Multiplayer Diplomacy FAQ For Civilization 2, Civilization 2 Gold on PC Written by Kenny "Kenshi" Tam Contact: kennytam@foxhound.zzn.com =============== Version History =============== Version 1.0 February 4, 2002 ================= Table of Contents ================= I. Introduction II. Basics III. Basic Diplomacy IV. Basic Diplomatic Theory V. Player to Player Dialogue VI. Playing as a Weaker Nation VII. Playing as a Superpower VIII. War IX. Allies X. Conclusion XI. Notes and Credits =============== I. Introduction =============== Civilization II, as many gamers know, is the immensely popular and addictive strategy game for the PC. Although it is ancient, by gaming standards, it is still played often. The multiplayer mode, although somewhat slow especially later on in the game, is still immensely fun. ========== II. Basics ========== The feature which everybody knows about is the diplomacy mode. This contacts other players as well as takes care of almost all forms of trade and so forth. The Multiplayer edition expanded on this, allowing players to actively chat and barter, as well as trade new items, making trade and diplomacy more useful and flexible. This FAQ deals with the various intricacies of the system as well as tactics. It is by no means limited to the dialogue menu; in fact a lot of it is based on the different actions of the player. Although not as detailed and flexible as real diplomacy or even Civilization III, it has still come a long way in development. ==================== III. Basic Diplomacy ==================== Bringing up the diplomacy enables several options: -Treaty -Cease Fire -Peace Treaty -Alliance -Cancel Treaty -Proposal -Declare War -Ask to Exchange Maps -Gift -Knowledge -Gold -Military Unit -Territory -Maps -Barter -Knowledge -Gold -Military Unit -Territory -Maps -War Declaration -Trade -Threaten -Knowledge -Gold -Military Unit -Territory -Maps -War Declaration -Trade This is where most, if not all diplomatic actions will either end up or pass through. Proposing a Treaty: ------------------- This menu basically deals with war and ending a war. A cease fire basically end a war for 20 turns (?) A peace treaty basically end all hostilities until someone declares war. This can be proposed when at war, contact or cease fired. Proposal: --------- This will ask for the player to declare war on someone. The share world maps exchanges the world map between players. Gift: ----- This function allows you too give the opposite player a gift. You can choose from any advance, gold, city, maps, or military unit. Note that if you give an advanced unit or scientific advance a bit head of their times, they will gain the subsequent knowledge as well as knowledge leading to its discovery. =========================== IV. Basic Diplomatic Theory =========================== Basics: ------- Actions speak louder than words. What better way to convince someone other than a few nuclear submarines off their coast? Of course the actions one does depends on a lot of factors. As Sun Tzu said, "know your enemy and know yourself, and you will win a thousand out of a thousand battles." There is no single purpose; sooner or later, players will run into each other and depending on what they do, will either prosper or run each other into the depths of hell. The main aim is to stay alive and prosper, be it pushing or bending demands. Obviously a puny nation doesn't really have much place pushing around a giant nation. Before we go any further though, there is one misconception that needs to be cleared up, although I am sure many of you have seen it occur. More Advanced Units =/= Victory What it means is that don't expect an army of tanks to run over an army of spearmen or horsemen. This problem is even prevalent in the new Civilization III. One could argue that a chariot could beat a Stealth bomber because of terrain as well as city improvements, but that is not really the issue in general. The point is always make sure Military and Science are balanced. It is no use reaching the digital age when all you have is a single Rifleman to defend against the legions of Elephants and musketeers. Similarly, an incredible army of Knights won't do much if the opponent is more advanced and has a sizeable force. Of course it is time for another caveat. The heavy emphasis on war does not mean that it is the best option. Although not as prevalent in this game, it is still better to maintain peace, at least until you are ready to unleash hell. Other than being a whole lot more fun, it also makes your empire much more powerful. So why not? Prisoner's Dilemma ------------------ I am sure many people know what this is. But for those who do not: There are two prisoners in two separate rooms. Depending on who confesses and who does not, they will receive different sentences: If neither confess, they go free. If they both confess, They go to jail. If one confesses, the one who remains silent gets a longer sentence whilst the squealer gets a reduced sentence. Here is a diagrammatical representation: Prisoner B Not Talk Confess Prisoner A Not Talk 0 years 2 years 0 years 50 years Confess 50 years 25 years 2 years 25 years Where top line is what happens to B, bottom is what happens to A. From this is easy to see