"This peasant wants the strength! Overthrows evil Tyrant!"
To make it somewhat more chinese sounding ,let's make it: The peasant wants the stlenght! Ovelthlows evil Tylant!".
But I do think, that we should be ready to try to capture cities in the war against GCA, because what stops Poly from attacking us if they already have a big army built for the GCA-war... If we don't expand some cities at least, we're in trouble if Poly decides to attack us.
We should struck fast and unexpected in an weakly defended GC flank ,at the right time and place.One thing we should keep in mind is to not try to assault trough the border mountain's ,as it signifcatly will slow down our progress and provide time for the enemy to strentghen their position's.Also we should bear in mind not to assault the first border city first ,yet the more strategic hinterland wich may be less defended than the border ,and wich is valuable for the enemy to reinforce their border with us.This include the capital region ,wich can ,if captured ,be held as randsom for more interresting city's closer to us.I don't know in that respect what the status of our navy is though.
One problem though for this theoretical possible operation in as i believe 7 turn's (the time Poly will attack GC) is first that we aint very prepared yet for this war ,both strategicly and military ,and that currently most probably most of GC's offensive troops are stationed near our borders.in that respect ,it would come in handy if somehow GC would be informed of this iminent Poly invasion on their soil ,so that it would convince them to pull displace an ammount of troops from our border to their Polly flank.It would make it somewhat easier for us to assault ,and somewhat harder for Poly to capture much GC city's.It's probable anyway that at this very point GC is weaker than ever before and weaker than Poly ,since they lost quite an amount of troops in the last war's.If we give Poly all the advantage while we have had all the hard times to beat GC's elite troops down at our gates ,then we eventually will force us in a situation where our chances of survival are slim.
And it wouldn't be that benificial for us if Gc civ would get extinct.I don't really like the idea of having two power's on an island while were the weaker once's.In that respect ,having 3 powers of the island is easier to set the balance.In this respect ,it might be interresting for us to play this war very backstabby.
If Poly should manage to take a significant part of GC ,and with this i mean 2 or 3 city's ,then we should try to set peace to them fast ,afcourse after first capturing 1 or 2 city's ,and then struck an alliance with GC to surprize attack Poly at it's East flank. (our north ,near the spice fields) this may lead to a situation were we manage to take some city's of both party's while both are stuck in a dreadfull war at the GC-poly border.With enough city's captured we could establish ourself as the stronger power on the continent.Yet afcourse we have to bear in mind the hit this will give to our diplomatic reputation.yet if we don't go to far in conquest ,we should manage two come to peace fast with both party's before they have resolved their border war.
In any case ,we should work out a solid millitary plan ,and fast.