City-States

[joe]

I have no idea how to use the city-states. Usually I just ignore them, but I feel like I'm missing out on some advantages. A couple times I gave them 500 gold but it seemed like just a waste of money. Any advice on City-States strategy? Thanks.

[duanevp]

I tend to heavily ignore them myself except as easier targets than large, belligerent civs. However, give them enough gold to make them your ally. They will send you units which helps build up an attacking force faster or shore up your defenses against eventual future attack. When you are attacked they'll declare war on your attacker. generally won't DO much but every little bit helps. Also, you get access to their luxury/strategic resources - so if they have iron and you don't, you WANT them as your ally. If you have 3 cities demanding silk, but one of them has it and you don't - you WANT them as your ally to send those cities into "We love the King". And every one that you have on your side is one that is NOT on your enemies side. Ever have an enemy Civ declare war and strangely find that eight city-states all over the world join in? Guess what that's about...

Downside is that it takes cash investment as you'll never be able to do enough favors to make much headway with them - but that's what the Patronage policy tree is for. Reducing the investment and extending the duration of its influence.

[Staryn]

City states are new to Civ V, and they are a little tricky to get used to. This is how they work:

City states are independent cities. You can engage in diplomacy or war with them. If you go to war with them, you can capture them but not raze them.

You have a relationship status with each city state. The actions you take will change this status, and it decreases each turn until it rests at 0, unless you are at war. Performing quests, gifting units, or giving gifts of gold will increase your standing with a city state.

There are several levels of relations to city states:

War - They will attempt to attack you with their army.
Angry - They may declare war if you continue to anger them.
Neutral - They have no serious relations or opinion of you.
Friends - They will give you a small bonus depending on the city state type.
Ally - They will give you a large bonus as well as all of their strategic and luxury resources. Only one nation can be allied with a city state. If more than one leader have enough points to be allies, the one with the most points is the ally.

Regardless of your standing, if a city state is allied with another nation, and that nation declares war on you, the city state will go to war. Also if you offend or attack a city state that is either allied or under the protection of another civilization, there will be repercussions, possibly a war.

There are five types of city states. Military city states give you military units for free. Cultural city states give you free culture points each turn. Maritime city states give you extra food in your capital, making it grow faster, and at ally status they will boost all your cities' growth. In Gods and Kings, religious city states will give you faith points, and mercatile city states will boost your happiness.

There are some resources, such as jewelry, that can only be aqcuired by allying with city states.

In Gods and Kings, if you have a strong military and several military units are near a city state, you can force them to pay tribute or give you a free worker. This causes a huge relationship drop with the city state.

A diplomatic victory requires you to ally with a majority of city states to win the game.

The patronage track in social policies gives additional bonuses for dealing with city states, such as a science boost and free great people.

[d313131]

There is no point in giving city states money till later in the game when you have your banks in and are rolling in cash imo. This being said a city state can win or lose you a war, if you have one on your border and another country declares on you; its in your best interest to pay it off and fast and get it too ally. Because if you dont the country that declares on you will, and it will declare war on you and send its troops into your land.

[Tomsdeli]

with gods can kings is it still set up where after u take so many city states out all the rest on the map go to permaent war with you?

[Cato]

Wow Ragan really covered this topic already with some sound advice.

My two cents would be don't be afraid to bully and harass CS's if they are of no use/you need money or a worker. I pretty much always steal my first worker at game start rather than waste 14 turns building one. Occasionally demanding tribute from weak unfavoured CS's can be a useful gold resource for militaristic empires.

It's also nice to bully an enemy's 'protected' CS to humiliate and provoke them, especially if you have defensive treaties in place. The AI frequently does it to me all the time :-P

[Staryn]

The nice thing about bullying city states is that they will forgive after a few years. So long as you don't push them or their allies into war, you can bully, let them cool down, and repeat over and over. If you have a good enough relationship, you technically could bully your own allies.

[Staryn]

As d313131 pointed out, you don't need to give city state money early on. Until you have a good income, money spent on city states at the start of the game is wasted - you will lose your friend/ally status before you have enough gold to bring it back up, and th rest of your civilization will suffer from the lack of money. On the other hand, if you need happiness fast, or you need a strategic resource, buying off a city state is essential.

[Twelvefield]

Siam + happy/ally City States = massive game buff.

[joe]

Thanks for the responses.

[VikingOfSixth (Civ)]

When I see the civilization across from me on multiplayer gain alliance status with the neighboring micro states I can't help but begin to worry.

[wookie lol]

You can use them to fight proxy wars by gifting them units if they're being attacked by a civ that you don't want to engage directly.