that if they both choose to stay quiet, they can go home. If they try to rat each other out, they will either get a short sentence or get a long one. Here is another example: There are two people. They are to choose either Red or Black, and they are trying to get the highest total possible: Person B Red Black Person A Red $3,000,000 $5,000,000 %3,000,000 $3 Black $3 $0 $5,000,000 $0 If either one decides to be greed and vote black, whereas the other votes red, the person who votes black benefits. However, if they both vote black, they get nada and have to walk home. They both vote red though, they do not get as much money but still better than nothing. What would you do? At first glance, it would be tempting to be greedy and try to get the 5,000,000 bucks. But then if the other person thinks differently, its nothing for either. Obviously the best thing to do would be to both vote red. It is not as much as black, but it is still the safest. BUT- what if one of them was thinking the same thing and decides to vote black, since the other person will vote red? Then the other person would think that and also vote black... and back to square one. Assume that it is repeated for 50 trials. They pick a color repeatedly, but this time, - If they both vote black, the ENTIRE total is reset to 20% of the total. Here it is riskier to vote black. One can still risk voting for black for self benefit, but the risks are much greater. What would the other person do? Punishment by also going black and give him a lesson in trying to be greedy. As such the best thing to do would be for both to cooperate. Here it is once again: IT IS ALWAYS BEST IF BOTH PARTIES COOPOERATE. IF THEY DO NOT COMPLY, PUNISH THEM BUT FORGIVE QUICKLY. This theory is true for virtually ANY aspect in life. Economics, politics, friendship, dating, you name it. This is an important concept to keep in mind in this game, when against another human opponent. I must admit the ways in which you can "punish" another player is pretty limited, aside from kicking their butts or something. If you didn't get that in Civ 2 context: Player B Peace Hostility Player A Peace Advancement More Territory Advancement Lose Territory Hostility Lose Territory War More Territory War Before the next section, take this into consideration. If Person B keeps on insisting on black, voting red only to coherence A into voting red, eventually, B will still have more money, although not a lot. Person A will have nothing. ============================ V. Player to Player Dialogue ============================ Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. Virtually all player to player dialogue will occur in the diplomacy screen. In addition to demands or offers, they may also include offers in the chat window, such as "withdrawal of troops" or "Trade between X and Y city." Try to keep an idea of what kind of player. If it is someone you know, then think if they will make good on their demands or bluff often. Keep in mind the position of your own Civilization in relation to theirs. The "check intelligence" is useful here, so try to establish embassies. ======================= VI. The Weasel Approach ======================= This applies when dealing with larger, more powerful nations. Follow real life reactions, and be the whipping boy of the almighty nation. If they feel that giving them an advance would "help relations" do so. Of course this means that you would need to take back what you have given, sooner or later. Try using clandestine methods. Use spies to steal technology that would help you jump a few branches of the tree. Use your imagination. Try making alliances with other nations. Two heads are better than one, but sooner or later you will need to destroy them if you want to win the game or something. This is especially useful if there are computer nations in game. Make them declare war. You get to stay safe and keep the superpower busy for a while, gauging their military strength in the process. Of course they might trace it back to you and crush you similarly. ======================= VII. Being a Superpower ======================= Being a superpower maybe fun, but it is pretty hard to manage at times. I am sure many people have complained about the US doing so and so, including I. It is pretty far from reality, but the game does have a certain degree as such to how it works in real life. The most important part of being a Superpower is Maintaining your power for as long as possible. Rome did have a strong military back in 400 AD, but now isn't, as were France and England. It is inevitable that sooner or later another player will surpass you as a superpower. The question is how to maintain your rule as a superpower so when that happens, you won't get pushed around. As much that is. It is likely that there will be another superpower with you in the game. Usually its one or two, and having three is very rare. But then what makes a superpower, in Civilization 2 sense? -Economic Strength: Having a large volume of gold in treasury as well as economic prosperity. Tax rates are low but still bringing in lots each year. Science rate is somewhat low but still making good scientific progress. Luxury rate is high and citizens are happy. -Military Strength: