First Game on Prince

[sparkyal]

Well, I'm playing my first game on Prince. I decided that it was time to try Rome. Pratorians really do rock!

Here are some things that I picked up on and some things I would like some pointers on. First, a little bit about the game. Fractal large map, but it turns out to be one continent...very annoying. I started the game in the deep south. To my west is Washington, to the east Germany, to the north the Arbs and Mony. I was pretty well boxed in and only built three ciities and my economy was not terrible. Being that America was right there and majorly blocking me, and I just got the mighty Pratorian, I build some of them and went to war with Amwerica. these units are great. They really are over-powering. There is no good defence against them until the crossbow. so I ran the USA down to 3 cities and Mony declared war. I decicded that fighting two wars was a bad idea so I went to peace with America. then started the first of now 3 wars with Monty. After taking two of his cities in the first war, I had to go to peace because my economy sucked. As I worked on that I began to build up the army for a fight against America again to finish them off. Then Mony declared war, took back two cities. In the end I netted three of his cities. Economy sucked, so went to peace and began rebuilding. Now it's the 3rd time and I'm angry. My economy is in shambles but I don't care, Monty must die, and he is stronger then ever in this war.

Other notable factors, I have like 10 or 12 cicites, but have only built 4. How do you know when to build a new city. I'm afraid of over expanding and wrecking my economy. I built lot's of cottages this time, but I'm not sure if it helped. Any advice?

Also, about wonders, they are a lot harder to get. I usually ed up with 50% in the beiging of the game and all of them later on. I have built precious few of them this game. Advice?

I think that is it for now, but any kind of advice is certainly welcome.

sparky

[Solver]

Don't grab cities like crazy. It's easy to ruin your economy by capturing too many, if you can't afford it, just raze the cities or stop fighting.

You don't always have to attack enemy cities in a war, either. Going around pillaging will hurt them, particularly if you pillage cottages. And it also gives you money.

Make a friend or two, and trade. Trade is important.

[Arrian]

Poprush courthouses. That'll help too.

-Arrian

[Blaupanzer]

Don't take all the cities. Monty is notorious for bad city placement (e.g., one or two squares from solid special-exploitation placements, or two or three cities to do the work of one, or corners of the Fat crosses with specials in them). Burn 'em so you can relocate or just to get rid of him. Keep up with the cottages, they'll begin to pay off eventually.

If you are not industrial (and neither of the Romans are), then you are going to get fewer and fewer wonders as you go up the chain. Even at Prince, those wonders are cheaper for the AI than they are for you. You may have to take the ones you need in the end, rather than build them.

[jbp26]

you should be very selective about what cities you take. raze everything else. when it doubt, burn it down.

dont worry too much about building wonders. on prince you can get the oracle every time, thats one i really recommend to snag a deep technology. i usually don't bother with a CS Slingshot since i can finish the Oracle way before I can finish researching Code of Laws, so just take something else helpful. i rarely ever try to build the great wall or the pyramids unless im hooked up to stone quickly

for the most part its easier to just steal wonders from the AI. while theyre building them, just build units instead and steal them. you dont get the culture from them but who cares. culture is for hippies.

[Virdrago]

Don't worry about taking cities too much. Take what you really want. Sometimes you don't need to take a city to win a war - pillage, pillage, pillage! When things are better economicallylater in the game, take more cities. I've won games without taking a city from any other country because I left my enemies without production, gold, and with little science. Later, when their cottages were rebuilt, I did it again. Loads of fun - and I'm a builder

Also, trade is key.

Lastly, don't worry too much about Wonders. Try to build what you really need, and use the others for a quick gold rush when someone else builds them. Useful in early to mid-game for upgrades and bribery... another way to economically devastate two opponents ("Please go to war with Monty for me!")

[mkorin]

Your biggest mistake was attacking America instead of Monty. At Prince and above, he'll just keep attacking and force you to focus on only him. Attack him as soon as possible in any game you see him. I usually limit myself to 5-6 cities until I get my economy running well, then I start taking over the world. I am currently moving from Prine to Monarch. If you think the change Prince was tough, just wait until you get bored with Prince and move up (and you will). Once you have the pattern for Prince, it is fairly easy. By the time I was ready for Monarch, I was wining either conquest or Diplo wins at any setting almost at will. I know, diplo wins are for hippies, but Warlords seems to make me have them as I collect too many vassels.

Which brings up another point, don't take a vassel too early in the game. Destroy that civilization will be better for you.

