How can I maintain peace?

JohnMK · May 5, 2002, 11:31

What is the best strategy, that you have tried and empirically proven personally, that results in a more prolongued peace than is typical?

I'm getting very upset with my two neighbors constantly declaring war upon me. I have a huge military, probably an average of 4 units per city, but that's still not enough to stop them from thinking they can take me on.

Can someone reinvent the wheel here, and tell me how I should go about obtaining a lasting peace?

Lucilla · May 5, 2002, 11:46

Mayby you have something they really want. In my current game for instance, I researched literature as the first civ so that I can build the Great Lib. In all the other techs I stayed behind and didn't even try to get some by trade, because I knew that I would get them for free, once I had the GL.
Apparently, all other civs regarded me as weak, as I was scientifically behind. They constantly asked literature from me and when I refused to make the deal, they declared war.
If you have something, they desperately want, it's sometimes better to trade it at a good price as long as you are still able to do so.
Map size plays a big role as well. If there's not enough room, war will start early in the game.

Does that help?

Boris Godunov · May 5, 2002, 11:47

Hmm, what difficulty level are you on? I had the opposite problem in my games: Too peaceful. No one ever declared war on anyone else. Finally I became aggressive and did some warmongering. Ever since then, wars broke out on a constant basis, most not involving me.

So, did you, in this early game, do something to irk these neighbors? Maybe you warmongered a while back and they're just sill peeved about it?

JohnMK · May 5, 2002, 11:51

I've been nothing but peaceful. I have expanded rather aggressively though: I sent a settler to a chokepoint in the continent (Isthmus), and thereby prevented them from colonizing a (what I guess is, since I can't cheat and reveal the map) rather substantial part of the island/continent we're on. They seem to want to send settlers through it on a very regular basis.

Oh, and there is an iron mine on my side of the island, but it's not yet within my cultural influence. It will be shortly though . . .

Difficulty: regent.

Boris Godunov · May 5, 2002, 11:56

Even playing Regent, I had to initiate warfare in order for ANY civ to start having wars. I was like, what gives?

If you're on a small-to-standard map that might be the issue. Limited expansion makes for earlier warfare. I tend to use Huge Maps.

JohnMK · May 5, 2002, 11:59

I'm using a huge map.

Boris Godunov · May 5, 2002, 12:01

Well, I would point to the limiting their expansion as a culprit. I am willing to bet that the AI is programmed to behave more aggressively when it cannot build more cities.

zulu9812 · May 5, 2002, 12:12

Absolutely - if you box 'em in they'll just come out fighting. Very early on in a game, I built lots of cities around the zulus so they couldn't expand; they hated me for it.

Theseus · May 5, 2002, 12:15

A couple of thoughts:

- No one has discussed it so far on this thread, but which specific AI civs are you dealing with?

- Relative strength plays a HUGE role in the AI civs decisions. I think it's on a bell curve... the absolute weakest and the absolute strongest civs are targets.

- I wouldn't be surprised if Soren had marginally increased aggression across the board in 1.21.

- I forget where I saw it, maybe in one of the chats with Firaxis, but IIRC the entire tenor of each game is determined early on... either the AI civs get "mad" and stay that way, or the world remains peaceful. (I make sure they're mad!!)

BTW, JohnMK, 4 units per city is not a huge military. In fact, I'm pretty sure the AI doesn't even consider that ratio. Rather, it's absolute strength... either sheer number of units, or, as I suspect post-1.21, weighted strength of all military units.

JohnMK · May 5, 2002, 12:19

Germans and Russians.

Theseus · May 5, 2002, 12:21

Well, no surprise there... Bismarck is a bastard and Cathy can be, mmm, difficult.

wohmongarinf00l · May 5, 2002, 12:37

germans have a huge aggression level and the russians are not entirely peaceful....
matter of fact, u can expect a war with the germans at some point in any game.

Boris Godunov · May 5, 2002, 12:46

Germans? Aggressive? Who would have thought...

Panag · May 5, 2002, 19:31

hi ,

try this ; peace through power , it works , 9 out of 10 , ...

have a nice day

Theseus · May 5, 2002, 19:53

panag's right on target.

Dead civs don't declare war.
Vassals and punching bags don't declare war (if the do, no problemo).

In the Strategy forum, read a thread I started called The Care, Feeding, and Death of Neighboring Civs.

I guess my point would be that having a strong military is not enough of a deterrent to AI civs declaring war... that is just one element among many.

JohnMK · May 5, 2002, 19:57

How does one acquire vassal states?

SSBLoveU · May 5, 2002, 20:13

Trading with people will cut down the war . . . however, with some cultures, just wipe them out. Wiping them out will hurt your culture though.

Inverse Icarus · May 5, 2002, 22:00

the only way to maintain peace is to give in the the AI's every whim, have a large standing defensive army, and give them the possibility of a space race / culture / diplo win.

and that probably wont deter the germans from attacking you.

Jethro83 · May 5, 2002, 22:15

Forget Germany, Russia, Japan or Rome or anyone else like that. If you're next to the Zulu, war is inevitable. I'd say the Zulu are the Lord's Believers of Civ III. War seems to be their only religion, and they are VERY devout. I've never had a game on any difficulty level where the Zulu haven't tried attacking me at least once (except when I enlisted them in a military alliance).

Of course, if you get them into a military alliance against someone else, they'll practice their warmongering religion over there. I was once at war with Russia (since they were allied with Babylon, a neighbour I had nearly wiped out). Since the Russians were overseas and my navy was pretty much non-existant, I enlisted everyone else against the Russians while I finished Babylon off. Greeks, Iroquois, Aztecs, Germans, Zulu and myself (Americans) were all allied against Russia. Each civ in this league of nations began sueing for peace after the 20 turns had expired. All except the Zulu, who were continuing to fight the war for well over 200 years. Eventually, they asked me for a new military alliance against Russia. Since Russia were my next target, I was more than happy to do it (Think about the cattle. Won't somebody PLEASE think about the CATTLE!!!). Every enemy I fought in that game, I enlisted the Zulu as allies against them. That kept me on good terms with them. I maintained good terms with Germany as well using this approach.

What I'm trying to say is... find a common enemy, so as to give the more aggressive civs a different channel with which to try and flex their military muscle. Make sure it is a powerful, at least moderately advanced enemy though, lest your aggressive allies actually gain an upper hand without your help, gain greater power and decide to use this power on YOU.

Also, I've found peace damn well near impossible to maintain (except in the earlier days of the game when I was playing on Chieftain).

Panag · May 6, 2002, 08:35

hi ,

"peace through power" , that can be economic or with some nukes , the AI , no matter what is not that crazy , even if you have 10 city's and the AI 200 , if you have some nukes (even if the AI has them to) the AI shall be like a good puppy !

have a nice day

louiethelesbo · May 6, 2002, 08:54

I maintain peace by continuously playing John Lennon singing "Give peace a chance" or "Imagine"....don't knock it...it realyy works,

Panag · May 6, 2002, 09:09

hi ,

peace , well , through power , military or economic , ........

seen a game with peace for 600 years , lol , that time was used to prepare for a world war , nukes and all , lol , .........

have a nice day