Taking over another island.......

[farrella]

I got the feeling that swordsmen and musketeers are not all to helpful so i have a 2 ships full of cannon guys with 2 blocks full of cannons and 2 ships full of calvary with one block full of swords and one block full of muskets. What do you think of this set up, I want to DESTROY the other island I take over, so they don't have a prayer, is this enough force or am I doing it all wrong? Any tips on how to take over an island or any ideas on what I am doing right or wrong would be much appreciated. I know since I attack an island other ships will start to attack my ships, how many ships should I have in my overall fleet when I first attack and how many should I attack with? Thanks!

[RoadRunner]

First, ensure that you have a stable economy with a "green" balance (I prefer 900-1000 merchants with full supplies) so that you do not have to pay attention to it while fighting. Then, you may settle a small island near your enemy and build a warehouse IV, a small shipyard, a doctor and a forrester there to repair your ships and heal your soldiers (don't forget about the cloth... ;) ). Bring 4-6 cannons and enough building material for towers to your production islands to be able to defend them against any invasion (do not build the towers yet - you will have enough time for that if there is really an invasion).

As soon as you have 12-16 big battleships which are not engaged with autotrade routes (the number depends on your enemy), place them strategically and have a look at your enemie's ships. Bribe the pirates and call all your autotrade ships to a secure place if necessary. Then, start with destroying the enemy fleet. Send 3-4 ships against one enemy ship, and repair damaged ships soon (remember there are 14 cannons at each, so better repair the ship than rebuild it).

After the enemy navy is gone, place 2-3 ships in front of the enemy shipyard, but do not destroy it: the AI will build ships and waste a lot of wood for that, and you can easily destroy them... ;) :D

Start invading the enemy island: Destroy the warehouse (repeat it often; the AI will rebuild it as long as there is enough building material for doing that), then start destroying the towers with your ships. After that, load 2-3 ships with cannonneers (I never use other soldiers), and invade the island: unload 3-4 soldiers, wait until the enemy army moves towards them, load the soldiers aboard, and kill the enemy army with your ships. Then, move your soldiers to the enemy market places and towers, and destroy them (remember that the towers can shoot over houses and market places, but your soldiers cannot do that). When all towers are gone and the market places and the warehouse are in ruins, you can take over the enemy warehouse by building your own over it - provided you have enough building material nearby. ;) The market places and the stocks will become yours - and the sell/buy settings, too. ;)

[Frieden]

and here are some furhter quick-peacemaker ;) -tactics:
In each of the cases mentioned int he next lines you should already produce cannons (450 citizens)

First of all: Deytroy the Ais ships first. Then take the island over.


1. The AI has no soldiers and doesn't produces cannons
Quickly send 3 or 4 canoneers to him and deytroy it step by step.

2. The AI has soldiers and doesn't produce cannons yet
Put one of your soldiers ont he island. The AI-soldiers approach. Let the marine artillery defeat the soldiers. Then put out your 3-4 canoneers s on the island . Detroy the military buldings first and the the rest.


3. The AI's has soldiers, produces cannons and is able to set towers
This could be a very very very long war :( because the AI bulids towers again and again.
To shorten the war go this way:
- build a warehouse an the AIs island (maybe your ships must help by destroying some towers or marketplaces on an edge of the island.
- qucikly build there two or three towers. The Ais soldieers run to your towers and will be killed quickly.
- trading route to your new warehouse: tools, bricks, wood and cannons
- build a castle one the ais island
- destroy towers and markelplaces
- set marketplaces so that the Ai can't reconquer the island and secure it with own towers.

[furdude6]

Also check out the thread I started called Cheaters never prosper. :D:D

[Prince Eric of the Lorah Clan]

Also check out the thread I started called Cheaters never prosper. :D:D

@furdude - Now don't go off-topic! :rumble: ;)

Back to topic... I totally agree with destroying the enemy navy first!

I like to use about 10 cannoneers and two cavalry (send them in right before the cannoneers as a distraction to the tower) to go against towers.

[farrella]

Yeah, I can't stand this game because it keeps kicking me off when I go to battle, and everything is lost unless I spend half the time saving the game whenever I do something.

[Prince Eric of the Lorah Clan]

Yeah, I can't stand this game because it keeps kicking me off when I go to battle, and everything is lost unless I spend half the time saving the game whenever I do something.

Hey, don't give up on the game just yet! It's so much fun!

It sounds like a technical problem. I have seen similar problems, but I can't explain the remedy. You might have to wait till the more technically inclined German Folks get online.

They will no doubt ask for the details of your PC.

Do you use WinXP? There have been discussions here on this board of problems with 1602 & WinXP. You could try looking at the topics of the past few weeks to see general problems with WinXP even if they are not exactly the same as your problem.

Generaly speaking, if I'm not mistaken, some remedies for these XP problems include setting your acceleration and graphics card to lower, if not lowest, settings. Also, try playing without the CD.

I'm sure you will get better info when the Germans wake up!;)

[farrella]

Well, I stopped playing the game for a few months because this happened last time and lost that CD so bought a new CD for the free time I would have over break hoping this problem wouldn't happen again, but to have all this time wasted again because it's not working is very frustrating. I do have windows XP. Thanks for any and all help.

[Prince Eric of the Lorah Clan]

Now I see that you have started a new thread specifically for this XP problem. I just want to make a note of that so folks don't get confused or make multiple posts on the same subject.

Hmm... maybe we should put a link here to your new thread and continue the discussion over there...

Link to new thread (http://forum.sunflowers.de/showthread.php?t=3416)

Let's do that, Folks. Let's continue the disscussion of this technical problem at the other thread since these are different subjects. This thread can continue for discussion of 'taking-over islands'.

