Defending yourself in OCC

Rufus T. Firefly · February 6, 2001, 07:32

How do you do it? Specifically, how do you tell the AI to take a hike when it starts asking for high-level techs? I don't think this is covered anywhere in the Paulicy. In my last game, my Zulu allies literally surrounded my city with cannons and then said "hey, I hear you've discovered industrialization..." Hard to say "go away" at that point without it turning into a war I couldn't win. Later, they pulled the same trick with tanks and asked for advanced fight. (And then, because they're the AI, they traded it all away to the Celts, who are the ones who actually won the game). It seems to me that there's clearly a time, sometime around industrialization but maybe as early as gunpowder, when I shouldn't be trading techs anymore, but by that time I'm one city against at least a couple of huge AI empires. And while I could build a lot of military in order to withstand a seige, this seems counter to the spirit of OCC. Besides, it's pretty hard to make that 80-shield count when you're supporting hordes of alpine troops (to say nothing of losing productive squares to the enemy units swarming over your land every turn). What am I doing wrong?

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Dig trenches, with our men being killed off like flies? There isn't time to dig trenches. We'll have to buy them ready made. Here, run out and get some trenches.
-- Rufus T. Firefly, the original rush-builder

Ribannah · February 6, 2001, 08:39

Rufus, you don't defend yourself. You can safely keep giving techs until at least Steel, depending on the circumstances (map size, year). In some OCC games I gave away ALL techs up to and including Fusion Power, knowing that they did not have the economy to beat me to AC. They were so happy!

(Well, uncooperative, but that's about the maximum in MGE

).

After launch it is usually wise to build some fine units, just in case, but there have been OCC games in which I didn't build a single military unit in the entire game.

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If you have no feet, don't walk on fire

Rufus T. Firefly · February 6, 2001, 09:42

quote:

Originally posted by Ribannah on 02-06-2001 07:39 AM
In some OCC games I gave away ALL techs up to and including Fusion Power, knowing that they did not have the economy to beat me to AC.

Maybe this is my problem; so far (and, admittedly, I'm new at OCC) the AI always has the economy to beat me. Not that its economy is so great, or mine is so bad; quite the opposite. But the space race so far has always been just that -- a race -- and with the AI having dozens of cities to my one, it doesn't have to be that productive in order to be productive enough. I find that a halfway decent AI -- say, the cursed Japanese -- will always manage to pop out something like 10 structurals within a few turns of getting space flight. I find that lead is generally insurmountable.

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Dig trenches, with our men being killed off like flies? There isn't time to dig trenches. We'll have to buy them ready made. Here, run out and get some trenches.
-- Rufus T. Firefly, the original rush-builder

Smash · February 6, 2001, 16:56

Diplomats seem to do the best job in OCC.AI units will actually back off after a bribe or 2.The barbs really seem to be terrorized by the mighty diplomat.

Forts.Especially on a gold mtn or wine hill.Watch those cannons die.

Thoth · February 7, 2001, 07:35

[quote]Originally posted by Smash on 02-06-2001 03:56 PM
Diplomats seem to do the best job in OCC.AI units will actually back off after a bribe or 2.The barbs really seem to be terrorized by the mighty diplomat.

quote]

Indeed. I had a distinctly surreal experience last week. Opened up a hut on a mountain with a diplo. Out popped a horde of barbarians. I swore mightily

and resigned myself to shipping another scout halfway around the world. Finished my turn, hit enter and was astounded to see all of the barbarians run away from my diplomat!!!

Ming · February 7, 2001, 09:24

quote:

Originally posted by Thoth on 02-07-2001 06:35 AM
Opened up a hut on a mountain with a diplo. Out popped a horde of barbarians. I swore mightily

and resigned myself to shipping another scout halfway around the world. Finished my turn, hit enter and was astounded to see all of the barbarians run away from my diplomat!!!

I've seen that too... Just another example of the stupid AI. It will attack that fortified pikeman in a fortress on a mountain for hundreds of years, and back away from a combat it will win... Please let them make a smarter AI for Civ 3

Stuff2 · February 7, 2001, 10:52

What is OCC?

One city civ? You only build one city during the whole game and try to win the space race?

Paul · February 7, 2001, 15:19

Exactly. Check out http://members.home.nl/paulvdb/occ.htm for the rules and my OCC strategy guide.

February 12, 2001, 18:52

quote:

Originally posted by Smash on 02-06-2001 03:56 PM
The barbs really seem to be terrorized by the mighty diplomat.

LOL

solo · February 18, 2001, 18:39

Ditto diplomats.
What a bargain, too, only 30 shields!
Early in the game they more than pay for themselves by bribing a barbarian, then using the new recruit to kill off the leader lurking behind for 150 gold. Also gains a military unit without using a precious turn's build to make one.
What more could you ask?

I also got 9 barbarians turn tail and run from a diplomat after opening a hut. After recovering from the shock, I almost died laughing! Only happened one time though.

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It is more pleasant to live in the corner of a housetop,
than in a wide house with a brawling woman.

Cam · February 18, 2001, 21:21

Rufus,

Beyond the excellent diplomat advice, I have found that a fighter or two (veteran when possible) at that late stage of the game is great for expelling enemy diplomats and cleaning up any unwanted barbarian hordes. They can pop out every turn and do very useful scouting work - and if there's trouble on the horizon, you can always give the AI something like The Corporation or Railroad.

I shaved about thirty or forty turns off my game by giving the AI practically every tech' I have in the Ancient Era (as Paul strongly recommends, but I was always hesitant to go pretty well all of the way). It should not be hard to maintain three Alliances and have the remainder at Peace. I also was reluctant to demand tributes from non-allies, but when they're Enthusiastic if not Worshipful, they can be pretty generous. I don't know (given the quirks of the AI's behaviour), but giving them Currency, Trade, Banking and Economics I suspect will make them richer and ultimately more generous with their tributes (?).

I'm assuming you're not playing with the MPG version?

(Others - I'm sorry if this has all been addressed about ten times before in other threads!)

Lefty Scaevola · February 18, 2001, 21:37

I thought I was doing fine in my first OCC with varies NON units on outlying hills and mountains and build units close in, then the Anglish came with a horde of 22 amror units.