Unofficial Poll - Give War A Chance?

[RegentMan]

From some discussion found here, I am curious as to whom the DG community feels about a possible war and against whom.

The choices are:
War Against India
War Against The Netherlands
War Against Both
No War
Abstain

Note that the "War Against Both" option means a war against the Indians and the Dutch simultaneously.

 

[RegentMan]

I would want a war against the Netherlands. Their Swiss mercenary are something to be afraid of: A 1/4/1 replacement of the pikeman. Essentially they're getting 30 shield musket men. I'd prefer to take on war elephants with our knights than these Swiss baddies.

 

[Ulyaoth]

Yes, I'm for taking out the Dutch first. If we wait too long it looks like we'll be boxed in and allow the Dutch to get too powerful.

 

[Chieftess]

India first. Give us a good base that isn't too spread out. Once the Dutch send their armies north, we'll raze from the south! (well, not raze, but conquer)

Reworded Play-on-phrase from Jeff_ATARI a year ago.

 

[Ulyaoth]

Well if we could get India quick, I haven't seen how big they are yet really, then it should be alright, but as Regentman said, I fear we'll get wiped out if we wait to long and the Dutch get their UU.

 

[Xerol]

Probably within the next 1-2 turnchats we'd get a better idea of the Dutch territories. While the UUs are a big factor I'd be more interested in the kind of territory we'd be getting - it looks like a lot of desertish land in the case of the Dutch, and more fertile pastures(aka grassland) with India. Clearly for a very early war, going against India would probably benefit us more with regards to expansion. However, war with the Dutch has its merits as well: Instead of us being boxed in by the dutch, we've got India boxed in. Not to mention that if we choose City Site #4 in the third settlement poll(which doesn't seem likely, unfortunately) once we build a temple we'd have IMMEDIATE access to The Hague.

 

[ali]

I say that once we knock out India that we redeploy our military forces onto the Dutch-fana.... border and invade Dutch we will have an mobilised military and with our new indian possession we can destroy the Dutch b4 they become a liability.

 

[Ulyaoth]

Ok, I for one, was for building site 4. Anyway, now that you put it that way, war with India might be a better choice for a quick war to build up power. Although the Dutch do have that flood plain with 3 wheat, don't they? That could help our expansion northward greatly.

 

[Provolution]

I would take Netherlands first, since they grow so fast, and we should box in India, and assure we got to expand to China along the coast undisturbed as we box in India.
We are a long way from Chivalry, and we can easily take them (India) out later.

The biggest reason to take the Dutch first, is that they compete for the same strategic and luxury resources as we do, and they impinge on our capital core, as well as our wines and central east coast. With India, we seem to get a well fortified border build on hills, so they cannot really attack us as the Dutch can do.

 

[DaveShack]

Take the wheat, get peace, and hopefully the Dutch are stopped dead in their tracks settler wise. Then we can acquire India as a colony province, and come back to clean up the Dutch.

 

[Provolution]

DS got a very valid point there, Rotterdam may well be our future capital corruptionwise, and we need to stop that settler machine sooner than later.

 

[Ashburnham]

The biggest reason to take the Dutch first, is that they compete for the same strategic and luxury resources as we do, and they impinge on our capital core, as well as our wines and central east coast. With India, we seem to get a well fortified border build on hills, so they cannot really attack us as the Dutch can do.

I agree with Provo. This argument makes it clear that the Dutch are more of a threat to us; and they will continue to be because of their proximity to our core. Take 'em out.

 

[Nobody]

I say take india, then consider the dutch.

 

[mad-bax]

India. We can expand at our usual rate through India and gain an extra lux quicker. This will give the Netherlands time to settle more cities and grow them so that we capture, rather than raze. We will have more elites by this time so more chances of gettting a leader for an army, which will help conquest. Our production will be better by then too.

BTW, having looked at the save I can't see the Dutch settlers that are supposed to be swarming all over us, and I can't see an Indian swordsman. We appear to have expansion room to the East and North East. Rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated IMHO.

 

[ali]

why exhaust our limit resources on a war against Dutch without first acquiring india and have larger economical and other resources to wage war with, wat if we fail in a war with the Dutch we would be rather backtracked would we than still have the resources to conquer the indians??...no we must take india 1st they are a easy target than once we have consolidate our position we shift our forces for an attack against the Dutch and stop their expansion once and for all.

 

[Provolution]

it is a myth India is easier, they are equally large, but the Tuch expand faster.
We should take out the expander first.

 

[RegentMan]

wat if we fail in a war with the Dutch we would be rather backtracked would we than still have the resources to conquer the indians??

What if we fail in a war with the Indians? Would we rather be backtracked than still have the resources to conquer the Dutch?

Let's take out the pain in the butt first. A 30 shield musket man will make life very difficult. Better cripple them early than let them expand, like others have mentioned. More expansion = more power = Dutch golden age = ouchies.

 

[mad-bax]

You're scaring me guys.

We are talking about a plan to deal with them both, before they get their UU. The Dutch need iron for their UU IIRC. So we know how much we have to do to them. The Indians require NOTHING for their UU. We must therefore deprive them of their productive cities. The quicker we do this the better. Add CTs argument to this and there is no choice to make. You only think there is.

 

[Bertie]

Although I, too, can find reasons to attack the Dutch first, the way the game is developing taking on India first is the better move. By attacking India first we'll put a good portion of our battle-hardened vet swordsmen north by the Dutch capital: exactly where they are needed. Hopefully that sword stack will include a few elites. By attacking India first we’ll have more swords available to attack the Dutch then if we attack the Dutch first because we'll be producing new units during the Indian war.

Our newly-minted units will be coming from the South. As Chieftess points out we can send these new units to capture the Dutch southern cities. A two-front war offers several tactical advantages, one of which is that it should be a much shorter war.

 

[RegentMan]

The same could be said for attacking the Dutch first. We will be producing swords during a Dutch war as well as in an Indian war. We can then send them all forward and show Gandhi who's boss. All our forces on one front might be wiser than splitting them in two.