I keep losing on prince

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Volstag
So much depends on the state of the game, but I'd wager that, for the AI, their infrastructure and economy is starting to come "online" (so to speak) around the industrial era. I'd further wager that, generally speaking, they have more cities that you do -- which (can) translate into more beakers.

I usually have as many and as large cities as the AI and (from what I can glean from captured AI cities) mu cities have much more improvements.

To be the tech leader you have to have greater beaker output. The easiest way to do this, IMO: embroil the AI leaders in war, which slows down their tech pace considerably -or- ramp up your beaker output (obtain additional cities, emphasize science/research buildings/wonders, etc).

-dk

Well that does bring up the point about diplomacy - I tend to ignore the AI (at least the subtle sides of dealing with AI civs).

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Blake

One other thing about AI research.
The AI loves making Acadamies, they seem to generate a lot of great scientists (if they miss out on wonders), and turn most of them into acadamies. Therfore if you manage a cleansweep of the wonders you may actually be helping the AI research by having them generate more great scientists and make more acadamies.

An interesting point since I tend to build a bunch of the early wonders. Stonehenge and/or Parthanon, Oracle, Colossus, GL.

[Arrian]

One other thing about AI research.
The AI loves making Acadamies

Yeah, it does. I conquered an AI neighbor last night. This was payback from when they nearly kicked my butt in the early game. Anyway, 2-3 of their best cities had Academies in 'em. I had deliberately not built a FP until this, so I plunked that down in the middle of the conquered territory, and in relatively short order, BOOM, I went from having a slim lead to a large one.

Sure, it wasn't just the Academies, but it's really nice to get them, b/c the only way you can get 'em is the use of a GS, and you only get so many...

-Arrian

[Arrian]

Originally posted by SpencerH


An interesting point since I tend to build a bunch of the early wonders. Stonehenge and/or Parthanon, Oracle, Colossus, GL.

I don't see the value of Stonehenge. The Parth... if I have marble, sure. Otherwise I'll pass.

-Arrian

[SpencerH]

I like the idea of a cultural victory (though I havent achieved one yet). In my last noble game I was competing with myself between cultural and space victories with my culture set at 100% (space won by a few turns).

[Crossfire]

I have been combining the CS beeline along with early conquest of the nearest, most annoying civ. I get bronze and chop early settlers till I have about 4 cities. Meanwhile I am beelining for CS and building the Oracle, and the Pyramids if I have stone. I pretty much always get both. Then I get Alphabet so I can maximize my tech trading and then start building piles of axemen, and swords if I have iron and traded for ironworking. I then conquer a civ. Completely! Meanwhile I am heading for economics with any small side trips I need. I get the free tech and never look back. I continue to build Wonders in my capitol and accumulate as many great persons as possible usually building tons of cottages in that city to maximize my research bonus. By Medieval I usually have twice as many points as anyone. No one messes with me because I am aggressive and I keep building military in my smaller cities. Late game I make sure I have spies to blunt SS parts building of any competitors who might be a threat.

Soon I will try for a conquest victory instead though.

[Arrian]

OracleCS+Pyramids+early conquest?? Wow, that's a lot to do in the early game.

-Arrian

[Mergle]

Originally posted by SpencerH
I like the idea of a cultural victory (though I havent achieved one yet). In my last noble game I was competing with myself between cultural and space victories with my culture set at 100% (space won by a few turns).

After getting kicked all over the playground on Prince, I've turned to culture victories and it does seem a strong strategy on this level. Grab a few early religions (one use for stonehenge: if you can get a great prophet to pop a religion tech for you, it really helps this race. My last game, despite being beaten to both buddism and hinduism, using this I managed to get Judaism, Confucianism, Taoism and Christianity. 4 religions in each city and my cathedrals pumped out the culture!). Beeline for Liberalism seems key . Then representation and democracy for statue of liberty. Amp your specialists with Angkor Wat and Sistine Chapel (which are tied to those religious techs you picked up before everyone else...) Charge through the middle of the tech tree straight to mass media before even going for steel and you should be able to snag at least 2 of broadway/rocknroll/hollywood together with the eiffel tower. Then to assembly line for production+infantry defence and you can really stop bothering with tech.

