Mercenaries crush coup attempt!

[Captain Carrrghter]

I'm a brute for punishment, trying the "Ride 'em, Caballero!" scenario again and again, with maximum random events, until I get it right.

Fired all my generals due to financial constraints, and drastically cut the number of soldiers.

Which worked fine, until about 10-15 years into the game, when I had three soldiers working at my palace. They decided to have a coup, and all three decided to be traitors!

I needed loyal soldiers, and quickly! My lone priest wasn't interested in taking a soldiering job, so I re-opened a slot in my armory and hired my lone college-educated male, working as a teamster, as a general. He promptly thanked me for the promotion by joining the coup, turning it into a 4-on-0. Dooh!  

My only salvation at this point was to hire some mercenaries. Fortunately, I had enough cash on hand at the time to attract 4 high school educated males to my palace. The next freighter came in, my 4 mercenaries disembarked, and I sighed in relief as all 4 of them were loyal to my cause.

Even 4-on-4 it was a close battle but in the end I had two loyal soldiers left over. I think the key was that my loyal soldiers stayed in a resonably tight formation as they headed from the dock to the palace, while the traitors were dispersed and taking shots at the palace from all angles. The poor guy leading the formation didn't last very long once the battle started, though.  

[Brf]

hired my lone college-educated male, working as a teamster, as a general. He promptly thanked me for the promotion by joining the coup,

It takes a while at the new job before their job-satisfaction rating changes. I imagine that new general was pretty upset about working as a teamster.

[Captain Carrrghter]

It takes a while at the new job before their job-satisfaction rating changes. I imagine that new general was pretty upset about working as a teamster.

Yeah, I thought about that right after I hired him. Problem is, I couldn't un-hire him until after the coup resolved... well, my mercenaries un-hired him, technically.  

I just thought it was cool how having all the soldiers on the island turn against you in a coup isn't necessarily the end of the game. Turned out in this case that it was actually the popular uprising 10 years later that did me in--although it wasn't quite resolved (though I was losing, badly) by the end of my 30-year reign.  

All in all, I find if I have to postpone or rig an election, it's downhill in a hurry from there.

[Privateer0]

Great story, CC! It once again proves that a pen can be mightier than a sword rifle, eh? Well, at least when that pen is writing out a cheque for mercenaries.

[Mr.P]

Thanks for post Captain (is it you Tig?)

To prevent the risk of hiring in foreign soldiers I ensure one of the first buildings I build, once the military is expanding, is a police station and a prison.

Much easier to arrest the little blighters, just make sure you have enough police.

[Captain Carrrghter]

Can you arrest soldiers during a coup, or do you have to do it before?

I'm not used to building up my military, or having the need for a prison. I tend to use (and abuse) the ballot box if at all possible (i.e, when I'm not playing an insanely difficult scenario), which usually keeps people happy enough with my rule.

[Mr.P]

You can arrest soldiers during a coup, just make sure you have enough policemen working at your prison.

If there is no policeman working you cannot use the arrest edict, and if only one is working you are limited to 4 issues of the arrest edict.

Or just build multiple prisons. If you turn the Colonial Fort into a dungeon you can kill the occupants (% chance) by serving gruel. <evil grin>

[TeamStar]

This reminds me to ask the following: do you ever fire your opponent, after winning an election?

[Mr.P]

Never. If I actually hold an election and I managed to beat them in one election, then I am at least satisfied that - if all things are equal - I can do the same again.

In fact during one period of madness I held three elections in a row and the same candidate stood each time. I was so pleased to see that loser came back time and again to receive a sound thrashing.

[Captain Carrrghter]

Reading the above strategies and questions, I think I'm finally realizing that I have a fundamental flaw.

My problem is I'm just way too nice.  

[Mr.P]

LOL Cap'tn. You need to let loose the wolves.

Put the kittens and puppies of your soul to the back and let rip.

[TeamStar]

I also tend to be nice to my Tropicans. It takes some extra-effort when I need to be mean. But when I have to, I unleash my dogs...

[Mr.P]

I think I tend to be 'nice' to my Tropicans, but in a long-term view.

I find it nicer to deny them housing for a few decades to enable the economy to boom, then as the money is rolling in and the full island infrastructure is built they get nice shiny places to live.  

Short-term pain for long-term gain. Granted it is pain the Tropicans experience, but as I am El Presidente my word is final.

[Coconut Kid]

This is a useful AAR! Although, foreign hire soldiers and generals are not actually 'mercenaries' because they are instantly citizens the second they step on the dock  --  as are all other immigrants.

You can arrest soldiers during a coup, just make sure you have enough policemen working at your prison.  --
If there is no policeman working you cannot use the arrest edict, and if only one is working you are limited to 4 issues of the arrest edict.  ...

And as Captain Carrrghter now knows, all immigrants arrive happy and loyal (moderately at least), voting for you and fighting for you until they find out better.


Additional useful information recently figured out is that the instigator\leader of a coup is not necessarily a member of the army -- that miscreant is the Leader of the Militarist Faction. So instead of lavishing all of your anti-coup measures on the army employees, take a lot better care of the Faction Leader.