Units massing in barb city

[Jorunkun]

Can anyone please explain to me what causes these (admittedly, rare) massings of barbs in cities? It doesn't seem to happen very often, but if it does, this is what it looks like:

There is an interconnected stretch of land that is occupied by three or more barbarian cities. All cities but one are garrisoned by just two defenders .. this on immortal, where there should be three or four. One city however holds a stack of a dozen or so barbs, mostly archers/longbows - and they just sit there.

Again, this is a bit of a freak occurrence, and not a big deal gameplay wise (bring loads of cats or trebs), but I am curious as to how this comes about.

Anybody notice this or venture a guess as to why this happens?

Thx,

J.

 

[cabert]

Barbs are not at war one with the other, so they somehow act like a civ.
It's very likely that the barb city with hordes of garison units is threatened by some units, so it whips an archer every other turn + neighbouring cities send the "mobile units" to it.

 

[KMadCandy]

"whipping ever other turn" is certianly something they do. i played a game recently where i cheated to watch the AI and follow what they did as the game moved along, it was very enlightening, particularly the barb behavior. they seem to not care at all how unhappy their citizens get, which allows them to whip early and whip often, and build up a ton of troops.

i posted more details in another thread today if you're interested, but that's my guess for the massive quantity. and cabert's explanation for the build up in one city sounds likely to me.

 

[Jorunkun]

THX you two.

So the smart thing to do would be to leave the barbs' borders alone so they don't feel threatened, right? Sure sucks to have to bring a dozen trebs, most of which will be lost, just to take one barb city ...

 

[KMadCandy]

well, i'm not sure feeling threatened even applies to barbs. i am of course no expert. i'm sure it does somewhat, they pull their workers back into cities. but it usually (your case being of the exceptions) wouldn't have the empire-wide implications for "OMG stop whatever each city is doing and enter panic-mode now! all hands on deck!" the way it does for a normal AI.

it would be hysterical if they did feel threatened enough to post fogbusters to see if your units "spawn" in the fog of war .

 

[Bhruic]

Er, why would you lose most of the trebs? You'll likely lose the first 2 or 3, but after that, collateral damage should have wounded the remaining Longbows enough that you'll have very good "win" odds.

Bh

 

[Stolen Rutters]

It's not rare on Terra. In fact the new world tends to get a small network of barb cities (even connected by roads) with a humongous mobile stack protecting the continent. The stack tends to pounce on the first player/AI city dropped onto the continent. I like picking off the (Carribean style) Islands in the middle of the New world, so when the AI sends their first colonization attempt onto the continent proper, they are fodder for the massive Barb attack (somewhat reducing the stack). I then move in and take over the Barb cities to control the continent.

 

[Infantry#14]

THX you two.

So the smart thing to do would be to leave the barbs' borders alone so they don't feel threatened, right? Sure sucks to have to bring a dozen trebs, most of which will be lost, just to take one barb city ...

trebuchet get 100% atk bonus against city, if you have CR 2 the better. I would assume the best defending barbarian longbow would have CG 1, and the city gives 25% def (longbow bonus) plus 25% fortify. Also, let say on a hill, longbow gets an addition 50% (natural def and innate def)

145% atk bonus-120% def bonus = 25 % bonus

4x1.25 = 5 and odds are 5/6, although not in your favor, you can sacafice like 1-3 trebuchet and the collateral damage should give you the odds.

Note that without the hill, your CR2 trebuchet actually have the favor against that longbow 7/6. Also, note that I didnt account for first strike, which may play a minor role in this.

 

[cabert]

THX you two.

So the smart thing to do would be to leave the barbs' borders alone so they don't feel threatened, right? Sure sucks to have to bring a dozen trebs, most of which will be lost, just to take one barb city ...

the smart thing would be to attack one of the other 2 cities first.