How to provoke a war?

[kralj]

How to provoke a war with neutral faction?
If you break ceasfire/alliance with one faction, does this affect the future relations only with them, or everybody finds that you are a warmonger and refuse to have diplomatic contacts with with you?

[Taurus]

During a few of my recent campaigns namely with Armenia it seems that it affects all of the factions in a different way.

Heres what happened, I betrayed Parthia in a bid to eliminate them quickly, as my forces were poised for the assault of my ever-strenghtening allies. So I betrayed Parthia and won the war but when it came to making alliances later on nobody would ally with me, I always got a messages along the lines of "although you may be true to your word your past history tells a different story."

This suggests to me that there is some sort of...can't think of the word...erm...relations logger or something.

Hope this helps

[Deus ret.]

Yes, I have the same impression. Another factor which influences the attitude of other factions towards you is your greatness; if you expand too fast, no one will like you (or if you play as the Greeks, then nobody won't, either).

The "although you may be true to your word.." message I also get sometimes when I HAVE been betrayed but have not done so myself. Strange...

How to provoke a war with neutral faction?

A good way is to send assassins after their family members. Even if they fail they'll likely declare war on you.

[Dutch_guy]

Well once you become to big/powerful , it's unlikely anyone will exept an alliance - in my games at least it is very rare.

Even if they fail they'll likely declare war on you.

This is true with the Senate while playing one of the Roman factions ( patch 1.2 ) , however it won't neccesarily do the trick with other factions.

[kralj]

Thanx. I'm allready building an army of assasins

[Elmar Bijlsma]

Having troops sitting around on your opponents lands will cheese them off. If the Senate will let you.

[AntiochusIII]

Leave a border town with them "under-guarded" with only a few garrisons. However, keep a strong force not far away deeper in your border. The AI will attack a weakly-defended city (they are aggressive...) even if you are allies with them. Use the strong army you prepared to repel them and proceed with the (counter-)invasion.

[Celt Centurion]

Yes, I have the same impression. Another factor which influences the attitude of other factions towards you is your greatness; if you expand too fast, no one will like you (or if you play as the Greeks, then nobody won't, either).

The "although you may be true to your word.." message I also get sometimes when I HAVE been betrayed but have not done so myself. Strange...



A good way is to send assassins after their family members. Even if they fail they'll likely declare war on you.

From Celt Centurion

I have never betrayed anybody. When I make an alliance, I honor it. Period. Still, when I offer to attack another faction (having my own army in place, ready to attack), asking an ally to attack a third, or the same enemy, offer them a region, and offer them cash, I still get some snide comment such as "you cannot be trusted." Although I am tempted to break the alliance and attack them, I restrain myself.

They usually betray and attack me soon afterward anyway, and then I don't have a problem with wiping them out with a vengeance.

While playing as the Selucids, the Egyptians betrayed me, and then just last night, for the first time ever, they sent a diplomat to beg for peace. It might be on account of I have destroyed 3 large Egyptian Armies, and have nearly full stacks at Sidon, Damascus, and Palmyra, and their cities have minimum manning. Keeping in mind that one of my objectives is to eliminate the "Necrophiliac Monsters", I refused them. In another few turns, I intend to simultaneously attack Jerusalem, Bostra, and Petra.

I have also learned that often, they just ask for peace to build up, and attack you again.

To betray, does not pay!


One thing that really bothers me is when a faction gets "free" armies. That is; we hold a city, such as Jerusalem, and it revolts. Instead of turning gray, as in rebels, it will turn yellow if Egypt still exists, or Carthage will turn white if they have not been taken down. Only twice have I benefitted from this, (and that's debateable as I seldom use incindiary pigs or ballistas), but I have had to take and retake cities hundreds of times when a revolt took place, and there was a full stack of yellow, green, or whatever color originally had that city.

Maybe it's because I have not lost many cities except to revolts.

When I RE-TAKE a city, only twice have I not exterminated them. Those two times, the population was enough to upgrade the governor's mansion or whatever, and if I had exterminated them, it would have really set me back. One of them immediately revolted, and I had to take it a third time, but by then the mansion was built so when I took it back, I could build. The other time, they wisely chose to be good subjects and let the city grow.

Strength and Honor

Celt Centurion

[caesar44]

I just sends a diplomat and ask for money , the AI says "no" , I attack . the diplomacy system in RTW is so bad (4 out of 10) that one must ignore it altogether (playing the game for almost a year) .

[scorillo]

How to provoke a war with neutral faction?

Just attack an army or a city. lol

[pezhetairoi]

Simply put, attacking an ally instantly means no other faction will ally with you because they see you for an oathbreaker. Apart from that, well, take the offensive to offend another neutral faction, because if you're not their natural enemy they probably won't attack you.

[gardibolt]

Is that true if you break off the alliance before attacking them? Or Once and Ally, Always an Ally in the AI's mind, at least as far as the player is concerned?

I've tried not to break alliances myself, but in the closing phases of my Julii campaign I've had no choice as there was no one left to attack but one of my allies. I canceled my alliance with Pontus and then attacked, since I had a full stack next to each of their cities. My other allies immediately cancelled their alliance with me, but haven't yet declared war. But they'll be the last ones on the board as soon as Pontus falls (momentarily) so, too bad for them.

