How Do They Do It?

[fed1943]

Well,I noticed now that I´m following Velociryx,so I must be on the good way:
Creative is the safest trait (IMO);I also like to couple that with Expansive (a push to expansion)or Finantial (a license to expansion) and Hunting (for that poor scout,who dyes early,but grabs some goody huts and never tuns them against me).
So,Cyrus or Catherine.
Best regards,

[Footie Mad]

The biggest lesson I had to learn when moving up to monarch was that I had to specialize. There is no way you are going to beat the AI in every department without first beating them solidly in one, it can be rushing to a certain military tech or just overrunning one of your neighbours with units that have been built while neglecting other areas. Once you have assimilated more land you can become more powerful within trade and research.

Also you have to play it smart, present one of your neighbours with tribute and butter them up. Otherwise you'll find a knife in your back as soon as you are in a sensitive position.

[BigWilly1974]

About tribute. I experimented the other night by gifting 5 fairly high end techs to two different AIs, and didn't seem to notice any effect on the modifiers. Is the effect unpredictable?

[inca911]

The AIs enjoy trading techs a lot. I think they *know* they have to do this to outpace the human player and continue to escalate this behavior as the difficulty level increases.

[djpsychonaut]

Originally posted by Yosh
This is incredibly tough to do if you are not focusing and specializing your tech tree, however. The reason I was able to walk all over Hatty so early was because a) I popped Iron close enough for me to make use of it, b) Hatty is a peace-ful type, c) instead of wandering through the tech forest, I made the path to fit my plan (of conquest). Like many things in this game, specialization and concentration of force (or beakers, or commerce, etc) is the key to success.

To what extent do you prioritize a religion? Or do you?

[Footie Mad]

Originally posted by BigWilly1974
About tribute. I experimented the other night by gifting 5 fairly high end techs to two different AIs, and didn't seem to notice any effect on the modifiers. Is the effect unpredictable?

There is a limit to how much you can affect relations by gifts and trading, I think it's 4+, so no matter how much you give it won't go further than that. Prevents the player from jus buying good relations in a single turn, now you have to be cautious all through the game not to step on the toes of those who matter. Even giving up good trade deals for continued good relations with others....

[Yosh]

To what extent do you prioritize a religion? Or do you?

That game (which, btw, is now in 2005, with me failing a diplo win due to me underestimating the insanity of Cathy et al), I actually did NOT prioritize on founding a religion at all! It wasn't until I sharked a Barb city next to Cathy and got Hinduism spread to it that I was able to obtain a religion. Not having a religion early on can severely limit your city size, but I was able to compensate well in this case, for I had a ridiculous amount of happiness resources in Hatty's former lands.

I've found that I do not really even think about religions in most Prince+ games until after the early stages, or if I do a CS slingshot. It could be a problem with my playing style, but I feel that the advatages of getting non-religious techs and buildings outweigh the value of early religion in *most* cases - I like using my whip to control happiness in my cities early on!

If I was Spain On A Lake, however, I would probably take a chance at Hinduism

The problem with trying for early religions is that the opportunity cost is just too high IMHO; unlike with wonders, if you fail getting an early religion, you don't have anything to show for it!


On a side note, below is a definitive proof of Catherine's complete INSANITY (this game has been insanse; at one point Huey and I were +22!!!!) - Both screenshots are from the SAME turn, and at the SAME diplo conversation! What is interesting to note are the [-]'s I have; she and Vicky are NOT friends, and I gave Cathy some techs to go to war with Vicky, yet apparently in Cathy's twisted thinking that makes me the bad guy - I think she's a man-hater (she'd have never have been so *****y if I were playing as Hatty or Elizabeth I'll bet!)

Also, she apparently has such a warped view of reality that she thinks I brought an ally in against her when it's only the two of them fighting!!