Asking your Neighbors for help....

[Mnus]

So I was playing my game nicely as the egyptians,and had a slight but growing lead in technology and culture. I hadn't yet been to war, my military was EXTREMELY minimal, and I was kinda expecting something like on Civ or Civ2 -- ie a nation asks you for literature or something, you don't give it, and then they get all mad and declare war. 6-7 turns later ( something like a 200 year span early in the game) they send a piddling horseman and militia, who gets stomped when attacking your fortified phalanx . Next turn they ask for peace. Obviously any of you who have been involved militarly in Civ3 know thats not the case.

Anyway, out of the blue the Romans and Chinese decide they are going to war with me. I saw a warrior approaching my town, he attacked me, and lost to my spearman (the only thing defending that particular town). I pretty much assumed that was going to be it. but NEXT turn, some 7-8 horsemen just rolled over the hills and just started pulverizing me. They took one of my towns, and would have taken 2 more If not for a reassessment of my strategies after a quick reloaded game that put me back a few turns.

So I asked the French for help. I originally thought the french would be my first war experience, since they were very close by and we shared a lot of border space (didn't really want to piss'em off though, cuz joan seems like a nice gal ). Again, I thought asking for help would be like in Civ2- they SAY they are behind you, but never really seem to do much. Anyway, we worked out the alliance, along with a right of passage agreement, and it cost me about 150 gold. But, the next turn, The french just started CLOBBERING Rome - I think she must have sent off about 15 horsemen units. . I took my city back, and The french just took thier blitzkreieg style winning spree deep into Roman Territory. Felt like I had a human player helping me.

Anyway, just wanted to post how HAPPY i AM that the AI actually seems to be honoring friendship with player controlled CIVs. I've been continuing this game pretty far now, and France has still been a great nation to share borders with.

[Dr. Nick]

Same here. The AI is finally an asset to the game.

[morb]

Of all the civs, France the war ally?

I had something similar, except I was playing as Russians and the Egyptians, who were literally on the other side of the map (on another continant connected to mine), made a war threat to me which I ignored. I figured they wouldn't even make the effort to send a few of their units on a 5+ turn journy just to insult me. But no, they went to work on me. They sent something like 10 or 15 war chariots. I didn't stand a chance.

I reloaded and payed tribuit like a puss that I am.

But the good news is, I'm dominating over England right now. The only thing I wish is so you could just subjugate a whole civilization to serve you instead of going through war devistation and then rebuilding.

[lokifalling]

I've managed to use the AI to get out of a tough spot in the game I'm in now. I attacked the English over a saltpeter deposit just past my borders, where they'd planted a city just after I discovered gunpowder. I thought, no problem, I'll go in and take the city, sue for peace, problem solved.

Wrong. Very soon the English signed an alliance against me with the Iroquois, who were scattered all throughout my empire because of a right of passage disagreement. Soon English swordsman were rolling over the hills in droves, and I was defending from random swarms of mounted warriors all over the place.

When the Iroquois took over and razed a size 8 city on the opposite end of the continent from them. I decided I needed help, and paid off the Zulu--who are between the English and Iroquois--to jump in on my side.

After a protracted struggle, I managed to destroy three English cities and take two Iroquois. I took back one of my cities, and another of mine came back to me because of cultural influence. To top it off, when I sued the Iroquois for peace, I got them to throw in a city close to the one they destroyed on the other side of the continent.

God bless the Zulus. Never would have said that in Civ2.

[Chuckles]

I love how the AI works with alliances. Spawning off big wars is so much fun.

[Mokael]

... unless whole world turns against ya.

I had a similar situation with England (I was Egypt). I was trading for their saltpeter, while figthing off invasions from 3-4 other civs (I had a complete control of an island). But "Virgin Queen" had to stop trading. Naturally, I attacked her gunpowder supplies - I figured I sue for peace, and it's all over. Yeah, right. At first Enlgish did sign a peace treaty, but then they broke it off a few turns later. While I had a kick-arse Ground Army, my navy consisted of like 3 frigates and 3 galleons. Big mistake - there comes a dozen Man-o-War. They didn't land any ground troops, they simply went around the island, blasting at my improvements - roads, mines, etc. In the end, I had to surrender them a decent size town (after I lost the conquered saltpeter one as well). That left me facing the previous 3-4 civs without any gunpoweder, navy, and very devastated economy. God, I hate how humanly smart AI is ...


Mok

[EEKthedog]

Yeah it's great. I noticed a tendency of some civs organising eachother to f**k over and destroy another civ just for the heck of it.

In my game (monarch, 8 civs standard map) i took part in an alliance who swept two other reasonably sized civs from the map in like 20 turns.