[Celt Centurion]

From Celt Centurion

I have never betrayed anybody. When I make an alliance, I honor it. Period. Still, when I offer to attack another faction (having my own army in place, ready to attack), asking an ally to attack a third, or the same enemy, offer them a region, and offer them cash, I still get some snide comment such as "you cannot be trusted." Although I am tempted to break the alliance and attack them, I restrain myself.

They usually betray and attack me soon afterward anyway, and then I don't have a problem with wiping them out with a vengeance.

While playing as the Selucids, the Egyptians betrayed me, and then just last night, for the first time ever, they sent a diplomat to beg for peace. It might be on account of I have destroyed 3 large Egyptian Armies, and have nearly full stacks at Sidon, Damascus, and Palmyra, and their cities have minimum manning. Keeping in mind that one of my objectives is to eliminate the "Necrophiliac Monsters", I refused them. In another few turns, I intend to simultaneously attack Jerusalem, Bostra, and Petra.

I have also learned that often, they just ask for peace to build up, and attack you again.

To betray, does not pay!


One thing that really bothers me is when a faction gets "free" armies. That is; we hold a city, such as Jerusalem, and it revolts. Instead of turning gray, as in rebels, it will turn yellow if Egypt still exists, or Carthage will turn white if they have not been taken down. Only twice have I benefitted from this, (and that's debateable as I seldom use incindiary pigs or ballistas), but I have had to take and retake cities hundreds of times when a revolt took place, and there was a full stack of yellow, green, or whatever color originally had that city.

Maybe it's because I have not lost many cities except to revolts.

When I RE-TAKE a city, only twice have I not exterminated them. Those two times, the population was enough to upgrade the governor's mansion or whatever, and if I had exterminated them, it would have really set me back. One of them immediately revolted, and I had to take it a third time, but by then the mansion was built so when I took it back, I could build. The other time, they wisely chose to be good subjects and let the city grow.

Strength and Honor

Celt Centurion

Greetings,

It's been 24 hours since I wrote the posting above. Last night, I concentrated on terminating the existance of Egypt. As of now, Egypt has Petra, and nothing else. Egyptian diplomats came to me about 8 times asking for a ceasefire, and demanding a list of cities I have taken from them. Since Selucids are to outlast or destroy Egypt anyway, I refused them. Egypt's ally, Pontus has declared war on me and asked for ceasefire several times, usually right after I give them a good buttocks kicking. I accept that and grant trade rights as well, as it adds to my income, but it's funny;

They are neutral, and attack me out of the blue. I wipe out that particular army, and next thing you know their diplomat wants peace. This has happend several times.

I saved and went to bed having 16 regions, and Egypt almost out of it. Later on tonight, I will take a full stack or two against their last city which has a family member and a full stack inside of it.

Another funny thing is Parthia's treatment of me. They keep sending spys and Assassins to Seleucia. That bothers me, so I have created an army of assassins and spys. Some of them stay at Seleucia and kill whatever spys and assassins that come around. The others are near Susa, Arsakia, and Phraaspa constantly sabotaging their buildings, concentrating mainly on their traders (the trader doesn't stay long enough to build a market)and shrine to Zoroastra. With 95% expected success rate for my saboteurs, they "keep the place level." I will have to make more though for the long campaign as they are all in their 50's now.

Anyway, I need to get back to my studying, and look forward to winning the "short campaign" tonight. I will then go for the long campaign as I am finally getting "good stuff" such as foundrys and silver shield legionaries. I don't want to stop when I am on such a good roll.

Strength and Honor

Celt Centurion.

[bubbanator]

If you break an alliance, everyone hates you and won't ally with you, so if I must take an allies/protectorates land, I just send a diplomat right before I attack and cancel the alliance. Then I attack them that same turn. It seems to work right, but I still find it hard to make alliances in my current campaign but nothing that says that I was dishonorable in the past...maybe it is because I am the Greek Cities and everyone hates me anyways...

[Craterus]

If you break an alliance, everyone hates you and won't ally with you, so if I must take an allies/protectorates land, I just send a diplomat right before I attack and cancel the alliance. Then I attack them that same turn. It seems to work right, but I still find it hard to make alliances in my current campaign but nothing that says that I was dishonorable in the past...maybe it is because I am the Greek Cities and everyone hates me anyways...

Precisely, I always cancel the alliance before attacking. I'm all for the honour thing.

I have a question:

I got two Seleucid armies going for two of my cities. The Seleucids are my allies. Should I cancel the alliance, but that will encourage them to attack my cities. But it's kinda obvious that they are going to attack anyway. I suppose it's best to cancel the alliance.

I am playing Mundus Magnus and the Seleucid Empire is huge and they don't have enough men to guard their cities, so I think I'll cancel the alliance, beat back their armies, and then punch a hole into their empire.

[Hamleth]

During a few of my recent campaigns namely with Armenia

Armenia always made me laugh. Why did they add fictional faction but not real historical ones instead lol. Can it be a money issue or something maybe?

[Ludens]

Armenia always made me laugh. Why did they add fictional faction but not real historical ones instead lol. Can it be a money issue or something maybe?

There actually was an intermittently independent Armenian kingdom during this time period. It even was a great power for a brief while, under king Tigranes the Great (until the Romans beat him). It's more historical than the Egyptian unit roster, at least .