A large and powerful military force, easily mobile and able to strike at any potential enemies. The most basic definition there is of a "superpower." -Influence: other players and civilizations are greatly influenced; follow to a degree what you want as well as shape their game around your behavior. If you think you can beat any of your opponents in game, realistically, given the above factors, then your civilization maybe eligible as a superpower! See inside package for details. No purchase necessary! Making it Last ************** So now your civ is a superpower. Now what? Pointless making it last only a few turns. Protecting the Homeland: ------------------------ The most important thing is to protect the homeland. Obvious enough, but harder than people think to actually do. -Terrain Improvements! Make sure there is good lines of transport between cities and vital areas. This makes mobilizing armies much faster and easier, as well as giving a trade bonus. - Make sure there is more than one way to each location. If the enemy pillages it, you may need another way to reinforce a besieged capital! - All roads lead to Rome, and to your capitol as well. Reinforce your borders well, and keep units around cities in forts. Time Frames: ------------ This section give a brief synopsis of each time period. It read just like a history book coincidentally, but holds very true to the game, assuming the players know what they are doing. Mighty as the Romans: ********************* During the start up of the game, and during the ancient ages, it is likely that there will be a single, powerful nation. This nation is typically the one which gets all the useful wonders, which coincidentally may end up as the lead player for the entire game. The basic concept at this age is Expansion. Expand the civilization's border and make the nation as large as possible. The military is the most important factor here, since they are needed to protect the large borders of the nations. After new cities have built their basic barracks, temple, marketplace and Library, they will usually end up spewing settlers to transform the terrain as well as expand. Older cities will pump out military units to go to the new frontier, where as the capitol and oldest few cities grow and build wonders. This stage of the game is the most important and usually the most fun. Scuffles are inevitable as borders meet and expansionists clash. The key idea here though is planning for the future and getting a good head start. Save the Queen!: **************** With the onset of knights, most empires will be established pretty well. The main theme in this era is developing the empire. Transforming the terrain, building improvements, and general upkeep of the empire. It is likely that there are more than one powerful civilizations at this age. Wars are inevitable, but they rarely lead to dramatic changes. At most, the musketeers will give a nation a bigger advantage. Sail the Oceans Blue: ********************* The new ships, galleon and frigates, will allow players to expand and visit new lands. Think of this as the age of discovery. Players will usually make contact with everyone else, but maps will rarely be traded or forcefully gained to keep their vulnerabilities and strength secret. Overseas cities will start to appear, as settlers can be transported elsewhere. The mightier nations will end up over running the smaller weaker civilizations. Clashes between lead players will occur as they jockey for valuable territory. Scientific advancement is also rapidly growing, as major scientific wonders appear. Citizens are also happier with wonders, as well as new forms of governments. It's called Child Labor, Charlie Brown!: **************************************** Discovering industrialization will be the likely goal for all players. Reaching this will change the appearance of the cities, so it is bound to be revolutionary. Whoever discovers this first and makes the best use of this will be set for the future. Factories will be on the build list of every city, whilst wars cease and pollution crops up everywhere. With the completion of factories, city size will boom and ironclads start to appear more often. Democracy is starting to become popular, and the different riflemen guard cities everywhere from the oncoming change in times. Expansion has almost stopped, as players are focusing more on domestic development. With the development of railroads, it brings new mobility for both the player and the enemies. The Future is Now (SNK): ************************ The last era in the game, where the civilizations would have completely developed. Usually, the first to industrialize would be the most powerful nations, but it is likely they were the same people in the first place. Expansion has stopped, and the only real option is to conquer. New technology makes striking anywhere possible. Productivity is exponential since new technology allows building of even more productive improvements faster. With the completion of the Manhattan Project... All Your Base are Belong to Us: ------------------------------- Yeah it's an overly trite saying. But it is a valuable tactic to use. This deals with handling your military. Try to set up military bases (forts with an