As Arrian notes, midgame the AI will hit you with something so don't neglect some form of defence. After that, you should have most of your culture buildings established so you can concentrate on strong defensive military (infantry good) and your culture win should beat any AI spaceships by several turns.

[Crossfire]

Originally posted by Arrian
OracleCS+Pyramids+early conquest?? Wow, that's a lot to do in the early game.

-Arrian

Better busy than beaten. I am playing on Prince and I am not sure how well I can do on Monarch with this, but except for a sag in research just after I conquer but before I get courthouses built, it works exceedingly well. In my current game I actually got both marble and stone so the wonders have come quickly. They really help pile the GPs up.

[Arrian]

I'm just impressed, is all. I play on Prince and the only time I get CS+Pyramids is w/industrial civ + stone, and then I can't imagine also then going and conquering another civ too...

-Arrian

[MasterDave]

Pyramids are very important for a builder civ. Representation's three beakers per specialist will really help you out in the early game, not to mention that you will have no happiness problems for a long long time. The chance to get a great engineer way ahead of having forges is nice too.

If you have a lot of coastal cities, then the Great Lighthouse can really accelerate your science too. Five coastal cities at two trade routes each means another 10-15 commerce early on (much more later). The AI really likes going for the great lighthouse tho, so usually you will have to choose either pyramids or GL, but getting both will be rare.

I usually build either the pyramids or GL in my capital after my first settler is out on Prince level. My second town will usually go for Oracle if I have marble. I am currently trying this strat on Monarch, but the AI is way faster to grab these wonders on that level.

[Son of David]

One or two Prince games I have just had to give up any idea of catching up on tech and focus on getting a domination victory. I finished such a game last night. I had selected a pangaea map but the Incas had a smaller continent all to themselves.

I won in 1960AD using cavalry, cannons, riflemen and grenadiers by taking over the larger continent - meanwhile the Incas had just recently constructed the Apollo program.

[Simon Appleton]

To the original poster, I think even on Prince, the AI advantages are such that they may beat you in a peaceful building game. Like you, I was pipped to the post in the space my first Prince game. In my second, it was close in tech but my industrial capacity gave me the edge in pumping out space ship parts. In my present game, I had an enormous tech lead after getting alphabet, holding on to it but trading other stuff. But now, Ghandhi has overtaken me in getting physics etc.

I think you need to find some edge to offset the AI advantages. Conquest - getting more money to fund research - may be one way. Like Arrian, I tend to have a weak medieval military and so turning the tables on any aggressors helps in the gunpowder era (I play England, so riflemen come at just the right time to save me). I usually end up occupying the land of one or two other civs, so this gives me an edge over most AI factions. I also play huge terra maps and this time round have made an effort to conquer the New World.

Religion helped at lot in my second game - I was lucky enough to have a religion I founded adopted by most AI factions, so could keep research at 100% for the whole game. In the present game, I founded 4 religions but they have not caught on and so most AI factions are annoyed with me, partly due to religious differences.

One thing I did different this game was focus on a Great People city (my capital). I put the national epic there, as many wonders I could fit and was philosophical/pacific. As a result, my capital has produced virtually all my GPs. By assigning scientists as my capitols specialists (Great Library helped), I have had more great scientists than I can find a use for - all significant towns have academies. In other games, scientists used to be my favourite great people but now I'm switching to other specialists, as I am rather sick of them.

[Kriegsspieler]

Originally posted by Crossfire



Better busy than beaten. I am playing on Prince and I am not sure how well I can do on Monarch with this, but except for a sag in research just after I conquer but before I get courthouses built, it works exceedingly well. In my current game I actually got both marble and stone so the wonders have come quickly. They really help pile the GPs up.

There's something I'm missing here. What traits do you have? Do you only play this when stone and marble are available to you?
I've never come close to doing this in my games, and I play on prince too.

[Crossfire]

Pyramids are pretty easy to get without stone if you start right away with an industrious civ and dedicate the city to putting out hammers. I usually start this after my first settler in either of my first two cities depending on which has better hammer output. The Oracle is harder to get and sometimes I miss even with marble. When I get them both I am pretty set though as that gets me representation and civil service. Then I research alphabet (long before other AIs) and I can trade for those techs I skipped while picking another tech beeline to stay ahead.