Any reason to blockade?

**Thuycidides** · February 05, 2012, 10:54 AM

I did some searches and did not see a definitive answer about blockading in 1.2 (many of the threads are from years ago in the beta days).

So, with the AI receiving extra money each turn from the scripts, is there any reason to blockade? i.e. does it hurt the finances of enemy factions?

**Casual Tactician** · February 05, 2012, 11:35 AM

You can stop the AI from launching new ships (there's a map with all navyports here, in section 7).

Concerning the financial damage: I guess if you (1) block enough ports, (2) the AI faction isn't mainly a landlocked empire and (3) you don't play with very hard campaign difficulty, then it's will probably hurt the AI. I've never tried that myself, as it seems somewhat unfair towards the AI though.

**Thuycidides** · February 05, 2012, 12:30 PM

Unfair? I thought using human intuition and strategy against the AI's mindless spamming of elite stacks was the name of the game.

**Ferdiad** · February 05, 2012, 04:41 PM

AI dosnt spam stacks at all.

**Bonapartist** · February 29, 2012, 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by Ferdiad

AI dosnt spam stacks at all.

Bull.

It's really weird, it only happens seemingly in some games and seemingly more in the late game period, but it happens.

It happened in my last Casse game as I was fighting down into northern Italy - what were initially interesting, diverse armies of conscript and Roman troops quicklky became super-heavy Legionary stacks with almost no diversity. I pretty much stopped playing because that just isn't fun AT ALL to fight.

So it really does happen, at least IME. On the issue of blockading, I do it all the time just because, why have all your ships just idling in the water? Move them to the nearest enemy port and blockade em.

I will say that I experienced better AI using the Alexander AI, although I'm struggling now to get Alex+EB to run with Steam...

**Sting the King** · February 05, 2012, 05:42 PM

No? I must have been playing some other game then...

**Ferdiad** · February 05, 2012, 05:57 PM

No doubt.

**Sting the King** · February 06, 2012, 01:58 PM

What does No Doubt have to do with EB?

**Ferdiad** · February 11, 2012, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by Sting the King

What does No Doubt have to do with EB?

Your lack of comprehension somehow enrages me. You said you must be playing a differnt mod and I said No Doubt you are.

**Hate Farmer** · February 22, 2012, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Ferdiad

Your lack of comprehension somehow enrages me. You said you must be playing a differnt mod and I said No Doubt you are.

...Never heard of the band No Doubt I take it?

**Thuycidides** · February 06, 2012, 04:33 PM

Err, anyone able to answer my question?

**XSamatan** · February 06, 2012, 05:12 PM

No, as the Ai always gets cash to prevent going bankrupt and getting even more cash on higher difficult settings; so it has nearly zero economic effect.
No, as the blockaded city can always build new ships (they only will be slowed down due to your field of control for one turn)
Yes, as there are reports that the Ai will build more fleets if the human player gives pressure on ports and sea trade and thus will maybe get to a point where it has naval supremacy and will launch naval invasions even on RTW

I used naval blockades in my campaigns very often, mainly because I feel that belongs to a war against another faction bordering the ocean and also because I use the fleets to limit my income. Furthermore I set houserules regarding garrisons in cities and fleets for different strategic theatres and so I have a lot of them which I can use.

XSamatan

**GRANTO** · February 06, 2012, 07:05 PM

does it have any bearing on the happiness of a city if its port is blockaded?

**Lansa** · February 23, 2012, 11:14 AM

Ferdiad, there's no need to be so hostile to all the newish people. It's not like the forums are exactly abuzz at the moment, without you scaring away all the new people.

**Sting the King** · February 23, 2012, 12:48 PM

I must protest!

I am not new at all!

I'm more of a lurker here at twc though...

**Ferdiad** · February 23, 2012, 12:53 PM

If they get scared away because im not all love and cuddles they dont belong on the internet.

**Conqistador** · February 29, 2012, 07:55 AM

I'm playing a Makedonian campaign in MM and i found it very balanced, because as long as i stood in defensive, the Roman dogs lanuched stack after stack of their own troops and regional militias against my battle front. For this reason i could see they were earning money and using it wisely to beat me. Then, when i ravaged two of their coastal cities with a elite army and blockaded the others which had ports, their economy got hurt so bad that they launched a beastly attack with their last 3 stacks, got beaten and from this point to where i am in campaign (a total of 15-20 turns) they don't lauched another invasion, meaning their money wasn't coming in nicely. So, if you want to play a balanced, realistic game, play in medium campaign difficulty.