While the AI seem very aggressive in 1.3, I think they are not completely unmanageable. Here are some pointers I've observed that could delay all-out war:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
1. Alliances prevent Wars. When you have allies, other factions are more reluctant to attack you. Always make some friends in the first turn, especially if you start out alone. Don't make too many allies though, unless you want to get dragged into unnecessary wars.
2. Watch where you step. Each faction in ETW is hard-wired to want certain regions, such as their core regions, victory conditions, and historical goals. When you take these regions for yoursef, be prepared for an inevitable attack. For example, my very friendly Russian ally backstabbed me when I held on to Petersburg for too long. This is a major reason for AI re-declaring war after a treaty, because you still have something they want.
3. Watch who you share borders with. Always be extra careful with bordering nations, and watch out when you expand your borders. In the case of crazy Minors, sharing borders is enough to guarantee a war.
4. Always keep enough stacks in your regions. I can't stress this hard enough. No matter how friendly your neighbors or even allies are, or how preoccupied they seem, ALWAYS keep an army at home to rival them. The AI calculates the armies inside your regions as a whole, not individually, so you don't need to garrison every town. But when your armies are on hostile soil, the AIs no longer register them in your total strength. So keep the campaigning as short as possible, unless you want to bait an attack.
5. Minors will always attack sooner or later. You can only minimize the damage by making them protectorates ASAP, which cancels all their alliances. Nobody likes to get dragged into a major war because some minor's got a deathwish.
You could delay and avoid many wars, but sooner or later you have to go out and deal with them. If you're like me, and don't like to kill off any major players, here are some tips to make--and keep--a successful peace treaty:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
1. Take at least two of their regions. Most Majors will accept peace after a loss like that. You can also slowly wear down the AI with prolonged blockades and town raids. Even small victories like these can make a difference when demanding peace.
2. Destroy their army as completely as possible. This is especially important when you want to force a peace/protectorate with a Minor, because they don't have spare regions you could capture. This is also useful to stop the AI continually declaring war. Just beat them to a pulp so they don't have anything to threaten you with.
3. Don't try to offer back a high unrest region for peace, such as newly-captured capitals. Because you're just trying to avoid a rebellion, of course the AI won't oblige. But giving back happy and wealthy regions for peace is entirely viable, and you might even demand a tech or two in return
4. Use threaten if you could sneak an army up to an undefended AI city.
5. Don't forget the usual tricks, unlimited military access and paying over turns. Supposedly, if you offer to pay them over time they're less likely to break the truce.
After you've struck a peace treaty, go back to the tips above to avoid war.
It may seem a bit frustrating at first, but once you know the rules it's easier to manage. I would even say, with so many things to watch out for in Europe, you will be naturally inclined to expand elsewhere, just like the colonial powers. It's realistic in a way, because you shouldn't be able to conquer Europe so easily in the 18th century.
Last edited by aeoleron9; July 21, 2009 at 12:01 PM.
I'm currently playing as Prussia i'm about 20-25 turns in and i've only been at war with france simply because they attaked GB my ally so i got dragged in however i signed a peace treaty with france shortly after. Also which suprises me is all the minor nations surrounding are really peaceful and seem more 'chilled'.
The AI definitely seems less war prone past 1.3. In my UP campaign I keep trying to spark a war between GB and France, but GB just won't bite. I need someone to pull France off me....
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I agree. I had one Prussia (this is in 1.2, too) campaign which I for some reason decided to RP as a peaceful nation happy with my two provinces, everyone's friend, and with a powerful military, as powerful as my economy could support. I had about 5 stacks.
Prussia doesn't have any allies so I wasn't sucked into any wars. I never had a single DoW until 1799. I never achieved my objectives too, of course.
Originally Posted by Andivh
Plus I bet the majority of people who bought this game are NOT on this forum and are enjoying themselves immensely. I know the only reason I'm on here is because I'm waiting for the Maratha Confederacy to finish its turn.
With five stacks you should be able to get whatever you want within a few turns, no? Just go berserk before the time is up
The point is not to turtle forever, but to manage your wars while working towards your goal. For example, I would try to avoid conflict before I can get some steady trade spots. Even after I begin my offense, I try to avoid making new enemies. I've rarely have more than five enemies, including the pirates and Barbary.
it was easy to achieve peace in the original version, impossible in 1.2
i'm currently playing as gb in 1.3 and am only at war with the hurion confederacy and the barbary states. i'm about to end the hurion and have already taken algiers, so i'll let you know tomorrow if its possible to maintain peace in the new patch...
