What to do if you have NO COAL!

[jerVL/kg]

I'm playing a Custom Continents/Large/Epic/Prince map as Elizabeth with 4 AI civs (Monty, Huyana, Napoleon & Mansa), and I've filled out my entire continent and gained a foothold on two others. I'm an entire era ahead in technology, with Military Tradition & Chemistry and 4 turns away from Redcoats, most of the AIs don't even have Gunpowder or Nationalism yet.

Here's the problem...I just got Steam Power, and I have NO COAL. Like, NONE. There's not even any on Mansa's continent (who's hopelessly backward, for once) where I was just about to invade. Monty has coal, but he's three techs away from Steam Power so he can't trade. There's also coal on HC's continent, not sure about Nappy. There might be coal on an unexplored barbarian continent, I'm having my Cavalry scout it out right now.

I could invade Monty & take his coal, but we're trading crucial resources and HC & Nappy are his friends -- we all get along, despite all being different religions. (Everyone hates Mansa.) The problem is, his army is HUGE -- just knights & maces, but there's like ten thousand of them. He's got Galleons, but no Frigates. I considered gifting him three techs for Steam Power so we could trade, but I don't know if I've got anything he wants. Another option would be to invade HC, whose army isn't so scary. Or I could WAIT until they all catch up and then see about trading.

What would you do in this situation?

 

[Wodan]

What do you need coal that badly for?

Wodan

 

[jerVL/kg]

What do you need coal that badly for?

Railroads. My continent's gigantic, it takes 5-6 turns to move a unit from one side to the other. It's annoying, because all this time I was saying to myself, "Man this takes so long...I can't wait until I get railroads!"

 

[voek]

Lol, I guess I always got coal or the game has ended before, since I cannot remember being not able to build railroads. But if you have such a huge empire, how come you don't have coal?!

Anyway, if you have some descent arty (or at least cannons) get mony. Declare war, let him come and kill his stacks with collateral. Good chance if you go after Huayana Monty will backstab you if he is realy powerfull compared to you. So, move those cannons to Monty's border! And no I would give him 3 techs just so he will have steam power a little earlier.

Hmm Wait a moment if you aint at war (soon), why the hell do you need railroad anyway??

 

[Samson]

An option not mentioned yet is to gift Monty the techs to give him coal. Only do this is you are secure enough though.

 

[voek]

You can't trade techs for resources, but if you mean gifting to improve relation and try trading for it, it will only possible if he has more then 1 coal resource available. But since he isn't on bad terms, the gifting is prob. not needed.

 

[Samson]

You can't trade techs for resources, but if you mean gifting to improve relation and try trading for it, it will only possible if he has more then 1 coal resource available. But since he isn't on bad terms, the gifting is prob. not needed.

As I read it, Monty had 3 coals but was 3 techs away from steam power so it was not available. So you gift him these techs, and then trade something for the coal.

 

[gdgrimm]

If you really, really want the coal, I'd suggest following Samson's advice.

On the other hand, living without the coal shouldn't be too difficult. Especially since you seem to be ahead technologically. Yes, no railroads will make it a lot slower, but it's still doable.

 

[voek]

Uhm well it is friday afternoon (at least, here it is) but I can't find the part were is said Monty has 3 recources of coal... Maybe the OP can help out, or can you quote it? He can gift the techs so Monty is able to trade, but DOES he have the extra coal??

 

[Antilogic]

A few turns away from Redcoats means you are able to take that coal from Monty. I've found the AI doesn't trade well for strategic resources--you have to conquer them. Huge armies are nothing in the face of swarms of Redcoats--if you have over a continent, then you should be able to take him.

5-6 turns? Please! I've had empires that take me about a dozen turns to cross! It just takes planning...and insuring that you keep adequate border defenses...

Slug it out! Fight Monty! Try this: get a bunch of Redcoats, and declare war on the entire world.

 

[Codex]

There's a (small) chance of coal appearing from mined tiles? It could take a while, but if there are any undeveloped hills, or hills with windmills, you could go prospecting.

 

[Zaldron]

I feel obligated to ask the obvious: You did carefully check under all your existing improvements to make sure there wasn't any almost-invisible coal hiding, right? Otherwise I would agree with the previous posters that suggest wiating for redcoats (draft for one pop if you want), plop them down on a forest and let Monty smash his army against them.

 

[krozman]

no coal means defend your continent with redcoats and start up the space race with aluminum! It's silly given that you're an era ahead in tech. Please graduate yourself to the next level, sir, you're going to win regardless of coal. If you lose with such an advantage, please tell us, so we may point and laugh "with" you.

krozman

 

[Shillen]

no coal means defend your continent with redcoats and start up the space race with aluminum! It's silly given that you're an era ahead in tech. Please graduate yourself to the next level, sir, you're going to win regardless of coal. If you lose with such an advantage, please tell us, so we may point and laugh "with" you.

Hah, nice post. It is quite funny that you're dominating your game and coming here asking for help with it as though you're about to lose.

 

[HiroHito]

dont make it sound like the guy is bragging, he asked about help and thats about it.

 

[Bushface]

As well as faster movement, railing a mines or lumbermill adds a hammer, an addition which is always welcome.
But beware boosting an opponent's possibilities by giving (or trading) techs in the hope of trading, later, for coal. Remember that it is an opponent you're dealing with, not a real friend: he might well take the techs and be grateful, but still refuse to trade coal - which is a strategic resource, and AI civs are very reluctant to part with these, even if they do have a surplus. You're well ahead, overall, so use the big stick you've got and clobber him with it.

 

[Shillen]

dont make it sound like the guy is bragging, he asked about help and thats about it.

You're the first one to suggest anything of the sort.

 

[Phrederick]

If you are an era ahead of someone, it doesn't really matter how large his military is. Build up a decent-sized force including some barrage cats/cannons, and fend off his invasions until his offensive force is gone. Then invade and capture the cities around the coal, or just go all the way and take his entire empire.

 

[Mango]

That's nothing, I am playing a game with large continents. I get my capital up and running and explore a good portion of the lower part of my continent before bronze working finishes. Chop/whip a settler and find a nice place to settle, but then I notice that there's no bronze. Oh well, the continent is pretty big and the only person near me in Mehmed who started surrounded by tundra on one of those great ocean starts (you know the one, about 4 seafood resources, lots of forests, plains and some fur off to the side). It's great for capturing, though I wouldn't want to start there so far from the rest of the good city locations. Anyway I settle somewhere else, start expanding and get iron working. Iron pops above my capital and I'm golden. All is well until I get democracy and want to build the Statue of Liberty. Then I notice that I still don't have any copper. By now Mehmed and Alex are my vassals and I have control of about 1/4 the world. As it turns out on the entire bottom of the continent there is just one copper resource, and Alex managed to let Shaka sneak a city down there. The next closest copper was waaaaay up near the top of the continent. Between the 3 civs occupying the bottom half of the big continent (over 1/4 of the land in the world) there was one copper, and none of us managed to grab it.

Needless to say I could do nothing but suck it up and use my GE. Ended up getting the copper much later with a war on Shaka, but I didn't need it then. Still, talk about stifling any chance for early war. No copper for any of us! Alex never even got a chance to build his UU.

 

[Wlauzon]

I had a similar game just yesterday with no coal. I finally found some by sending ships out and checking the unsettled areas on other continents and islands, especially in the ice regions.

Of course by the time I found it and got it mined etc. it was almost end game, but it looks like the tactic with continents is to send out an exploring ship asap and get any rare resources claimed.

Not long ago, Julias had the only oil on my continent camped, so I had to declare war to get it.