airbase basically) near your opponent. Don't get right in the middle of their way though, but in more out of the way but still strategic areas. For example, if playing on a world map, in the narrow strip in Central America (Panama area) or the Suez canal, right where Africa joins the Eurasian continent to really piss people off. The point of these mini-bases are quite similar to reality. They allow you to have some military presence right outside the enemies borders, as well as do stuff like reconnaissance or quick military strikes before the main troops arrive if it all goes down to hell. Another use could be intimidation. Players are more likely to follow your drift (if they are playing somewhat seriously) if you have a battalion of Marines and Tanks fortified near railways leading to their capitol. Following the same note, a popular tactic learnt from America is the use of Naval units. Park an air craft carrier with an escort in neutral waters near their cities, in seas as well as gulfs. Move a few nuclear armed submarines near their destroyers so they can see what is lying off their coast. As a warning of course. Air bases are another fun thing to play with. Try to build them *right* in range, so your bombers or fighters can land there with 1 move left (in case of mistakes) and continue with their flight the next turn. Use your imagination. Before you do this though, make sure your cities are properly defended. What use are nuclear submarines off the opponent's coast when they can simply walk in with tanks? Trade: The Deadliest Peaceful Weapon: ------------------------------------- Trade really isn't much of an issue in this game unfortunately, so it isn't as influential as it should and could be. Nonetheless, trade is somewhat important, since it allows gold and trade at the same time. Try issuing embargoes or ceasing trade with the enemy. It won't exactly be crippling, but the extra gold and trade for you could be useful. Mutual Development: ------------------- Trading with the weaker nations can be extremely useful. You will need them anyways as allies against the opposing powers (if any.) Offer to sell your opponent an advance or a good unit. Don't sell stuff like Stealth fighters unless they are almost there though, or give technology too far ahead or they will jump significantly in power, more than you think. With the gold you get, buy some freights and trade them with the same civilization. If you did it right, you should get a profit as well as increased trade. Feel free to use the extra gold to further increase trade. It is advisable to keep pressuring or bullying tactics to a minimum. Forcing them to buy chariots in the modern age for 30000 gold maybe fun, but it drives them to the other player who may act much nicer and fairer. Try to keep it fair to a degree. If they do enter a war, it is a good time to sell them good units. It will help them develop (and give you gold) as well as improve relations between the two of you. Of course there is a certain catch to that. One major problem countries are having now is that countries they used to support are using the weapons sold to them *Against* the people who sold it to them in the first place. Once again, adequate intelligence is needed here. Send in spies to monitor both your future buyer as well as their opponent. Sell them units that will help them win, but won't actually last the whole war. On the other hand don't sell them crap since they wont buy much, and keep in mind the previous warning about forcing them to buy. If everyone is playing properly and competently (to a degree) the puppet countries at war would have polarized to either superpowers. Think of it as a Cold war. Don't actually get involved in the war directly or it could end up as total, massive war with nukes flying about. As a disclaimer and slight antithesis about the "too powerful units" idea, it _might_ be a good idea to sell someone nukes. Yes, that's right, nukes. Sell a smaller nation near the superpower nuclear weapons (assuming he already has the technology.) Not only does it give them one more place to worry about (and you as well!) it makes the smaller nation trust you more, making their way to destruction easier. As a caveat, use spies regularly to keep tabs on where your sold nukes end up. It would be pretty funny to other players if you get hit by your own nukes. Use the money gained constructively. Build better improvements as well as develop better technology. You get the idea. The Nuclear Deterrent: ---------------------- By the time someone hears an explosion and sees a movie about the Manhattan Project, many players will try to finish their wars. Once nuclear weapons get researched, it is a different game; temporarily that is until SDI gets researched. It all depends on the game. After all, since its just a game, pushing the nuclear button would just make the game cooler, although effectively ending it. For players wanting to play further though, the development of nuclear weapons, like in reality, will bring a new form of peace. In about 2 or 3 turns, players could have enough nuclear missiles to bomb every city in the world. Players could steal the technology with minimal retaliation since they too possess the deterrent. The