Vel's Strategy Thread, Volume III

[Flhaus]

Originally posted by Virdrago


The specialist pop isn't working on the land around the city when you assign a specialist. Technically, the specialist lives "inside" the city, so he doesn't go out to the fields and mines. On the right, where the specialists are, you can see what the specialist is giving you, instead of food and/or production around the city. Just mouseover it.

Hope this helps. Cheers.

Thanks. It does helps.

[smbakeresq]

Dont be afraid to ask questions here of any kind in any forum. People dont flame here, they actually help you out with any problems you have with the game.

I guess this type of game attracts a different type of crowd then others, since everyone is helpful.

[Thoth]

Hi Vel,

First off, let me join in the chorus of voices saying "Great Work!"

A couple of points regarding religions:

You can manipulate which city founds a religion. There was a thread about this some time ago, but I'm not sure what it was called. IIRC, the factors that determine which city gets the new religion are:

1) Number of religions already present. The city with the lowest number of religions will found the new religion.

2) If all cities have the same number of religions, the new religion will be founded in the largest city.

3) If there is a tie in city size the religion will be founded in the oldest city.

4) If you have any cities other than your capital, the new religeon will not found in your capital.

(I'd like to give credit for the above info, but I don't recall who originally posted it)

[jbp26]

those points about religion just influence the probability of where it will found- they arent absolute.

[Kokuei]

Well it's been an age since I played Civ, but after hearing there was another expansion in the works I figured it was time to dust off the DVD and get stuck in again. Fabulous to find this thread still going and still chock full of ideas, fantastic stuff as always.

I'm a carebear builder, always have been, never war early, play the diplomacy game, race ahead in tech, then start pummeling people about when I have already 'won' but they just don't know it yet.

However, this is getting old and tired real quick as I start to re-learn this game, and lo' the dark side calleth...

N.B. I have never, and I do mean never won any civ (2,3 & 4) or smac (x) game via conquering or domination, normally it's the spaceship, sometimes UN.

Anyway, that piece about the Inca that caught my eye, and blimey, what a breath of fresh air it was.

So off I went, found the Americans close by, met Isabella's scout warrior and figured she wasn't too far away either.

(I'm still playing on wussy warlord level whilst I get back into this btw) - Anyway, long story short 8 Quecha's later and Washington is mine with only 3 or 4 losses. Stonehenge goes up, followed by the oracle, then I thought, what the hell, let's go and see Isabella.

With only 2 Quecha's remaining from the 6 I started with I took her capital (which had founded 3 religions already ) although the time spent looking after Washington meant she's already got at least another one (but I suspect more likely 2 cities) and my military isn't really sufficent to continue straight away.

With hindsight, I guess Isabella should have been first on the hit list (whenever I meet her I let out a sigh of 'well she's not going to be friendly') and I should have jumped at the opportunity of payback

Breaking out of my 'comfort zone' playstyle has been a lot of fun, time to see what I can do with the other 'ancient' UU's

Looking foward to what the expansion brings, and to see what gems ppl come up with.

Best Regards.

[Addled Platypus]

once you get warmed up on that, do a Warlords mod Blakes AI....its a whole new experience

[LarryM]

With the help of Vel's fine guide, I'm finally getting ahead of the computer Civs early on, and even winning occasionally on Prince. The problem - unlike every previous version of Civ, that early lead doesn't always hold up. Thus I would join the chorus of people begging for an update which focuses a bit on the mid game.

[smbakeresq]

The middle game is mostly about two things:

1. Streaming your economy. Cities must be managed correctly here since you probably have run out of expansion room. This is the main player advantage over the computer. If you want to go specialist, this is when you set up your great person pump to its highest efficiency. Also, spread your religion, and start planning you national wonder allocation. Your science rate must be assisted by getting the education buildings up and running.

2. Preparing for the pruning of the tree. This is also when you start to prepare to clip your opponents. Start thinking about how and where you are going to attack your opponents. As your religion spreads, you can peek at the units the have, so you can get ready. I ususally get enough armies going to attack 3-4 cities per turn (I play large, epic, low sea level.) Usually this means 16-20 siege units, with 24 - 32 city attackers of mixed varieties, with follow up units of city defenders to put in the cities you take. It takes a while to put toghether a force like that, but once you do can keep the attacks rolling right through and not give you opponent a chance to rebuild. Think steamroller, not wear down. It is better to wait to build a larger force then rush through then it is grind it out. Also you need to start isolating certain opponents diplomatically so that when you attack them they dont vassal themselves to another.

