Holy Despot
Chieftain
THE ART OF WAR ! (Part I)
How and when to wage WAR
Everybody knows that in every strategy game the key element is WAR.It may lead to a total domination or to a major defeat.If you read history (which I do a lot) you will see that many have tried to dominate the world through force and haven’t succeded.This lesson teaches you how to become a brilliant military commander.TO VICTORY!
The pre-war Diplomatic Game
Keep your new enemies close but keep your friends closer! The first thing I noticed in the diplomatic engine of Civilization III was that it acts or at least tries to act unpredictable.So, you’ve just completed a trade with your friends The Romans and two turns later they get annoyed because you step accidentaly in their territory.After a couple of turns they try to extortionate you with teritory map and 17 GP.At this time you must make a decision and decide if you take the risk.I can tell you that below Monarch level on Regent,Warlord and Chieftain the most of these extortions are bluffs unless you are very weak and the enemy is very strong.On higher dificulty the AI declars war in such cases.Of course you can play the same trick but the AI will have to be very weak to give you what you ask for.Try to plan your war well so that you are prepared the moment the AI wants to start a war or to take him by surprise with a Blitzkrieg of fast units(Knights,Cavalry,Tanks).Another thing,before you declare war make sure your enemy doesn’t have any MPP with other major powers.
The in-war Diplomatic Game
After you’ve declared war make sure that others join on your side,and quickly!If you forget your lethal weapon Diplomacy, you might wake up with another 2-3 oponents than you didn’t expect.Be certain that you have embasies with your neighbours or with your enemy’s neighbours so that they join the war on your side.Once you’ve got 1-2 allies you can be sure that the others won’t fight against your coalition and probably they will be eager to join in.Now the enemy is cornered and the war is getting hard for him.
Of course it is costly to make the others join your war but I can guarantee you succes.The disadvantage is that on higher difficulties it costs much more to get the AI in your war as an ally.
The Purpose
Before you entered this war you must have had a purpose right?You either want to take a lot of cities and spread your empire or you only want a lot of spoils(slaves,gold,military development) and a pair of cities.
The first purpose requires a strong military composed of fast units with exelent defenders to back them up.Note that if the enemy culture is stronger than yours your military should be even stronger to quell the mighty resistance.For this purpose it is better that you take a pair of small towns first(you can raze the inconveniant ones) and then head for the major cities which require a very stong garrison against Defection.
Although this art of war is hard and costly on the long term it makes you much stronger.The second art requires only fast units and it is more likely you will use it as a strategy when joining an allies' war.
Arts of War
I. Conquest of strategic Metros and Cities(Expansion-your empire grows larger)
OR
II. War of Spoils and Diplomacy(Development-you get workers, gold, techs)
The Battle
The atack has begun.You order your Knights\Tanks to capture a group of small towns then you garisson them with your infantry.Make sure to starve all new citicens by converting them to entartainers.After the resistance is over you force the city production to produce a cultural improvement. If your government uses Forced labour as a hurry method you shouldn’t have problems with hurrying improvements and reducing the city’s population. As a result the captured city becomes a temporarly ruin in terms of development, but an exelent outpost for your troops and you are assured that it won’t swap sides any more.
The Final Stage
Now you take your elite troops and march them towards the ‘’Grand Prize’’ ,the enemies core metros and major cities.Make sure you have all your troops so that you take them easly and garisson your army Hard so that he doesn’t stand a chance.Be careful with his Capitol though, as much as you will try it will defect so be assured that you keep it surrounded with an iron grip and retake it.Now you can leave the other small cities to your allies or if you have sufficent manpower you can raze the unimportant ones. But keep those with key Resources! They might help you later on.Remember, let the foreign citicens die with joy(entertainers) while you install your hard regime of opression.The best thing that can happen to you is that the beligerant civilization gets eliminated.Then you don’t have to worry about defection at all.
The Peace Treaty
If your enemy hasn,t been eliminated and your offensive power stops it’s time for a peace treaty(not reccomended in the I’st Art of War but highly reccomended in the second one).You see in the I’st Art of war you need to eliminate the enemy civ to completely eliminate defection while in the second one a peace treaty is a blessing because it makes your new citicens happy and brings you more gold,techs,workers,maps etc.
!!!Before you sign a peace treaty with the enemy civ make sure you’ve cancelled all your Military Alliances and MPP.Then Your reputation will remain clean(almost).