best one can do is stop trade or pressure them. The main goal for every nation is likely to be research into the SDI system, which makes nuclear missiles virtually useless. Since everyone is focusing on science anyways, it's the person with the most resources that wins. This is where penny pinching and the capitalization function comes in, as well as making the effort to move a freight from Spain to South East Asia. Once you get the SDI, what next? You are immune to nukes, but they aren't... Unless you like global warming and cleaning pollution for the next 500 turns, it is best to start militarization once again due to the disappearance of the nuclear threat. It is unlikely though the game will be won by bloodlust, since that would be earlier in game. Production is the key here, since the person who builds the fastest wins... Space Race ---------- The most common way to win in the modern age, where militarism is at a stalemate. Even the underdog can win this one. Oddly enough though, this peaceful method of winning is pretty aggressive as players try to disrupt the enemies production anyway they can. Keep production in the safest, most productive cities. Use spies to find out where the opponent is building theirs, and sabotage their production. As such, keep spies in your cities to try and foil their attempts. Try to out wit them, with decoy cities and so forth. Who ever launches first, regardless of how cool it looks, immediately wins the game. ========== VIII. War ========== War against another player is significantly different than against an AI, as one can imagine. Weird AI glitches don't apply, and you cannot save and reload each battle to get a favorable outcome. Instead, the opponent will react to what you do and adapt as opposed to running an algorithm. How to Fight a War: ------------------- The best defense is good offense. The Best offense is good defense. It's like a cat with buttered toast strapped to it's back; which side to land on? Both. Keep good defensive units back in your cities. These units are here to stay, units such as the phalanx, musketeer, rifleman, and Tanks make great defenders. Attack with a separate force, and never un- fortify and units in city defending to attack. Keep a small mobile force around to take care of any enemy units that wander in. Keep an eye domestically too; before police stations unhappiness can really mess up your nation if you aren't careful. Keep units in key locations, and don't devote all cities to the war machines. Research and better units are essential here. Spies, as one can imagine, are of utmost use. Use them to determine the size of defense in a city, or to cause havoc. Go after weak cities and try to cause disarray in their force. Nail their capitol and watch the sparks fly. Sidenote: Why are you Fighting the War? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Before you do anything, keep in mind why you are fighting this war. To conquer or to defend? War is played out by taking over cities. Think carefully. How to Prepare for War: ----------------------- Don't expect to declare war and win without preparation. In fact it could mean defeat on the contrary. Before you do anything, make sure you have the gold for it. 10000 gold is good for middle ages. Scale it up or down according to the different eras. Buying units becomes almost standard in the front lines, as well as buying improvements and so forth. Another very important consideration is the government. Democracy maybe great for peacetime, but at war, it is frustratingly annoying as well as useless. The senate can really get in your hair and stop your war *right* when you are in the middle of an offensive, or when the enemies are literally at your gates, preventing you from using your turn to repel them. Fundamentalism and Communism (fundamentalism is the best) are the governments you want to use for war. There is no war unhappiness, as well as the senate stopping you. Keep in mind though, it is a clear alert to everyone else that you are preparing for war; as well as indication that another nation maybe preparing for war. Thirdly, make sure you have the units to fight the war. Defense of your cities is the paramount priority. Make plenty of defenders in your cities before making an attack force. Keep the lines of transport clear as well as well guarded; the enemies can get a free ride to your capitol on your own railways. Before the attack, send in an army of spies. Use it to see what units the opponent has, and the size of his army. Feel free to steal maps and technology. When everything is ready to go, try to incite a revolution in one of their cities. Send in your attack force and change the production to attack units. Let the games begin. David and Goliath: ------------------ Inevitably, a smaller civilization will end up fighting the larger nations. This does not mean certain doom though; it is possible not to get over run or certainly possible to lose despite the larger size advantage. It's all about tactics and aim. David: ------ Smaller nations will have to play defensive. If you are on an island, it is much easier. Stick to defense and try to hold out on the attacks. It will end up as a war or attrition, which you are likely to lose. To counter this, try