Collecting Info on Sun-tzu applied to Empires

I'm doing a little mental excercise about what parts of Sun-tzu applies to empires. If you have anything you want to add, include the quoted reference and your analysis, and preferably the data about historical china from which the reference is derived. I'll post the collected dissertation when I finish it. If you have some sort of military experience, all the better. I don't; I'm just screwing around here.

This is just something for ppl who like history or military thought.
Don't expect it to be too deep or insightful, either. like i said, i have no military experience.

 

Well, people get killed in both.

 

I was reading Sun Tzu's Art of War as I was programming, but I never finished. One of the most obvious lessons he gives is to gather your forces/resources together at a faster rate than your opponent, and when yours outnumbers his, that's when you strike.

 

zerg rush.

 

If I recall, a lot of the tactics involve war without fighting. It's mostly about demoralising your opponent into submission and stuff like that. The closest you can get in Empires is screaming "LOL OMG NOOBS IM GOIN 2 ROXOR U!!!"

 

The entirety of the Art of War is based on deception. Do whatever the enemy expects you not to do. If there are two routes to the enemy, one is long and in rough terrain, and the other is short and safe, take the longer of the two. You will not be detected until it is too late.

In theory....

 

Man, are you saying I have to drive my tank the long route around the mountain in Canyon? HMMPH!

 

Or, sneak your tank under the water in money.......

 

Technically, yes and yes.

The Art of War can be applied to many other things than combat.

And I quote from Wikipedia:

 

The only useful bit of info in the book, in my opinion, is the part where he says the key to winning a battle is to win the war before the fighting begins. Everything else, to me, is just page filling garbage.

For example, lets say you take the long way, but lets say that the enemy commander has also read a bunch of books and isnt stupid, just like you, and focus' on the long way instead. You not only wasted gas, which sucks because the shit is expensive, but you wasted time effort and your intelligence, or that which you thought you had, which you didnt. It could go either way. So really empires, and life, is like a game of craps... errr... poker then I guess. Craps reminds me too much of poop. Then again maybe thats a suitable label.

Hmm... That makes me think of a good suggestion for empires: Gas & an economy reflecting RL oil market(s).

Im damn near 4 bucks and you should be too.

 

There are actually quite a few tidbits of useful info. Like, strike where the enemy is weakest, with the greatest part of your strength. Or, giving the enemy false information, so as to make an artificial situation advantageous for you. Or, only fight a battle when you have overwhelming strength.

One must realize that we as a society draw on over 4000 years of military history and knowledge. The military leaders of today are skilled, competent professionals, whose entire career is oriented towards war. In the time of Sun-Tzu, there were no pros. All military leaders were either nobles, or beaurocrats. Therefore, any statements made in the book that seemed elementary or simple, were provided simply as a list of dos and don'ts to people with no experience with command. The best that time period had were amateur hobbyists. Even Sun-Tzu was merely a very gifted amateur.

As well, we as "peasants" possess a HUGE cache of information, something which was not readily available to the actual peasants of Ancient China.

And now quotes. Huzzah!

"All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him."

"If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected."

"The art of using troops is this:
......When ten to the enemy's one, surround him;
......When five times his strength, attack him;
......If double his strength, divide him;
......If equally matched you may engage him;
......If weaker numerically, be capable of withdrawing;
......And if in all respects unequal, be capable of eluding him,
..........for a small force is but booty for one more powerful."

"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys.
Look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death!"

"Though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays."

 

i had the whole book in pdf, very good book to read if you are going to play any wargame

one of the funny things i liked was "if your enemy is in sight, you are in sight"

you can also buy it for just 10 dollars/euros anywhere, its not very thick

 

There are five ways of attacking with necroposting. The first is to burn soldiers in their forum with shitposts.

 

posting of necro?

 

Why the hell isn't Sitka banned yet? And that's coming from me

 

Necroing is against the forum rules and needs to be punished with an iron fist!

Actually i find this necro quite informative, who would have known that Krenzo read Sun-Tzu while making Empires and that MrDai's birthday is coming soon!

 

Heh, Mr. Dai-Gurren.

What a great anime.

 

Dai-Gurren
its... um fucking weird but, I couldn't stop watching it.

also... what? where it say dies bday is soon?

 

In his profile. Also i have no idea who Mr.Dai-Gurren is and i have no intention to change that.