3. Don't try to offer back a high unrest region for peace, such as newly-captured capitals. Because you're just trying to avoid a rebellion, of course the AI won't oblige. But giving back happy and wealthy regions for peace is entirely viable, and you might even demand a tech or two in return
They usually accept, even if you ask for a few techs. Oddly, the cities do not rebel against them either. I think the AI just compares the income of the city. You can even get the AI to trade regions they started with if you offer them a region that makes more money.
I was able to make peace with Austria (as Prussia) despite the fact that I took 4 of their regions and had nearly a -800 diplomatic relation with them. The settlement terms were a trade agreement and I had to pay them 41,000 gold, which was well worth it for being able to keep those regions I took. Peace has been maintained for the last 3 or 4 turns.
What triggered their willingness to make peace I believe is the fact that I had nearly wiped out their military forces. If you can manage to draw out your opponent's strongest armies into a battle in the field, then crush them, the AI seems much more receptive to peace.
AN easy war to end a war is make a path to their capital. If you take their capital they usually will settle for peace if you trade it back. The only way they don't take it back is if you offer it immediately after you take it because all the buildings are damaged. Repair all the buildings and they will accept peace. They will even trade you regions of theirs for it.
I'm sure its because of tensions of the nations not patching but I had more peace in 1.2 then 1.3. Alliances for the most part are whats going to get you into war. And as was noted earlier if your sitting on a piece of land another country needs for victory conditions expect a war eventually. Thoughout this entire campaign which started in patch 1.2 I havnt had any real random DoW's everyone else seems to have. Honestly the game has played pretty well all around for me... I'm starting to think I may have gotten the only finished copy of ETW
In my campaign as prussia everything was peacefull for 50 turns i was just testing the AI but when i got tired of peace and attacked poland lithuania all went to peaces and there was war all over the place
The AI definitely seems less war prone past 1.3. In my UP campaign I keep trying to spark a war between GB and France, but GB just won't bite. I need someone to pull France off me....
How does one attempt to coerce two separate powers to declare war on one another? I noticed that the "Declare War on X" demand is gone from the diplomacy options.
"Not to know what happened before you were born is to be a child forever. For what is the time of a man, except that it should be interwoven with that memory of ancient things of a superior age?" -Marcus Tullius Cicero
The minor powers dragging larger powers into war is interesting as this is what caused the first real total war - world war one
I'm sorry, but you're wrong. The American Civil War was the first "total war," but total war isn't really a type of war, it's a tactic, which was first employed in the American Civil War, aka the first real war after the Industrial Revolution slowed down. Total war is devoting all of one's faction's resources to supply a war.
The only way they don't take it back is if you offer it immediately after you take it because all the buildings are damaged. Repair all the buildings and they will accept peace.
In my campaign as prussia everything was peacefull for 50 turns i was just testing the AI but when i got tired of peace and attacked poland lithuania all went to peaces and there was war all over the place
Specific thing about Prussia is that you start without any allies, so you don't get dragged into wars by your allies or if you refuse you don't get penalties for it.
I found it very easy to maintain peace as Prussia for 80 turns, after i initially took(in turn 1) W.Prussia and Saxony on Hard.However as soon as you start as nation with allies, no matter do you follow ally or not , you are bound for immidiate war.
That is main problem with diplomacy for me , being allied suppose to give you some security blanket , but instead is something that causes more grief.That is far from what it should be.
I'm sorry, but you're wrong. The American Civil War was the first "total war," but total war isn't really a type of war, it's a tactic, which was first employed in the American Civil War, aka the first real war after the Industrial Revolution slowed down. Total war is devoting all of one's faction's resources to supply a war.
No. The first recorded Total War was the Peloponnesian war. There have been other examples throughout history, including the 30 years war, the Taiping Rebellion and, yes, the American Civil War.
how was the american civil war the first total war? were cities bombed? did the war spread across the world? its like the world series which only takes place in america, think that country has a complex lol
Is War Avoidable?
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Originally Posted by Andivh
