Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: Joram

Couple Issues:
Is there anyway to tell why a country declares war on you? Playing a game as Sweden and I had just beaten France who I was forced to fight thanks to a treaty I had with Great Britain. Anyway, they were weakened enough that it wasn't a big deal. After about 6 months, Austria declared war on me, and month later, France did again. What was strange though was that France was still at war with other countries even after having surrendered to me earlier, and that the relationship actually shows them as happy with me. Why in earth would they declare war on me? Naturally I'm laying siege to their capital as we speak! In fact, they are still happy with me even though I'm occupying their capital!

Second issue, after beating down France and before Austria had declared war on me, I decided to declare war on Prussia since I wanted Pomerania as it's part of my overall objectives and it's armies were weak and spread out. So, I took over their capital and quickly forced them to surrender. I remember this issue from before but I still don't know why it hasn't been changed. As part of my surrender agreement, I wanted Prussia to give back to France one of the four French provinces they owned (poor French weren't doing so well this game!) so I could help restore the balance of power as well as ingratiate myself with the French. Another criteria of course was for me to get Pomerania. To my surprise the treaty was rejected, presumably by France since Prussia had to agree.
So why would France disagree to getting a province back, and even if you for some reason don't want us to do it (which I can't imagine why but I'll allow for the assumption), why does that have to negate the whole treaty?? Thanks to that, Prussia who had quickly surrendered to Turkey and Spain a month after surrendering to me (so I knew i had first dibs), gave Pomerania to Spain!!! Now if I want that objective I have to trapse across Europe and declare on a country that has if not helped me, at least not caused me any trouble! I don't get it and it's quite frustrating and nonsensical behaviour.

Finally, a couple bugs to report, my Batavian Army disappeared while sieging Paris. I know it's there as it's still laying siege and French have been fighting hard (but fruitlessly) to kick me out. I don't know how to order it out now since it's invisible.

Another bug, there are ships stuck in the middle of France.

Possible bug, French armies seem to be stuck plundering the province just south of Paris (it's not in front of me, I forget the name) which is owned by Turkey since they beat up on the French too. They have literally plundered it so much that there are almost no levels of anything left. This also is the same province with the ships stuck in it but don't know if that's related. Anyway, if it's not a bug (they have left occasionally), it's awfully silly behaviour as it's likely a province they would get back if they ever attacked Turkey.

ORIGINAL: JReb

1. You are winning and they want to be the big dog so "sorry old friend, you have to go" is their attitude.
2. What I have done in the same situation is to make, in your example, Prussia cede the province(s) to you and then 2 turns later when you own them, do a treaty with France where you give them to her.
3. The disappearing army can be found and given orders by pressing CNTL and right clicking on the province. This pops up a panel with all units in the province listed. Just select the one you want and move the cursor to its new destination or it should be on the info screen at the bottom as the active, selected unit. Sometimes there are simply too many to display.
4. Ships in the middle of France are considered "docked" in the harbour. If they are yours, you can select them and move them anywhere you want. If they are not, then the AI has decided to keep them tied to the piers for what ever reason.

5. Yes, it is silly behavoir on the surface and there probably should be a game function to limit the plunder in the country's original provinces. Also consider that the AI sees it simply as part of the enemy nation wherever it may be and subject to total destruction.

Hope that does it![8D]

ORIGINAL: jimwinsor

1. I have to disagree.  Actually I'd say that guaging the RATE of a player's increase in Glory is a highly advanced, incredibly intelligent, and remarkably astute way to determine the relative threat of a player in balance-of-power terms.  If you, as you say, went from next to last to 4th in a very short time span, the YES you are the major threat, Europe is quite justified in being "alarmed" at your rise, and in taking the necessary pre-emptive collective action.

You may not have been #1 in victory at the time, but at the RATE you were climbing you were on a course to be in that position in VERY short order, and hence the AIs' reactions were, IMO, an example of very good AI programming.

The best time to take down the leader is before he becomes so poweful he cannot be toppled.  An AI that gages the RISE in power, rather than just looking at power in a snapshot of time, will be most effective at doing this.  Again, the AI is acting smartly and in fact mimicking exactly the way *I* would play if I were a player.