n0v4k4n3

Join Date 11/2006

Relationship Problems

Ok guys, this is one thing that really peeves me because I don't seem to get a good handle on it. I play gigantic/9 opponents, though I think only the latter matters. When I play my game I try to get good standings on relationships with everyone so I can avoid unnecessary wars... and 99% of the time I'm successful at achieving Neutral or better with everyone due to diplomacy, trade, military power etc...

But then comes the time where I want to get to do some warring because I need to since I play military conquest only. First war is fine, I'll usually pick the most powerful opponent that is close by so I can double my empire size. I knock em off, no problems.

Then the second war comes... and all hell breaks loose. The problem is, I'm still in good standing with everyone before I pick a target, so no matter who I start a war with, I'll always get at least one (and mostly more) other opponent(s) saying "You did that unprovoked, so we're gonna smack your ish up!" Then all of a sudden everyone hates me, and it becomes a game of me versus everyone else remaining. So, upon my declaring of a second war, consistently all my relations go from wonderful to hate... in like an instant. Any tips on how to avoid this?

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Mumblefratz

Join Date 07/2006

+139

Any tips on how to avoid this?

Do you actually kill off your first opponents? If so that's probably part of your problem. I'll always try to get peace with an opponent while they still have a few planets left and let someone else come along and put them out of their misery.

I'll never finish off any opponent until I'm pretty much left with only one opponent left, otherwise you'll find yourself fighting everyone else at the same time. I usually do finish off any stragglers once I get it down to one serious opponent just so I don't have any "behind the front lines" distractions.

Also I tend to take out opponents in inverse order to my relationship with them, saving the better relationships for last. It's inevitable when essentially waging constant war that your relationships will decline.

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Do you actually kill off your first opponents?

Pretty much. They always end up surrendering, and I can never predict it. What would be your best guess at it? Take half the planets then peace?

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Mumblefratz

Join Date 07/2006

+139

It depends. If your military might is ranked less than theirs they can sometimes go to their grave thinking that they're superior to you and won't accept peace. If you're ranked higher it's usually easy to get them to accept peace. Just keep killing their ships until their military rating is less than yours and they should accept pretty much anything. I usually leave them their home planet or maybe another planet or two max before offering peace. Good diplomacy helps this as well.

Another useful thing to do is to wait for someone else to start a war and then offer to join the most likely victor. This is usually a win-win situation of not getting blamed for starting the war while at the same time improving relations with another potential victim. You still don't want to be the one that kills someone off.

[edit] When you do this make sure you talk to the civ you're "helping" out and make an actual offer of attacking his enemy instead of just attacking his enemy directly, otherwise you won't get "credit" for the "help". [/edit]

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Philocthetes

Join Date 10/2003

+153

I've scoffed military victories on occasion, but truth be told I like to keep my options open and see where a given game takes me. When you have a very strong military and Close relations with an AI, you can offer an alliance that can both keep them out of your hair and give you a very legitimate reason to crush the AI stupid enough to declare war on your little friend.

Diplo wins are trending to be my current favorite b/c they seem to include at least one final war against the twits who won't get with the program.

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keep a stronger military. get at least one alliance. don't totally destroy them.

that about sums it up.

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Mumblefratz

Join Date 07/2006

+139

Diplo wins are trending to be my current favorite b/c they seem to include at least one final war against the twits who won't get with the program.

This just shows to go you the variation available in style of play. My preferences are exactly the opposite, use Diplomacy early to keep strong opponents at bay and take advantage of weak opponents when suing for peace. But in the end I want to kill each and every one of them. The only good AI is a dead AI.

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The only good AI is a dead AI.

Amen.

Try saving the neutrals for last.

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One of the ways I've recently avoided the genocide blame. Hit them hard bringing the military down almost immediatley, then invading all their higher pq and well placed planets. Usually after this I can get them to give me half the planets they have left for peace. I take the planets in a pattern to where their remaining ones will slowly flip to me. They are gone and noone actually destroyed them.

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Hahaha that's rather devious... I got into a nice galactic war last time because the Refuge declared war on one of my allies... I honored the alliance, and so did all the other races, and soon it was me + ai + ai + ai versus ai + ai... only the humies didn't stick with the program (nice expression there), and on my way from one wrecked AI to the still-to-be-wrecked AI I parked near Sol and fired away... they weren't very strong to begin with.

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I almost thought the topic meant something else but...

I parked near Sol and fired away... they weren't very strong to begin with.

*Sob* Poor Hunams!

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