Required Post 3

Politics and Power

The role that politics plays in my civilization is very important. Practically everything that I do in the game involves politics to some extent. My first real political achievement (and the one I am most proud of) was the enacting of the social policy of Tradition. This was soon followed by the enactment of the Honor social policy. After these two social policies, I will confess I am not interested in the other social policies really. However, I continue to pass social policies because the game forces me. What I am really looking forward to political wise (as mentioned before) is when I can get to the stage where I can adopt an ideology, in my case Autocracy. (Which is an ideology that is personally close to my heart) 

Diplomacy also plays a huge role in the game as well. As much of the game deals with your relations to other civilizations and city-states. Now as far as my diplomacy usually goes, the doctrine of blood and iron are used a lot. Similar in a way to how the ancient Assyrians dealt with their Imperialism. Only my version is much more hands on then the Assyrians were. The implication here that I usually conquer cities, however this is not always the case. One city state very close to some of my major cities I have allowed to keep their autonomy and independence, preferring to make them my allies instead. For which they give me military units as tribute, which is why I have allowed their independence. In a matter similar to ancient Rome and Persia being that if you pay tribute you will be allowed to keep your autonomy. However, this was a very special case because I knew that if I conquered this city state their military tributes would stop. Another city state close to my civilization I gained as an ally unintentionally. It was a city state that France had actually told me not to have any influence on, to which at the time I agreed. However, the French eventually lost influence with this city while I gained it. So, given this the French left the city to be under my influence. I have left this city state independent as well. Gaining them as an ally instead.

Power struggles also play a huge part in the game, as the point is to win over the other civilizations. Here once again I practice a lot of blood and iron. I am almost constantly at war, either with a city state or another civilization. This of coarse has caused other civilizations to be weary of me. (I totally conquered Poland) However, I am still able to deal diplomatically and peacefully with the other civilizations, though it is harder considering they are weary and guarded against me. As of now I have plans to end the game by employing a mixed strategy. After I defeat France, I plain to gain influence on the city states on the continent. (France and I share a continent) After which I hope to gain enough influence to win diplomatically. However, if the need should arise and I am forced into war with Russia, then I will gain victory by domination. I would however like to avoid war with Russia if at all possible, because they seem to be as powerful as I am. A war with them would drag on for a while. Either way I am confident my civilization will prevail. The Fatherland will triumph!

Deutschland Uber Alles

Germany Above All

       

Official Post 2

Economics and Networks of Exchange

Civilizations in Civ 5 for the most part seem to prosper by trade with other major civilizations or by trade with the small city states. I however, will admit that on my first play through I really did not focus on trade. I did to a very limited extent send trade (food) caravans between the cities already in my empire. I also engaged in trade by sea (again to a very limited extent) with a one city state that I had chosen to make my ally and not take over as I did with the others. Also, occasionally the 2 other civilizations in my game (as referenced in an earlier post) would send me a proposal wanting some of the luxury resources that I had in my territory. I would usually accept for a certain amount of gold. So, I guess I may have engaged in trade more than I thought and didn't really realize it. As I said, at the time trade was not a priority for me. The only real relation I saw between trade and food production was when I sent the caravans with food to help out other cities within my empire who needed it.

As for trade and technology being related I really didn't see a big relation. I suppose it is possible to trade and exchange technology between your civilization and the other civilizations. However, in my first play through I was so far technologically advanced that it did not benefit me nor would it have to exchange technology. This is not an exaggeration, during my conquests the civilization of Indonesia literally send knights against my riflemen and Gatling guns. The overall role of trade networks and other networks in the game are to make you more powerful and spread your civilization's influence which I suppose could lead to a diplomatic or cultural victory. Despite my success in my first play through I recognize that this is an a nominally and not historically accurate. Civilizations in history that tended only to focus on war and neglect trade tended to fall apart quickly. For example this is exactly what happen to the war-like Hittites and Assyrians, who focused so much on war and very little on trade that that they quickly fell apart once they ran out of people to conquer and thus take their resources for their own. Without really having an expansive trade network in place, which may have delayed their downfall.