RoP/Explorer to Deny Resources

[eMarkM]

Has anyone tried this? Agree to RoP with another Civ and then fortify a unit on a strat resource within their borders that the civ hasn't built a road to yet, thus denying them the resource. Just thought of this and haven't tried it in a game. Maybe a peaceful way to deny a resource w/o having to resort to war. I figure they'd get peeved about it and would cancel the RoP at end of 20 turns, but it might give you a head start in strengthening your hand before they can get to it. Imagine planting a warrior on the Perisians only iron source and they can't build Immortals. You'd get a nice early edge, even if you eventually tick them off enough to cancel RoP or attack.

A related point: on a thread in civfanatics someone mentioned a similar use for an Explorer, but w/o RoP. Now I think the Explorer is the most useless unit in Civ3, since by the time you have it, the entire world has long since been settled and there's nothing left to explore.

However, I have put an Explorer on another continent to just keep tabs on what's happening with the other Civs there. A Civ will do the typical "get your units out of my country" request, but after that first warning, the Explorer is free to roam and you never hear from the civ again regarding the "offensiveless" unit. I had one in for the entire last two ages w/o a peep from any civ. If that's the case, you could do the same thing w/ Explorer by placing him on a unroaded resource when they appear. That use would certainly make the Explorer far more useful than he is now.

Thoughts?

e

[MarshalN]

Sounds like something you can do..... even though a bit underhanded and seems to be wholly taking advantage of the stupid AI.

But I think you do risk going to war with them a bit more than you would otherwise, because if you have a unit near/next to the enemy, there's a higher chance of them wanting to fight you. It's happened a few times when one of my units was passing by a unit of another civ, and they just attacked me out of the blue (no demands for tribute or anything). If I don't move them next to their unit, nothing happens.

[Blaupanzer]

That explorer is theirs for the asking. Most of the AIs include a unit escort for their workers moving near a unit of mine. If that unit moves on to the square, your explorer is now their explorer. This is one of those "stupid AI" tricks the player can use, but no human player would fall for. Turning an ROP agreement into a form of "squatter's rights" has precipitated many wars in the real world.