Help with OCC

[Will9]

I'm about ready to go up to Prince, but first I'd like win an OCC on Noble without declaring war. I just played one and lost. Could I get some advice such as what techs and wonders are more important and which are less when playing an OCC?

[Kuciwalker]

Hint: Hoover and SoL aren't terribly useful.

[Jaybe]

I've read that small maps or at least extra number of civs are good. Selection of small wonders would be interesting; or can you build them all in OCC?

Never played OCC, personally.

[Will9]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Hint: Hoover and SoL aren't terribly useful.

I did build SoL in my last game because I was having problems with unhealthiness and I needed a way to get another specialist.

[ColdPhoenix]

You can build all the national wonders in the city of you want. I always like to get the Globe theatre, you never need worry about happiness in your civ for the rest of the game then. Also you can trade any happy resources for health which will make the other civs happier with you and help combat the inevitable health problems. I guess it could be worth building the Hanging Gardens, I know it might seems a waste as it usually helps all your cities but the additional health would be useful (I don't think it can be made obsolete). Also playing as an expansive civ might be an idea.

I quite like to play with raging barbs and build the great wall.

[Mr Justice]

go with an islands map, small. this stunts the AIs growth and so long as you have access to water and a reasonable start site you have good chance (tho oil may be an issue).

techs, id say start with techs which allow you to work the land, ignore religion, military tech not a priorty imo, as your best chance of winning is space race (or diplomatic if you want, riskier tho). the order of your late game techs is very important. cant rightly remember wat they should be but you goto get the Appollo program up asap, so that pirotises rocketry.

[rah]

I always played on a smaller map, added an extra civ, then played for a conquest win. Being able to build all the national wonders in one city is quite an advantage and you should be able to stay ahead tech wise. ( i usually disable tech trading) Superior arms = dead AI's.

If you play balanced resources Oil usually won't be a problem but if you settle right where you start it will usually be in the last two rings. Race to drama and music to get the globe up and get the free artist to get your borders out past the 5000 level before the AI encroaches too deeply. If they're on the fringe your culture will destroy their cities. One game my culture destroyed over 10 cities.

[MrWhereItsAt]

Originally posted by rah
One game my culture destroyed over 10 cities.

Reminds me of the power of that bastion of culture, Desperate Housewives.

[Kuciwalker]

The Hanging Gardens would only be useful for the engineering GP points, but even then I don't think it's worth it.

[Krill]

DFon't bother much with cottages, just run as many scientists as possible. Get Gl asap then nat epic, then get pacifism, and get as many GS as possible and settle them in the city. Get Oxford asap, then get biology adn medicine then representation. Keep on running Caste system for most of the game, pretty much from the turn you get pacifism.

Early on in the game, if you don;t have much to build, just build a barracks and build a load of warriors. They help for happiness, and in a pinch, can be upgraded to good troops. When you are under attack, never throw away units. Always attack only when you have the odds. Conserve troops, because unless you revert to drafting you will only ever get 1 unit a turn, adnthe AI, no matter how inept, will run you over.

[ColdPhoenix]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
The Hanging Gardens would only be useful for the engineering GP points, but even then I don't think it's worth it.

You don't find health a problem in OCC? It's the main problem for me as I usually have very few health resources in my culture. I find any additional health useful, admittedly HG is a very expensive way to get one health....

[Will9]

My last game was standerd, contents, 12 civs (my usual). Would that be okay to start a new one with?

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by ColdPhoenix
You don't find health a problem in OCC? It's the main problem for me as I usually have very few health resources in my culture. I find any additional health useful, admittedly HG is a very expensive way to get one health....

I don't think +1 health is quite worth that many shields. Remember that +1 health = +1 food at best.

[Krill]

Given a choice between taking +2 GE points and +1fpt (I will be unhealthy for most of the game) and 1 population or giving the AI that same and an extra 10 pop points, I know that I want to screw the AI over.

[Krill]

The main problem with HG isn't the cost, it's that it slows down the rest of the game, and if you are aiming for space then you really need to get a move on from turn one because the AI will chase you down in the tech tree towards the end of the game.