to get an ally involved or somehow make the opponent fight a war on more than one front. Attacking their homeland is almost impossible and futile. It is unlikely your units will make it all the way there, and you need it for defense anyways. Try to get help from another larger nation. They may be looking to earn some gold from selling a tank or two... Goliath: -------- Don't go off thinking on how you can crush your opponent. "to prepare for your opponent's defeat is to prepare for your own" (forgot where it came from) and half mindedly attacking is a great way to teach everyone else what a failed offensive looks like. Defending units have the advantage against attacking units in this game, and since they will be playing defense with their entire army, it's a lot to blast through. It is a war of attrition, and you will need a lot of time and effort to break through. It is likely the smaller nation will get help; which is bad considering it's a war on two or more fronts. Try to get your own allies involved... if they are willing to risk a world war. Goliath versus Goliath: ----------------------- If it ever came down to two superpowers fighting, it is likely to be full nuclear Armageddon or a drawn out world war. Each will polarize to follow a country, seeking to claim a piece of the pie. This is the hardest to fight, but also most fun (although it is war after all.) You will have to work with allies to gain the initiative, taking advantage of the different geographic features. It's a total war scenario here... The war will either end in Stalemate or the conquest of one nation (duh) where depending on how long you want the game to last, stalemate is preferred, but be warned that it is bound to flare up sooner or later. After the War: -------------- This is the messy, tedious part, but also the glad part. Time to move units back into place, quell riots in new cities or restructure to compensate for lost cities. Clean up pollution in the newly constructed Hell after a nuclear war. And so forth. End the war with a cease-fire first. The victor is likely to offer this (or over run you.) consider the following before you offer the peace treaty: Can you manage the new empire? There is something intrinsically wrong and difficult with running an empire that spans 15 time zones with 6 other opponents at every corner. Your original lines of defense have expanded and you will need to compensate for this, as well as transform for the next 50 turns your new empire. It would be better at times to simply offer their cities back with a peace treaty. It looks enticing for them too, for obvious reason. You could keep certain cities though for strategic purposes. Try to extort some gold as well. You will be rebuilding and recovering for a very long time, so why not slow them down and give yourself a boost. =================================== IX. Let's Be Friends: Making Allies =================================== Allies, no matter how powerful you are, are essential. They are a source of help, a branch into another part of the world, and valuable source of information. It is important to make allies in this game. Keep in mind though, nobody likes the lead nations. They like their help and freebies, but not working with them. If it is a war they think you will lose, they might even jump ship join in your way to destruction. Treat your allies well, and give them a reason to help you; drag their civilization's interests along so they have to fight regardless. They might not like you a lot for it, but at least they are in it. The question is what happens afterwards... Maps, as I have mentioned, are never to be shared. It is basically giving the opponents a blueprint of your civilization, highlighting weak points in neon signs. With allies though, you need a certain degree of trust: notice the word "certain" though. Share technology with them every now and then to make them happy; but not too powerful. Give them gold or units or any other gifts. Use your imagination. Keep in mind though: Actions speak louder than words. Sending spies into their capitol or fortifying howitzers next to their cities won't make them like you any better. ============= X. Conclusion ============= When doing all this, keep in mind that you are playing another person. They will react and think different, so don't apply a panacea to all conflicts, as well as expecting the same response to everybody. All in all, the aim is just to have fun. ===================== XI. Notes and Credits ===================== -Civilization 2, Civilization 2 Gold edition, and all likeliness are Trademark and Property of Microprose. -Mr. Jeff Veasey at Http://www.Gamefaqs.com for hosting (hopefully) this FAQ. -L.N- For his Civ 2 multiplayer games. -N.H- For all civilization that can be created and conquered, you are the only one that surpasses any civilization that has ever existed. This document Copyright 2002 by Kenny "kenshi" Tam, and may not be duplicated or reproduced (in part or in full) for profit without the explicit permission of the author. Chances are it will be rare if anyone would want to use this crappy FAQ. This document is supposed to appear on http://www.gamefaqs.com. http://www.psxcodez.com http://www.DLH.net http://www.gamespot.com