no more resources for the capital?

mr.buddylee · December 5, 2001, 11:00

Just curious about how roads and resources work.
In my current game, I am at war with the Chinese and about 5 other civs. (16 total on a normal sized map w/ the help of the editor). This has to be the strangest war I've ever fought. The war started when we all had infantry as our best unit and all 16 civs were still alive. Due to all the MPP's, just about everyone was at war with everyone else, but no one was making any process except for me, but anyways, back to the question.

I took 4 infantry and methodically pillaged all the roads and irrigation around the Chinese capital. Does this keep the civ from using any resources they have access to, or does it just keep that one city from using the resources? After I left a few infantry to guard the city, I then went and destroyed all the roads surrounding their only 2 oil resources, so my first action was a moot point, but would it have had any effect on the chinese?

Thanks.

Bubba_B · December 5, 2001, 11:11

By cutting a city off, you only starve that one city of any resources. The best way to deprive the whole Civ of a resource is to go to that square with the resource and pillage it. You don't need to destroy all the roads around it.

eMarkM · December 5, 2001, 11:20

From what I understand, if you cut off the capitol, you do effectively cut them off from all resources. Everything has to connect to their capitol somehow to be used. I may be wrong, but I think that's how it works. So cutting off the oil doesn't do anything additional once capitol is cut off.

However, I would pillage actual resources too, if I could, since it will take them that much longer to get everything back online. They'd only have to rebuild one road to capitol to bring back resources, so pillage as much as you can so they have to rebuild that much more infrastructure.

e

Peets · December 5, 2001, 11:25

If you destroy the roids around the capital then he can't trade with other people for resources. It always has to go to the capital if ya trade with other people.

To cut of resource in their borders you just have to kill the roids on the resource itself.

rugbyprop3 · December 5, 2001, 11:26

Cutting an opponents capitol off from the rest of his road network can be an effective way to wage war. What happens is that his civ would not recieve the benefits from any of the luxury goods that he has availible to him until he reconnects his road network. Strategic resources on the other hand will work with any city that is connected to that particular strategic resource.

just my 2c

Bubba_B · December 5, 2001, 11:28

You may be right, but that don't make much sense. Cutting off a single city shouldn't deprive the entire Civ. I will have to investigate this when I get a chance.

eMarkM · December 5, 2001, 11:40

Like I said, I could be wrong. What rugby says makes sense; capitol denial only effecting lux items. Still effective to cut off capitol, but I guess it doesn't effect strat resources. I'll have to test this in my own games before I open my mouth

.

e

Bubba_B · December 5, 2001, 11:46

I had actually never thought of cutting off a capitol before, but from what has been said it would seem like a good Strategy. Wow, I learned something

TY guys

absimiliard · December 5, 2001, 12:00

Capitol Denial doesn't effect either strategic or luxury resources for the empire at large. What is does do is cut trade with other empires.

Let me give two examples to clarify this.

Example 1: Your opponent has horses & wine in his empire somewhere. You try Capitol Denial. The result is that you've cut his capitol off from both Horses & Wine, but the rest of his cities have them.

Example 2: Your opponent has Dyes in his empire but is trading for Saltpeter & Incense. You try Capitol Denial. The result is that his capitol loses all resources, as you would expect. Additionally, since his capitol no longer connects to his trading-partner's capitol he also loses Saltpeter & Incense for his whole empire. However Dyes, which are his, are still available in his empire, excepting the capitol.

Coal for road-building might be weirdness in this. Since it's not being used by cities specifically but is being used by workers in the empire as a whole it might need to be visible on the trade screen. So in that instance Capitol Denial (great term) might be effective.

mr.buddylee · December 5, 2001, 12:42

When I get home tonight I'll try this: (or if anyone else can do this before me). Start a new game, and then don't build any roads from your capital build a couple more cities and check what you can/can't build/trade at your capital and other cities.

I would assume the AI would follow the same rules.

mr.buddylee · December 5, 2001, 12:46

Wanted to add that when I did this, the Chinese NEVER sent out any workers to fix the damage I caused while I still had a couple units stationed near their capital.

They tried to attack my units, but never had much success. (Infantry vs. Longbowmen) and the damage wasn't fixed.

If this does indeed work like everyone has said, this will definately change my strategy, and I will probably attack their capital last instead of first like I normally do. Just surround it and let it rot.