Is it wise

[Berserkers]

I am playing my game as the Germans, and people keep asking me for treaties. I would like to know if this a wise decision?

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

Yes i would but don't trust them because they will usually attack(the ones bordering you that is) as soon as they get the chance, hungary, Poland and denmark especially and definetly the Swiss in late period

[Doug-Thompson]

If you attack an ally, your influence goes down. So don't strike an alliance with anybody you want to kill.

[katank]

Alliances are not reliable at all. It's no big deal.

reject an alliance offer though, and the faction often takes aggressive action towards you if you are bordering.

still, not worth influence hit thus never ally with close neighbors who you want to kill.

note: allies can sometime save your butt and break sieges and take provinces with you (whoever has more troops going in wins).

I like having my allies shed blood to give me territories for free or use their pathetic armies as the draw similar to fake routs but I don't risk my troops.

BTW, if you break sieges and help take provinces, your influence goes up which is important for good heirs.

[katar]

keep your friends close and keep your enemies even closer. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

make them by all means, just don`t put too much trust on them when your are in serious trouble, they have a tendency to stab you in the back. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[SwordsMaster]

Quote[/b] (katar @ April 15 2004,16:57)]keep your friends close and keep your enemies even closer. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

make them by all means, just don`t put too much trust on them when your are in serious trouble, they have a tendency to stab you in the back. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
...Where tendency means 95% probability.

[katar]

Quote[/b] ]...Where tendency means 95% probability.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

i usually have a counterstrike force ready and waiting (not in a border province) to enlighten them if they (sorry, when) they make that mistake. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

slan agat http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[bighairyman]

Here's what a wise man once said to me: there are no allies, only enemies and potential enemies take it to heart kids http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif

[ichi]

My games usually alternate between periods of peaceful growth and violent expansion. I always ally with factions that are far away. I try to make nice with nearby/adjacent factions during my peaceful periods. During expansionist times I usually don't make treaties with potential victims, due to the drop in Influence that results from attacking allies.

Remember that during the game the other factions go to war with each other, and if you are allied with two factions that go to war with each other then you will get a chance to choose which one you want to stay allied with. This gives you the opportunity to graciously end a treaty, thus opening up new expansion possibilities.

Toward the end of the game you tend to get very few offers and the other factions generally won't accept your treaty offers, especially if you are the only superpower.

ichi

[gaijinalways]

Yes, deciding who to drop as an ally is tricky sometimes. Usually it might be a faction you plan to attack, but also it may be the faction that doesn't threaten you, as a larger faction as a non-ally may be more dangerous. I usually ally with whoever I can to boost the likelihood of non-aggression but it doesn't always work.

[Don Corleone]

I tend to do things like Ichi... ping pong between warring against an neighbor to pick up territory and pausing, slapping the neighbors on the back and saying 'hey, let's be friends'. I kinda read a little too much into the game and have my own personal conduct rules. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-toff.gif For example, I never break treaties with allies. Attacking neutral parties is one thing, but on principle, I don't attack allies. That being said, my retribution formula tends to be thus: When I get attacked, I take one province as payment, then sue for peace (unless I actually want a full blown war w/ the guy) and I only execute the leaders. If an ally backstabs me, I take his 3 highest wealth generating provinces and execute everyone (even I felt a little naughty the time I executed 700 captives) http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-speechless.gif Hey, I have to do something to make them think a few times about breaking the alliance.

All that being said, it doesn't seem to have any affect on the AI. I would say, try to plan your alliances for 10-15 years down the road... who do you plan to be attacking then and which faction, based on the way things are shaping up would be in the best position to help you. Try to have a reason for going after a particular faction or a particular province. If nothing else, the extra focus on why you're doing what you're doing will make you a better player as you'll be paying closer attention to what you're doing. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-inquisitive.gif

[katank]

I dunno bout morality and stuff.

first few years are those to build power base and thus I senselessly slaughter my neighbors.

then I slap my remaining or new neighbors on the back and say lets be friends while I build my econ and go sharpen my stilletto for future use http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Ironside]

I love it when your backstabbing ally gets a nice civil war due to the influence drop. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I almost always accept an alliance (well I don't alliance myself with the Almo if I'm Spain and the opposite), and rarly attacks my allies.

