knowledge. You've got to change them each turn.

Later!

--The Clown to the Left

 

[capslock]

When I take a city, i never keep my army inside. I have never had a captured city revolt while my army was outside. In my experience, the larger the force inside, the higher chance of revolt. So, I just leave the resisting citizens alone and they don't flip.

Starving the city is the best strategy for preventing a flip, sometimes i rush some settlers or workers too.

 

[DasScoot]

Wait, putting units in a city increase the chance of a flip?

 

[Ramboost]

No units in city?!? This is new to me, and I must admit it is hard to believe. Either you have a considerable higher culture than your enemy, or your are recapturing one of your own previously lost cities?

But in order to remove the resisters quick enough to rush buy temples and settlers, you have to place units in captured cities. I always place A LOT of units in newly captured cities to crush the resistence, and when the resistence is over, i only keep one unit in the city. After the resistence, I agreed to the theory that the amount of units do not influence on culture flipping. I have had as many cities flipping with many units as I have had cities flipping with only one unit. But only AFTER the resistence is crushed.

Also, I like the strategy with settlers. I haven't thought of that one.......Good strategy......I will definitely try that one the next time I destroy a civilization

Ramboost

 

[The Great Proxy]

Don't forget also that the AI build cities with very few strategy. If you conquer a city without resources, without strategic value, and without good terrain to be mantained, save yourself a lot of trouble and just raze it.

 

[capslock]

It is true, no units, at most one or two. I captured Babylon once, size 12 and they were way ahead in culture, and put 15 swordsmen inside. It flipped the next turn. I recaptured it and put 0 swordsmen inside and it didn't flip for a long time. After that, I started keeping all of my units outside, so i wouldn't lose them in a flip and would be able to easily reconquer it in case of a flip, and found that the city won't flip if I don't put any units inside. In my experience garrisoning a large force does increase the chance of fipping, because everytime I put a large force in a city, it flips, and everytime I don't it doesn't flip. Sometimes it will flip many turns later, but by then it is no worry. I agree that it is wierd, but that is what I have learned from playing many, many games.

 

[Plug]

I find that leaving one unit in a city to crush resistance and keeping one of two of your most powerful attacking units on a tile next to the city is the best gamble. Also, also citizens to entertainers and rush a temple. You won't always protect against a flip but that's what the attacking units waiting outside are for

 

[Ramboost]

This is indeed interesting. Another strategy to be tested