Am I screwing myself? (Civ-type game)

Post by **RogueIce** » 2006-02-20 07:26pm

I say it's a Civ-type game because it's not actually Civiliation itself. It's Call to Power 2, a Civ spinoff.

That said, I'm playing a game (on easy setting at the moment) and I've basically been very isolationist. It's around turn 360 or so and my science is totally assraping everyone else. I'm at least a good ten techs ahead of everyone else. My economy is also totally killing everyone too. But my military is not so hot.

I have a good modern force going, but in sheer numbers almost everyone has me beat. On top of that all seven of my rivals are essentially at war with one another. There are about three who are clearly dominating, with three who are getting kinda squahed and one who just totally got dicked over (they started on a tiny little island and still have only once city, so nobody is even paying attention to them).

Now I believe the reason I'm so far ahead in science is because while they're all fighting each other, in order to keep that up they have had to let their science lag in favor of production power/military strength. The problem is that they're also a lot bigger than me, with way more cities then I have. Also those three I mentioned above are rather steadily kicking the other three nation's asses, and as a result gobbling up yet more territory/cities.

Now I am in the process of expanding my military. I have units coming off the lines at a fairly good clip, and my unit upkeep is hardly going to break the bank anytime soon. But I have to wonder if I haven't screwed myself over in having to eventually deal with the three largest powers.

In the event of war, am I going to simply be overwhlemed by a technologically inferior yet numerically superior enemy? Should I have been more agressive in the early game? Should I do some "smash and grabs" (declare war, do some damage then sue for peace) at the expense of diplomatic regard? Or just hope I can keep some peace with them through the end of the game (which may be hard with the French at least as they seem intent on expanding right up to my borders...bastards!)?

What do you all think?

Simmon · Post by **Simmon** » 2006-02-20 07:47pm

If Civ 3 is any indication of this game, you are fine. You have four options:
1. Race to nukes (or a similar weapon) and then intimidate everyone.

2. Sell them your superior tech for tons of money so they lag on THEIR military spending.

3. Give them all money/turn, that way no one will want to declare war at the risk of loosing that income.

4. Fortify borders and get a strong ally.

My ideas may be misplaced, as I am juging this situation by Civ 3 standards.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2006-02-20 08:19pm

You can generally techrush to the endgame if you're careful; if you're really paranoid, you can vanish into orbit while everyone else is busy with newfangled gunpowder.

You're not screwed, you just have to be careful unless you can grab some mass-destruction toys. I only know CTP 1 though.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2006-02-20 10:45pm

not to mention those space cities, and sea cities are really hard to fuck over. And those space cities can drop rocks you know.

HSRTG · Post by **HSRTG** » 2006-02-21 02:39am

From what I recall of CtP 1, you should race to space/sea cities. At that point, just let your city numbers explode. If you're fast, you should be able to grab at least a large part of the sea and space. Other then that, take reasonable defensive measures, but there's no point in going to war if you're that far ahead.

Whatever else, make sure you keep orbital superiority. Believe me when I say that you can BUTTFUCK anyone who's stuck on Earth once you can launch/drop at will. The sheer speed of stuff in space will allow you to outmaneuver (sp?) any ground based force. Don't believe me? Launch a shuttle to orbit when you get a chance and take a look at how far it can fly.

Diplomatically speaking, buy the others off with a couple of dead-end techs. The AI can't tell the difference between something useful and something worthless. Or simply bribe them with some spare cash. Whatever works. Once you're on their good side, focus everything on the race to sea/space colonization. Of course, selling them worthless tech kills two birds with one stone. They like you, and have less cash to pour into research.

A dirty trick to pull is to get a bunch of cities at sea (And at space), then pollute like there's no tomorrow. The AI loses its land cities, and your sea/space cities are unaffected, at least in CtP1. I'm unsure if sea cities can launch spacecraft, its been awhile. To be on the safe side, make sure you have a few self sustaining space stations first (or cheat out your ass in a different game to find out).

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2006-02-21 03:08am

I liked green nuking

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2006-02-21 03:14am

Use your tech advantage to gain total control of the high ground. Orbitally bomb all of your foes into dust, and spacedrop marines to take what's left of their cities for staging points. Get cruisers and take down any enemy colony they try to launch at you.

Nuke away. The environment isn't going to be a problem if you have a good aquatic and spaceborne infrastructure.

dworkin · Post by **dworkin** » 2006-02-21 03:23am

CtP 2 no longer has space. Still IIRC it still has orbital shuttles to drop troops deep into enemy areas. With that and well balanced superior stacks you should be fine.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2006-02-21 04:05am

Yeah, was gonna say, this reminds me of my average Alpha Centauri game as the University. Nukey-nukey.

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2006-02-21 10:21am

LordShaithis wrote:Yeah, was gonna say, this reminds me of my average Alpha Centauri game as the University. Nukey-nukey.

Except Planet assrapes you if you haven't built up basic defenses.

Although I did love having a nice, even, somewhat thin scattering of cities all over the world. Made the Psi Gate/Singularity Planet Buster combo soooo much more fun

Post by **RogueIce** » 2006-02-21 01:31pm

dworkin wrote:CtP 2 no longer has space. Still IIRC it still has orbital shuttles to drop troops deep into enemy areas. With that and well balanced superior stacks you should be fine.

Yeah. Can that Space Plane drop them anywhere or only within my borders? I tried it once in one of those "cheat to endgame tech just to see what I can play with" games and all I could seem to do was space-drop in my own borders.

The sea cities is a great idea though. I'll have an unstoppable base if I can build one up well enough and keep my tech advantage.

Of course if I get up to Plasma Destroyers and Fusion Tanks and the like I could probably go on a merry little assraping spree.

Especially if I continue to totally outpace them in tech. Alas my city expansion will be slowed down due to a lack of good places to go to at the moment until I can build undersea cities. About the best I can do right now is head into some tundra and swamp...yuck.

Unless I start sticking my cities close to each other, but I've never liked that as it limits the amount of usable land for the newer city to have that I can give over to farms and mines.