[WorkNeglecter]

Quote[/b] (Berserkers @ April 15 2004,21:37)]I am playing my game as the Germans, and people keep asking me for treaties. I would like to know if this a wise decision?
I always reject alliance offers and then immediately send my emissaries to make the same offer or try to marry that faction's princesses. This way they always say yes and your emissary gets another star or your heir gets a bride. Why let the AI faction get the valour increase?

[Leodegar]

i try to ally with factions neighbouring my neighbours. this kind of prevents them from attacking you i think, for they have a potential knive in their backs.

playing the turks i mostly start crushing the egypts and sooner or later the byzantines attacked me, unless i was allied to hungary. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[PseRamesses]

I always except alliances unless I´m in a close time-frame to invade them. Sooner or later everyone of my neighbours go to war right? That´s when I don´t choose to saty ally to them and sieze the oppurtunity to knife them in the back with a quick blitz going for numerous provs at the same time. I never break an alliance for any reason.

[LoST RaiNDRoP]

yea,, i accept alliances too http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-lost.gif .. but i don't accept alliances from Muslim countries.... and hey, i always back stab my Christian allies.. hehe.. thats why the pope is always mad at me.. anyways, when Spain was my ally, he BACK STABBED me what a very wrong move... coz he only had 4 provinces and i was surrounding him north, south, west, and east... a civil war broke out in Spain and taking over Spain was as easy as drinking a mug of beer http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif ...

...i usually ally with a country then attack when hes not expecting anything... yea, surprise attack is always good... but like they said, it may cause civil war/rebellion or whatever http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-oops.gif ...and you go asking for http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-help.gif ...which is bad. but usually, it always turns out successful http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-2thumbsup.gif

[meravelha]

Whether allied or not, it is fear rather than honour that keeps your neighbours from your lands. In particular, fear of their own neighbours.

Where their neighbours are both their allies and your allies, they will hold off attacking you even if you appear weak. They will not judge it a good risk to attack you when by cancelling a whole slew of alliances, they open their other borders to attack.

The MTW diplomatic system is surprisingly subtle for such a simple mechanism.

[SpencerH]

I accept and form alliances with everyone. Then I marry princesses to allies that will benefit me the most. When two allies declare war, I simply choose to remain allied with the one that threatens me the most at that time.

[katank]

remain allied to the biggest threat? why? I find it better as an excuse to bash that big threat.

I like balance of power and help out the smaller ones by raiding their enemies.

surprising how damaging a surprise seaborne raid on their capital (most developed province) can be behind their lines.

[SpencerH]

Quote[/b] (katank @ April 20 2004,11:12)]remain allied to the biggest threat? why? I find it better as an excuse to bash that big threat.

I like balance of power and help out the smaller ones by raiding their enemies.

surprising how damaging a surprise seaborne raid on their capital (most developed province) can be behind their lines.
I'll give you an example. I'm playing the Poles and have limited myself to only attacking rebel states. I've built up my trade by virtue of capturing the important Baltic States (~9 provinces total). My income is ~20000/yr. Beside me are the French who have conquered Modern day England, France, Spain, Portugal, and West Germany and on the other side the Byzantines and GH. I'm allied to the French but have married many princesses into the Byzantines, French, Danes, and Nov's. I chose to remain allied with the French since they were more of a threat when they and the Byzantines started going at it. The GH came on the scene and whittled down the Byz. So I allied with the GH. 10 or so turns later (with me making units all the while) the French and GH are in conflict so again I choose the French.

The French empire is starting to crack. Portugal and Scotland have already thrown off the yoke more than once. The French Byz and GH are looking at a 3 way conflict. Throw into this mix that I'm sending spies and inquisitors into Hungary, Moldavia, and 2 of the German states (all French) and we've got a situation thats rife for revolt. Thats when I'll move.

[katank]

my point is balance of power.

what if the biggest threat finished off their opponents easily? they they will turn on you and kill you fast.

if you help carve up the biggest threat though, you can get bigger than your opponents.

I personally like a bloody stalemate that you described between the AI and use assasins and/or inquisitors to kill their high command generals to keep anyone from winning and once they've slaughtered each other sufficiently to kill them all. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[SpencerH]

Theres no doubt about it, I'm walking a tightrope, but its one I choose to walk.