Hypothetical

Vespasian · February 29, 2000, 00:25

(Assume this is in MP and you are facing a human opponent. It is in the Modern age, with all the modern warships and Flight/Advanced Flight at your disposal)

Hypothetical scenario:You are the ruler of one of two superpowers left in the world. Everyone else has either been forgotten in the sands of history or is currently in one of your blocs. You and the other contender for the ruler of the world have just finished fighting a long, costly war with no clear winner. As far as you can tell, you are evenly matched. The cease-fire agreement is approaching its end, as you have been rearming during your brief break from battle (you assume the other side has done no less). They are a couple techs ahead of you, techs you want to have before you resume your bid to rule the planet, and you have a plan to even the score.

A couple of transports have been loaded with your spies, and you have prepared a sizable escort fleet. Your plan when the cease-fire expires is to send the spies ashore his main continent, steal the techs he has and seal the gap, as well as having a bit of fun sabataging stuff before sending the ground troups ashore and fighting with blood and steel. You feel confident, as the ships set off.

Only problem:as your fleet has set off and you are just out of the range of air support (friend or foe), you encounter a fleet of approximately equal size from the other side. The cease-fire has not yet run out. Your ships eye each other with contempt; he is lingering for the moment. You consider your next move.

The obvious choice would be a pre-emptive strike. However, you know the games other players (yours and their allies) well. You have maintained a spotless reputation, and if you attack and break your agreement, there is a possibility of all your compadres deserting en masse, thereby tipping the balance of power. On the other hand, you put a lot of effort and thought into your scheme, and if he's planning to attack before you, this effort may have been for naught. This isn't absolutely vital to your survival, but could give you the edge.

What do you do? Feel free to post any savvy military or diplomatic tactics you come with. The sky's the limit.

War4ever · February 29, 2000, 00:45

Take him out..... ceasefire my ass!..... he is sending his army by transport..... looks like the ceasefire ended a turn to early for him

don't worry about your rep..... at this point there shouldn't have been a ceasefire to begin with

My motto is this : strike first, strike fast, be the one left to strike last

Its Clobberin Time

[This message has been edited by War4ever (edited February 29, 2000).]

Graag · February 29, 2000, 07:04

Announce your defensive patrol has spotted an invasion fleet and wipe the sucker out.

Graag

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Is this the twisted brain-wrong of a one-off man mental?

Crustacian · February 29, 2000, 11:00

As you even mentioned the choice is obvious tactically.
Diplomatically mention to your "compadres" in addition to the other suggestions, they would do the same and they know it, and if they have a problem with it you will consider them hostile thereby making THEM NEXT!
Better to have a spotted rep, and be alive.

Smash · February 29, 2000, 15:22

attack...yes..but is all out war going to benefit your civilization?Or your opponents?Will it allow another to "sneak in" and launch a SS?Where will it end?

heavy decisions after all the time invested so far.

if a few units wern't stacked,this would be an ideal situation for spys to do a little unit sabotaging just to weaken them enough to make a first strike attack(sneak) unclear.

Perhaps the time has come to introduce a nuclear deterrent?

inca911 · February 29, 2000, 15:59

Well, it should be obvious to all players that you and your foe each have the same idea--time an attack to occur as soon as the cease fire ends, but that isn't going to happen now, since the plans are laid bare and you each have time to formulate an adequate defence (you stated you were out of air cover, so there are at least a couple of turns to work with to prepare a better defence).

My personal strategy would be as follows: Withdraw your fleet (with one exception noted below) and get under your air support and prepare to repel his invasion force. If he does not have air support with him, that means he doesn't have fighters either so you can create a bomber blockade to keep him at bay and blow him out of the ocean at your convenience. Be sure to tell everyone that you are indeed following the cease-fire and withdrawing, so that if he does attack, his rep takes the hit (as does his military, since you can prepare). However, your primary goal was to get his tech advances and level the playing field, so as you retreat, break off two transports with your spies and try two different end-arounds back to his civ. You don't need the military to steal tech. Odds are he will watch/chase your main group force and will rush ahead after you and not pay attention to his flanks.

If you goal was to get the tech advances, I'd have sent three transports with 2 spies each on three very different routes to his civ. One, maybe two, will get there and you have your 4 tech advances. I never go to war without clear goals: steal tech, win a beachhead city, capture a choke point, etc.

I'm assuming that you cannot withstand being ganged-up upon, so avoid that possiblity with a tactically sound pull-back and regrouping.

KhanMan · February 29, 2000, 23:16

Unless you all specifically agreed to kill anyone who broke the cease fire a turn early, I'd definately sink his fleet.

IMHO, anyone who sends an invasion fleet my way, without first securing an alliance and explaining their plans in full, is asking to be sunk. Cease fires be damned, full speed ahead!

-KhanMan
thrice dead in MP...each time by Makeo's hand...

N35t0r · March 2, 2000, 16:28

try to get your spy transport through unnoticed with a minimal escort and leave your fleet there avoiding him to do the same.
then leave the transp. at a prudent distance of the target city and wait till the cease fire ends.
a good idea is to stack a sub with the transport while you wait the CF to expire, as air units will only see you if trying to get into that square.

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Hodad's First Body
Alien Infiltrate

Fiji · March 3, 2000, 07:05

technically when you meet in the middle of international waters, you've both already broken the cease fire (a real life cease fire, not the Civ II kind)

cease fire means no troop movements in the real world