[Gen.Dragolen]

Vassals ? You mean dead man/woman.

smbakeresq,

Dead on with the mid-game analysis. From the few times I have seen other civ's use the Vassal defense, it's been a last ditch attempt to stave off their final death.

Unfortunately, it has only sealed their fate since every time they were about to lose all but one of their cities... it does make it interesting since they always seem to be best buds with who ever is the strongest of the AI Civs at the time... well second strongest anyways. Never seem to be able to use diplomacy to successfully isolate them to prevent it.

Any suggestions ?


D.

[smbakeresq]

Start with the 2nd weakest civ score on your continent, that should be your first attack. Offer to attack then with the weakest Civ score as your ally, they wont vassal with the weakest, only you. When you finish off the second weakest civ, then your ally will still be the weakest, and then you can go after someone else. Mostly they will ask you to vassalize them, instead of asking your weaker ally, but even if they dont, they will have vassled themselves to the weakest civ.

It seems to me that Civs that trade item for item are more likely to stay with you then ones that rent items from you. So the ones you trade with are the ones stick with. If you will also rent an item from them, they will stick with you more since they love the cash.

[Gen.Dragolen]

It's the 600bls Gorilla who's the Problem

smbakeresq,

It's not the weakest who's the problem, it's their ability to offer becoming a vassal of the second strongest civ (mine's usually the 800lbs gorilla) who weighs in and basically is a nifty way of paying off the 600lbs gorilla with nothing but "won't be missed" self-respect, since after you paste the H-E-hockey sticks outta the 600lbs gorilla, the vassal abandons their patron and reasserts their independence.

The only way I can think of is to make it so that the 2nd strongest is your best bud and hope they don't pull their knives out before you can get your army back to keep them out of your territory.

D.

[Jvstin]

Originally posted by Kokuei


N.B. I have never, and I do mean never won any civ (2,3 & 4) or smac (x) game via conquering or domination, normally it's the spaceship, sometimes UN.

I often have had that problem. My solution to force me out of the box is to turn off UN and Spaceship victories. Force yourself to go on the offensive.

[Tony]

Vel,

I understand that you are busy and your health is not great, but I have to say I really miss your Civ 4 guide. Your SMAC guide is one of the main reasons I still play that game so often. Every time I read it, it feels like I'm having a conversation with a friend whos deep into the game, and it gets me all psyched to play again.

I had my original craze of Civ 4, and then I put the game aside and said "I'll break it out again in when Vels Civ 4 guide is ready". But every couple of months I check back and theres no progress. Don't get me wrong I realise you're busy, and I'm way too lazy to put together something like your huge SMAC guide. I just wanted to let you know that there are gamers out here who are hanging out for your guide more keenly than they await the next expansion pack. Fraxis really should hire you full time to crank it out.

Tony

[HenryMad]

Originally posted by Tony
Vel,

I understand that you are busy and your health is not great, but I have to say I really miss your Civ 4 guide. Your SMAC guide is one of the main reasons I still play that game so often. Every time I read it, it feels like I'm having a conversation with a friend whos deep into the game, and it gets me all psyched to play again.

I had my original craze of Civ 4, and then I put the game aside and said "I'll break it out again in when Vels Civ 4 guide is ready". But every couple of months I check back and theres no progress. Don't get me wrong I realise you're busy, and I'm way too lazy to put together something like your huge SMAC guide. I just wanted to let you know that there are gamers out here who are hanging out for your guide more keenly than they await the next expansion pack. Fraxis really should hire you full time to crank it out.

Tony

I agree completely! I undestood what a deep game SMACx is only when i red VEL's guide, a truly masterpiece.
Now that i'm sinking in CIV 4, still trying to find and organize a decent strategy, I really miss those times !

I could only join the crowd of players prayin for a VEL's CIV4 guide:b

[HenryMad]

Double post--- deleted --- sry for that