Wartime Diplomacy

[Malys Faisent]

I created the nastiest one sided war last night, and I just wanted to share how devestating it was.

I researched Gunpowder and naturally found none within borders, right to the south, however, in the middle of China were 2 saltpeter resources...and it just so happened that China and America were fighting with Russia (just south of China).

I called up the Russians and asked for a military alliance against China, they were more than happy to hand over most of their gold and several gold/turn to oblige me.

I marched across the border with my knights, pikemen, and swordsmen (I had a decent sized and experienced army after my war with the Aztec) and conquered the closest town, luckily one with Saltpeter. Horay! I could make my dreaded mouseketeers!

The next turn about a zillion Chinese riders killed everyone in the town except 2 swordsmen and my just gotten GL (Napolean). Errr this is really really bad...(Damn, someone was trading them horses!)

So I called up everyone I knew and talked to them about Banking...I gave Banking to everyone for a good chunk of change, several gold/turn, and promises to ally with me against China. I even did this with the Americans, who had a bunch of troops in China because they were allied. The only nation that didn't join in was the Romans, probably because they were fairly backwards...even the Aztec (no cities, only 1 settler on a galley) joined in once offered banking...and they actually sank a Chinese ship!

Needless to say, the Chinese counter-offensive rushed off to deal with all the other threats I had caused...China ~20 cities at the time was out of the game in 10 turns...it was annoying because I had wanted to conquer some other cities myself (but I will probably get them through Culture now)

Because the AI values certian techs alot (banking is one, you should have seen what I got for trading education though!) you can get them to jump through hoops if you need them to. I think part of the success of this diplomacy is that I'd been trading with the AIs for centuries, while I am not at gracious with anyone, I have built up a history of legit trades with every nation (except Rome, they missed out on Construction and only offered 1 gold??? for Education).

The really funny thing was about 200 years later the Babylonians offered to trade me maps...my advisor said, "Remember that the Babylonians betrayed our good friends the Chinese" Hahaha! I paid them to do so!

 

[WUM]

before i go to war i almost always have all other civs declare war to my future-enemy, just to make sure they won´t attack me in the back.

By the time i do this i´m fully prepared for offence, so they never get much cities of my enemy, at least not on the continent/island i´m aiming my offence at.

 

[Quokka]

I love the Diplomacy part of this game now. I am playing my first successful game right now (Iriquois, Regent, 1550AD) and I am just starting to be able to use all the sneaky and underhanded diplomacy at this point. I conquered my continent about 1000 years ago, no Diplomacy needed. Killed 90% of the Aztecs, wish I had got them all but had no navy to speak of to get to them on about a dozen separate islands. They are proving to be a pain in the butt as one of the cities I took keeps flipping back no matter what I have in it. Don't understand that fully, on the cultural chart I have about half of it and theirs is maybe 1 pixel wide?????.
Anyway wanted to kill them off but they wouldn't declare war no matter what. So I did it for them, but my whole civ spit the dummy at this, massive civil disorder, so I had to quit fairly quickly because I am also at war with the Germans, which they started and nothing must stop the flow of units against them. I am #1 and they are #2. To help I signed a military alliance with China against Germany and a MPP with India. China is directly to the west and India to the south of Germany, and they are #3 and #4, with China supposedly having the largest military. I am to the east across a narrow sea, 1 transport turn away.
China immediately sent in its hordes, and I plonked a spearman I had been saving next to a big German city, which they agreeably attacked next turn, an so in entered India. Now I had to wait a few turns to build enough transports to matter, and now I deliver 5 full transports of cavalry+infantry+artillery every 2 turns, 1 there, 1 back. I took the two closest German cities, which also happened to have all of their Saltpeter, so no more cavalry for them and have about 30 units and 2 Armies cutting directly across the northern 1/3 of their empire. 40 more units arrive next turn and my new Great Leader can go home in triumph. My two allies love me (gracious) for my brave help against a common enemy, to celebrate I sold them Steel for Dyes, Ivory, and about 180/turn :
I have all of Germany's Saltpeter and within 3 turns their furs as well, plus 5 more cities with 3 more completely isolated. I am saving them for the Peace Treaty. With the furs in hand Elizabeth can kiss my butt, they are the only reason I talk to her and the only Luxury I have to pay for.
All in all this made the game a hell of a lot more exciting, I had been building up my infrastructure to the point where 17 of my cities have nothing left to build, not even Wonders, and so they are pumping out a cavalry or infantry or artillery every 2 turns, Destroyers take 3 or 4. Got to be a bit annoying moving all the units to the ports, but thats a hassle I can live with. I get Flight next turn and Mass Production 4 turns later. Thru trades I make about 850/turn, which I use to rush all the cities on the smaller islands and upgrade everything, I have captured Leonardo's .
The only thing that could have made this better is that Greece had a MPP with Germany and I had hoped to drag them in also, as they are weak but have a Silk monopoly and want Electricity, Corporation and Espionage or 161/turn for it . Somehow they got out of it but now my army is large enough that I can take their Silk island and 6 cities in 1 turn after I am done with the Germans.