[farrella]

After realizing that i should build up my empire a little more before taking over another island I was wondering the best way to get cloth, what is better sheep or growing cotton on an island that can grow only 50% cotton? Or for that matter sheep or growing on an island that can support 100% cotton? Also what is better, hunter/ fisher or cattle? Thanks
Oh yeah, for now it seems like turning off the sound and video is working when i did go to war thanks a lot for the tip.

[Prince Eric of the Lorah Clan]

After realizing that i should build up my empire a little more before taking over another island...

I prefer to to go to war against a computer player while I have only 400-450 'Citizens' and while things are fairly simple as far as supplying goods to the people.

I attack lone enemy ships with two or more small battleships fully armed. That will do the trick. Same goes for attacking towers and coastal troops.


...I was wondering the best way to get cloth, what is better sheep or growing cotton on an island that can grow only 50% cotton? Or for that matter sheep or growing on an island that can support 100% cotton?

If an island is 100% cotton, go with the cotton plantations. If it is a 50% cotton island, I would go with the sheep farms.


Also what is better, hunter/ fisher or cattle?


I rarely use the hunter, however, there have been times when I was low on food and I noticed a lot of dear running around, so I built the hunter's lodge and he was quite productive. As you build more you will see fewer dear and the hunter's productivity goes way down.

I like to use fishers early in the game. They don't take up space that can be used for building other things. As a game progresses I get a better idea of where I can fit grain farms and cattle farms. I like to overlap the areas of the sheep and cattle farms, but not as to hinder productivity of either one.

The people who have more experience with very large cities will tell you very specifically which food producers are most effective.

[farrella]

What does it mean to verify your trading route?

[Budgie]

It means that something is wrong with at least one of your automatic trade routes. The ship might be unable to pick up or unload one of the goods you've chosen.

[farrella]

As in the route I made up doesn't make sense,(pick up one good but drop off another?) or there just happens to be no more of a certain good on that island at that particular time? Also it seems that I can't get citizens, have 2000+ merchants but only like 50 or less citizens. Any advice, I am trying to get them as many of the goods they want. They say they want jewelry but I do not see any other island that produces gold. Can I go to war with so few citizens or will I not have the money to finance it? Thanks again!

[farrella]

Eric, thanks for the insight and for answering my many questions, unfortunatly I feel the more I play the more questions I have.

[Helen]

As in the route I made up doesn't make sense,(pick up one good but drop off another?) or there just happens to be no more of a certain good on that island at that particular time?

have you checked so the arrows next to the "cargo-boxes" so one point at "load" and the other one at "unload" It also doesn't pick up when there's no room left, or if there's no goods at all on the island.


Also it seems that I can't get citizens, have 2000+ merchants but only like 50 or less citizens. Any advice, I am trying to get them as many of the goods they want.

um.. check bricks, tool and wood? Otherwise it's just to let the people take building material and they will start building sooner or later :)

They say they want jewelry but I do not see any other island that produces gold.
have you checked every islands, even teh AI's? if so, then there's no gold available, and you have to manage without it. The gold is only necessare for merchants to upgrade to Aristocrats.

Can I go to war with so few citizens or will I not have the money to finance it? Thanks again!

check the moneybalance... if you se the arrow is green with lots of money (over hundread GC) there's no reason for you not to. :) A soldier costs money, but a battleship don't.

[monstercash]

and here are some furhter quick-peacemaker ;) -tactics:
In each of the cases mentioned int he next lines you should already produce cannons (450 citizens)

First of all: Deytroy the Ais ships first. Then take the island over.


1. The AI has no soldiers and doesn't produces cannons
Quickly send 3 or 4 canoneers to him and deytroy it step by step.

2. The AI has soldiers and doesn't produce cannons yet
Put one of your soldiers ont he island. The AI-soldiers approach. Let the marine artillery defeat the soldiers. Then put out your 3-4 canoneers s on the island . Detroy the military buldings first and the the rest.


3. The AI's has soldiers, produces cannons and is able to set towers
This could be a very very very long war :( because the AI bulids towers again and again.
To shorten the war go this way:
- build a warehouse an the AIs island (maybe your ships must help by destroying some towers or marketplaces on an edge of the island.
- qucikly build there two or three towers. The Ais soldieers run to your towers and will be killed quickly.
- trading route to your new warehouse: tools, bricks, wood and cannons
- build a castle one the ais island
- destroy towers and markelplaces
- set marketplaces so that the Ai can't reconquer the island and secure it with own towers.





So youre saying remove all ship defenses first ?

So if you are up against a heavily fortified enemy then the following
land close by build a warehouse
Supply the warehouse with cannons and soilders
Attack the towers and at the same time try to bypass defenses and get some units to destroy his economic facilities ie marketplaces and warehouse

With his economy damaged bring up cannon and tower destroyer units - tackle his defenses and he cant fight back as his economic situation is in tatters

A very good strategy eric. thankyou :biggrin:

[Robitoby]

@Farrella: Never mind about this message. It usually happens that you ship some goods that sometimes haven´t been produced yet on your production-island. (e.g. i alway buy ore in all of my warehouses and ship them from the production-islands to the main-island by adding them to the trade-route. As the free traders look up quite seldom on some of the islands the ship just hasn´t got ore in the cargo-hold when it reaches the main-island so it can´t unload any. Then the comp already will send the message: check your trading-routes. (or was it "look up your trading-routes."?)) Anyways, if you´re sure you have set your trading-routes properly then just ignore that message like i do.