Quote Originally Posted by Landwalker
I'm not familiar with this "fort/diplomat" ruse... Do you build a fort, then "garrison" it with a non-unit like a diplomat or spy? Even if I weren't above it, being several thousand in debt tends to hamper building forts (unless I had done it on turn 1, which I suppose would have been possible)....
...you're still in debt? Did your faction leader get the "coke and hookers" trait?

The fort/diplomat cheat is this: build a fort (usually at a choke point like a ford) and garrison it (with a remnant unit, eg one with say nine men left so upkeep is minimal), then position a diplomat in front of it, I think thats how it goes.

Because you're allied with mutual access there's no ZOC for them to stick in, but they seem to have a hard time getting past this as an obstacle. Of course I may be wrong, but thats my impression of the fort/diplomat exploit.

Your problem seems to start with getting into debt early. You should have about 800 mnai/turn upkeep with your starting army: try fighting with that.

However it sounds like you're getting over the hump despite the huige debt so well done, one or two more cities and I reckon things will go a bit easier.