Mike

[sparkyal]

Great advice, thanks to all of you.

ok, I'm on my second gamea s prinvce and i have a question:

Can you find and kill the appollo program? I ask because I decided to not go after the appollo program because tech wise I'm like 3rd and I wanted to fight it out. I figured if someone got the apollo program I'd just find it and attack that city. But, as the Ottomans get ready to finish it, I cannot find it. So, does it appear in a city? and if you take that city from them, does it stop them from building more of the space ship? simular question, if you take the city with SDI, does that civ no longer have SDI until it builds another one? And what about all the other National Wonders? If somneone takes the city with Scotland Yard, can it be built again?

Also, one of my vassals only has two parts of the spaceship left to build, if it completes it, they win the game, right? and how do I stop it?

sparkyal

[Virdrago]

Okay, here goes:

Can you find and kill the appollo program?

You can find it, but can only sabotage it with spies. This may cost a LOT of money, so it's generally not worth it. Alternately, you can go to war, or have someone else go to war with them. Unfortunately, since everyone wants to build it (and it's not a wonder, but a Great Project, so everyone can), this may be hard.

So, does it appear in a city? and if you take that city from them, does it stop them from building more of the space ship?

No, it gives the civilization building it the ability to build spaceship parts. The Apollo Program (in RL) was in space, so it wouldn't be in a city.

Also, one of my vassals only has two parts of the spaceship left to build, if it completes it, they win the game, right? and how do I stop it?

Yes, they win. Again, I think only spies can do anything (through sabotage). Otherwise, you're SOL, since it's your vassal. I don't know if you can do anything to your vassals cities with spies; I've never tried it.

Other question:

simular question, if you take the city with SDI, does that civ no longer have SDI until it builds another one? And what about all the other National Wonders? If somneone takes the city with Scotland Yard, can it be built again?

Yes; the same with all the other National Wonders; and yes. All National Wonders can be rebuilt somewhere else if you lose the city.

Hope this helps.

[Dis]

strange. It seems like if your vassal builds the spaceship, you would win too. I would try it and see what happens.

[Dis]

I'm ready to move up to prince, but I'm scared. I hate losing. I like to win 100% of my games.

I can win 100% of my games on Noble. But it can be close sometimes if I have a poor start with a non financial civ. And all my wins are spaceship. I usually don't have the patience to go for domination wins and such.

but as I've been reading in the strategy forums, I need to micromanage my citizens more. And I hate micromanagement to this degree. But I need to learn how to pump out great people the way I want.

[Virdrago]

I just moved up to Prince. It's definitely different.

I'm only now learning to micromanage cities and specialists. My brother has been doing it for some time now, and I think he can go up a level higher. he consistently has 1000 points more than second, even when he's not aggressive.

Me? Well, I'm still learning. I'm doing alright with a nonagressive Augustus(!); this is the first time I've played a full game without founding a religion.

I'm getting better, just not winning 100% of the time.

[CerberusIV]

Originally posted by sparkyal
if you take the city with SDI, does that civ no longer have SDI until it builds another one? And what about all the other National Wonders? If somneone takes the city with Scotland Yard, can it be built again?

SDI doesn't, IIRC, appear in a city - it's up in space. So once it is built it can't be destroyed.

[sparkyal]

Thanks guys, I apreeciate it. I have discovered much of the same. I'm pretty sure they would win if I let them complete the spaceship. Soooooooo

I attacked them with spies. I went to 20% culture and 20% science until I was able to build the advanceed jlitary hardwqare and then dropped science completely. The other civs won't finish in time. I don't think I'll get a diplomatic victory so I'll just have to wait for a time victory.

Just to pass the time, I built up a huge force of SEAL's to attack Russia. They have all the tech to finish the spaceship, so they should die. Besides, what else shoudl I do with 45 modern armor units.

Oh, did you notice that SEAL's and marines no longer upgrade to MINF? I see this is good since once something is upgradable you no longer get the option to build it. so, after you have MINF in v1.6 you could not build SEAL's or Marines anymore, and therefore no more amphib units....Now, it is back to no upgrades for these units....

I think you should still be able to upgrade them and still be able to build them.

sparky

[Saurus]

Originally posted by jbp26
you should be very selective about what cities you take. raze everything else. when it doubt, burn it down.

This is true.
However, razing cities will soon end up with a relation that is so bad that it can never be repaired no matter what. In my last game I razed a total of 3 of Shakas cities and then had a -10 for "your razed one of our cities" for the rest of the game.
My relation overall was at -24 after the war so no matter what did, the damage could not be repaired and he remained furious toward me all the way to the end.

If you have plans of defeating the guy anyway, then this matters little. In my games, this seldom is my plan so burning cities is a problem.