Tips to avoid war?

[cromagnon]

I've got myself into a bad situation: PTW 1.21, playing as France. I'm near the end of the Middle Ages, although everyone else is in early industrial, thanks to a mediocre starting position and an early dogpile on me (and OK, it's my second emperor game). I am two turns away from researching Mil Tradition, and I have not had a Golden Age yet.

Unfortunately, the Greeks, the neighbors with whom I share our continent, have just put 5-6 cavalry in my borders. Actually, they put a couple in my borders last turn, but I didn't ask them to leave, because I was sure they would declare war. My border cities are size 7 and above, with two Musketmen. I also have 5-6 knights around. We made peace about 12 turns ago, but no other deals are active. I don't have any resources or luxuries they don't have.

Is there anything I can do to avoid war? The few options I've come up with are a) sign RoP and b) give them a gpt gift. Any suggestions on how much would be a good gift (my income is 100gpt)? I could in theory sign a military alliance with them against a civ on the other continent, although they are also strong and could cause another dogpile.

 

[Darkness]

How about getting some techs from them for a large amount of gpt? Then if they declare war, you get a few free techs, maybe enough to catch up to the AI's and if they move away, you've avoided war and you have to pay for the techs...

It's a very useful trick to stay on par in techs on diety level.

 

[Shabbaman]

A real gpt deal is the only way I think. Gifts won't help you much, and military alliances won't either I think.
I've done some testing in the past, with elaborate reloading involved, and the AI acts sometimes strange enough to declare war on you anyway.

 

[jack merchant]

Generally speaking, if the AI decides it wants to attack you, it will. A large gpt deal will sometimes stop them, but only rarely.

As such, it's a better idea to tell them to leave and declare war. If they then declare war, at least you get the first strike.

 

[cromagnon]

Unfortunately, gpt deals are out, because of this , and the recent war with the Greeks.

Looks like war is inevitable, so I'll take Jack's suggestion.

 

[Spike59]

You might want to give them right of passage. They will still declare war, but you will damage their reputation somewhat. It's not much, but every little bit helps.

 

[Shamus]

Reading this thread got me wondering something. How much money do you have to give as a gift to an AI civ, in order for it to have any effect?

 

[zerksees]

In this situation you might get an MPP with another civ. In my first emperor game I was able to get an MPP with the largest civ (Korea who was on another continent), and several civs would keep making peace with them only to walk into my territory and restart the war with Korea. If they need GPT give it to them as the protection is worth it. I was at war with someone almost continuously for at least a couple hundred years and had no real problems with weariness.

You could consider gifting a small border city to your MPP partner so they will have a vested interest in coming to your continent.

(I lost that first emperor game, but I made it til 1910 with just 13 cities. My caravel was dodging battleships, and my newly built riflemen were figthing cavalry, infantry and an occasional tank when the Koreans launched the spaceship)

You may be forced to go to war with another civ if your MPP partner declares war, but war weariness won't be too bad if you don't actually attack, or if you take a small force of your best units to inflict some damage and then get out. (your AI MPP partner will be happier if you actually attack, just do your work and get out in less than 10 turns).

I am not a big fan of MPP, but it beats losing cities to the bigger nearby neighbors.

Another alternative is to build cheap units. In general, if you get more units you will be a less likely target for the AI, so build some more cheap war units.

 

[Ronald]

Originally posted by cromagnon
Unfortunately, the Greeks, the neighbors with whom I share our continent, have just put 5-6 cavalry in my borders. Actually, they put a couple in my borders last turn, but I didn't ask them to leave, because I was sure they would declare war. My border cities are size 7 and above, with two Musketmen. I also have 5-6 knights around. We made peace about 12 turns ago, but no other deals are active. I don't have any resources or luxuries they don't have.

Is there anything I can do to avoid war? The few options I've come up with are a) sign RoP and b) give them a gpt gift. Any suggestions on how much would be a good gift (my income is 100gpt)? I could in theory sign a military alliance with them against a civ on the other continent, although they are also strong and could cause another dogpile.

What's their attitude against you? Sometimes, if you can make them polite, they would not declare war, but that is a very slight chance.
What I found is, that the AI makes a sneak attack or declares war if they think they can get the next city very easily.
So I would put enough knights in the border city, that they can't take it in the first turn, then buy techs from them for gpt as much as they have and you want to spend. Then ask them to leave.

If they declare war, you get some techs for free and they still can't take the city in one turn, if they leave you reached your goal, but have to pay for the techs.
You even have a good chance, since you are the one for attack first, to take out the cavalry with your knights.