Withdrawal to Sea

[Gooblah]

During an isolated start and First Contact is with the most powerful Civ around, I can say its pretty hard to even play after the FC. After tech-trading shows how pitiful you are in the tech race, what do you do? Your power rating is low, and the other Civs are of different religion. Inevitably, one gets Astronomy before you do, and declares war. If you get Astronomy soon, would you consider doing this?

WITHDRAWAL TO SEA
-Build some Galleons, and put a Settler, Worker, and Military Unit in each. Send em off with Frigate protection to random, unexplored areas of the globe, or close together. Make the new landmass your home. Abandon your old one, which is under siege and burning.

I've tried it in the scenarios like the one above, and it tends to work, since other Civs don't find you for a while, and it lets you survive long enough for a Space Race or Cultural. Something. Your thoughts?

 

[PimpyMicPimp]

Sounds interesting, but your new home is going to be pretty underdeveloped, so whats to stop the invaders of your old world from rolling on up and destroying your new place?

 

[MrCynical]

I have to say that I can't see this ever being effective. With the exception of Terra maps there won't be very large tracts of land uncolonised post-astronomy (particularly if you weren't first to it). Starting from scratch is going to be horrendously slow, even with workers and military. You might survive with a few cities, but if you couldn't win with a long developed homeland you're not going to win with a few late established island colonies.

 

[Black Mech]

Wouldn't it be diffacault to find any good unclaimed land to do this succesfully by the time you have galleons, at least not enough to make up for the lack of your developed core cities to grad space race or culture win. I can imagine your science and culter rate would be shot and if your good cities from before the war weren't helping you to out tech your opponint, i doubt you could get any thing for those wins with those. Post a save and some pics to show how you made up for this fact cause slow deaths are useful in Rts's and if they work in civ, well you got something then.

 

[Airefuego]

There are a few ways to catch up in tech, but I don't think losing a war and then fleeing to a fishing village is one of them

Last ALC, Sis showed one technique - research smart (tradeable techs), trade lots, and above all stay friendly with the other continent. Yeah the ALC makes it sound easy, it was a major achievement though! For a start he managed to bribe two at-war civs to make peace so he could trade with both...

 

[r_rolo1]

The best way of tackling that scenario is not having wars ....

Seriously, when come from a isolated start you need to take extra care with the diplo and make a nice diplo game. In spite of that I do reckon that I have not played much isolated starts without a DoW or two . But even in that scenario, fleeing is not a real option unless you're attacked pretty soon : you simply don't have time to develop things for winning. And enough cats resolve everything...

P.S having a 10 tech handicap in first contact is not the end of the world ( of course that depends of the techs, but most of the times it is managable ). If you broker techs enough you'll acheive tech parity ( or atleast a close behind ) with some ease ( unless you're playing way above your head ). And tech trades help diplo as well.....

 

[CivCorpse]

I frequently have that situation (mostly because I suck) and I flee to a new continent. But there is a better way than expending all those hammers for frigates and such. click Exit to main menu>single player>custom game

 

[vicawoo]

Maybe if you have a great engineer and can get up forbidden palace/versailles real quick. Get biology and free market and it shouldn't be too bad.

 

[Gooblah]

This type of thing would only work in a Snaky Continent Archipelago or a Big and Small/Medium and Small. Also, remember that fog of war doesn't refresh to show new culture until a new World Map is obtained OR you do the exploring your self OR someone gets Satellites. Its a longshot, but it can keep you surviving until you can consolidate your position, make some new friends, and reclaim your old land.

 

[iamnleth]

For a start he managed to bribe two at-war civs to make peace so he could trade with both...

What stops you from trading with them before? Diplomatic penalty?

 

[6K Man]

I can't see this working... I mean, you'd be starting practically from scratch in your "new homeland". No mature towns, no well-developed Great Person producing cities. All your cities with any amount of culture would be left behind. Aside from near-parity techwise with the AIs, you'd be far behind on almost every other measure of power.

It's probably better to fight and die for your original cities, rather than spending resources on galleons, settlers, and workers that will only prolong the agony.

 

[iamnleth]

I'd say you must assume the game is lost at the point where you've abandoned your homeland.

 

[InvisibleStalke]

Unless they add a new victory condition "survive to the end", I can't see this generating anything other than a loss. However you might enjoy and take some satisfaction on playing it out as you describe and see if you can hide away a civilization to the end of the game.

On first contact with vastly superior AIs, the first thing you should do is switch to no state religion. Find the weaker ones to trade with - but avoid trading with the worst enemies of the powerful AIs.

But the best thing to do with an isolated start is get into the trading game ASAP before the AIs get too far ahead of you. If you have good land then a 10 tech lead is possibly recoverable. If you have poor land then it might be completely out of reach whatever you do.

 

[Refar]

Spe economies can help catching up tech leads. And since the most espionage points generating/multiplying buildings come rather late, its possible to build up a spy economy in the late game - if you have some mature cottage cities that is.

By the way - is it possible to vassalize myself to another civ or will i loose the game if i capitulate ? If the human player can become vassal, it might be what you need to save your land: As a Vassal you can still spy (even on your master, i think) and you can build/launch a spaceship.

 

[jkp1187]

Spe economies can help catching up tech leads. And since the most espionage points generating/multiplying buildings come rather late, its possible to build up a spy economy in the late game - if you have some mature cottage cities that is.

By the way - is it possible to vassalize myself to another civ or will i loose the game if i capitulate ? If the human player can become vassal, it might be what you need to save your land: As a Vassal you can still spy (even on your master, i think) and you can build/launch a spaceship.

Humans can never become the vassal of an AI player. A Human player can only allow himself to become the vassal of another Human (in multiplayer).