How and when to wage WAR
Everybody knows that in every strategy game the key element is WAR.It may lead to a total domination or to a major defeat.If you read history (which I do a lot) you will see that many have tried to dominate the world through force and haven’t succeded.This lesson teaches you how to become a brilliant military commander.TO VICTORY!
The pre-war Diplomatic Game
Keep your new enemies close but keep your friends closer! The first thing I noticed in the diplomatic engine of Civilization III was that it acts or at least tries to act unpredictable.So, you’ve just completed a trade with your friends The Romans and two turns later they get annoyed because you step accidentaly in their territory.After a couple of turns they try to extortionate you with teritory map and 17 GP.At this time you must make a decision and decide if you take the risk.I can tell you that below Monarch level on Regent,Warlord and Chieftain the most of these extortions are bluffs unless you are very weak and the enemy is very strong.On higher dificulty the AI declars war in such cases.Of course you can play the same trick but the AI will have to be very weak to give you what you ask for.Try to plan your war well so that you are prepared the moment the AI wants to start a war or to take him by surprise with a Blitzkrieg of fast units(Knights,Cavalry,Tanks).Another thing,before you declare war make sure your enemy doesn’t have any MPP with other major powers.
The in-war Diplomatic Game
After you’ve declared war make sure that others join on your side,and quickly!If you forget your lethal weapon Diplomacy, you might wake up with another 2-3 oponents than you didn’t expect.Be certain that you have embasies with your neighbours or with your enemy’s neighbours so that they join the war on your side.Once you’ve got 1-2 allies you can be sure that the others won’t fight against your coalition and probably they will be eager to join in.Now the enemy is cornered and the war is getting hard for him.
Of course it is costly to make the others join your war but I can guarantee you succes.The disadvantage is that on higher difficulties it costs much more to get the AI in your war as an ally.
The Purpose
Before you entered this war you must have had a purpose right?You either want to take a lot of cities and spread your empire or you only want a lot of spoils(slaves,gold,military development) and a pair of cities.
The first purpose requires a strong military composed of fast units with exelent defenders to back them up.Note that if the enemy culture is stronger than yours your military should be even stronger to quell the mighty resistance.For this purpose it is better that you take a pair of small towns first(you can raze the inconveniant ones) and then head for the major cities which require a very stong garrison against Defection.
Although this art of war is hard and costly on the long term it makes you much stronger.The second art requires only fast units and it is more likely you will use it as a strategy when joining an allies' war.
Arts of War
I. Conquest of strategic Metros and Cities(Expansion-your empire grows larger)
OR
II. War of Spoils and Diplomacy(Development-you get workers, gold, techs)
The Battle
The atack has begun.You order your Knights\Tanks to capture a group of small towns then you garisson them with your infantry.Make sure to starve all new citicens by converting them to entartainers.After the resistance is over you force the city production to produce a cultural improvement. If your government uses Forced labour as a hurry method you shouldn’t have problems with hurrying improvements and reducing the city’s population. As a result the captured city becomes a temporarly ruin in terms of development, but an exelent outpost for your troops and you are assured that it won’t swap sides any more.
The Final Stage
Now you take your elite troops and march them towards the ‘’Grand Prize’’ ,the enemies core metros and major cities.Make sure you have all your troops so that you take them easly and garisson your army Hard so that he doesn’t stand a chance.Be careful with his Capitol though, as much as you will try it will defect so be assured that you keep it surrounded with an iron grip and retake it.Now you can leave the other small cities to your allies or if you have sufficent manpower you can raze the unimportant ones. But keep those with key Resources! They might help you later on.Remember, let the foreign citicens die with joy(entertainers) while you install your hard regime of opression.The best thing that can happen to you is that the beligerant civilization gets eliminated.Then you don’t have to worry about defection at all.
The Peace Treaty
If your enemy hasn,t been eliminated and your offensive power stops it’s time for a peace treaty(not reccomended in the I’st Art of War but highly reccomended in the second one).You see in the I’st Art of war you need to eliminate the enemy civ to completely eliminate defection while in the second one a peace treaty is a blessing because it makes your new citicens happy and brings you more gold,techs,workers,maps etc.
!!!Before you sign a peace treaty with the enemy civ make sure you’ve cancelled all your Military Alliances and MPP.Then Your reputation will remain clean(almost).
