Playing again after long break

[Seedle]

I agree with Willem and Theben, seeing what every opponent is researching is key. Though I do usually use Krills method to get the espionage, I will devote 10% slider if necessary. Knowing whether you need to break your rifling beeline to get economics, knowing whether you need to get Liberalism now or can wait for more expensive tech to grab with it, knowing who has (tech for wonder) and can thus build that wonder, knowing whether you need to take the hit to research that is Sci Method to get Physics or whether you can continue to avoid it, knowing how close the guy you are thinking about attacking is to flight, the advantages are many and well worth the cost.

[Theben]

Originally posted by Krill
Or kill someone early and prioritise courthouses in thoses cities and newly built citiesin their land; then quit and restart since you're going to win at this point anyways.

fixed.

[Krill]

Not necesarily. Under quite a few circumstances an AI can out tech you if you piss about long enough building up for the war and rebuilding your economy after it and kill another AI later so it ends as a stalemate but the AI has better units. Or an AI could attack you as you are rebuilding; you should be able to fight it off, or it could attack as you are attacking leading to a two front war where the player can't kill either but can hold off both, letting the builder AI plough ahead in the tech race.

[The Priest]

Well, one of the fun aspects of Civ Forums is you never know what bit of what you say others are going to disagree with!

In my experience if you have ten or so AI's out there, if you try to build EP against them all you are never going to have enough for anything worthwhile, unless either (a) you are sufficiently huge you have probably won anyway or (b) you use the slider.

Some people use the slider. Fair enough. Never thought it worthwhile myself - maybe I will have a play with it - but it seems a huge cost just to know stuff which migth be nice to know but isn't normally going to change much.

Interesting point though about being able to see who is researching the techs which give a bonus to the first founder - I can see the value in that.

It probably comes down to what you like to spend EP on. I am adicted to bringing down city walls - its the secret to quick, and therefore successful, wars. If you want to do that to two or three cities you have to focus your EP. If the main thing you are after is passive intelligence though, maybe that is different

[jkp1187]

Originally posted by Theben


fixed.

QFT!

[MoonWolf]

I have some comment on the Great Generals. The first one, I normally give to an already strong unit. This can either be a city buster or an allround unit with lot of combat and/ or drill promotions. The second I either use to create a lvl 3 medic (lately, I've been trying to get lvl 3 woodsman for that unit as well cause of the 15% healing bonus) or I settle it in my main military city. I normally don't do too much warfare untill mid/ late game meaing I will really not pump out super units untill I have West Point and the Pentagon. If I'm lucky, my land based units will have 17XP out of the box. Sometimes, when the units produced comes with >10XP, I use the remaining generals for making superunits.

BTW, when you have destroyers (and the enemy hasn't), assign a general to a destroyer, give it morale (2x XP) and blitz, and have fun! You can really harvest XPs and get a really powerful warship.

[jkp1187]

Originally posted by MoonWolf
I have some comment on the Great Generals. The first one, I normally give to an already strong unit. This can either be a city buster or an allround unit with lot of combat and/ or drill promotions. The second I either use to create a lvl 3 medic (lately, I've been trying to get lvl 3 woodsman for that unit as well cause of the 15% healing bonus) or I settle it in my main military city. I normally don't do too much warfare untill mid/ late game meaing I will really not pump out super units untill I have West Point and the Pentagon. If I'm lucky, my land based units will have 17XP out of the box. Sometimes, when the units produced comes with >10XP, I use the remaining generals for making superunits.

BTW, when you have destroyers (and the enemy hasn't), assign a general to a destroyer, give it morale (2x XP) and blitz, and have fun! You can really harvest XPs and get a really powerful warship.

Better yet, attach the Great General to a privateer or frigate, and get an uber naval unit that gets a free promotion to destroyer later on.

[MoonWolf]

Originally posted by jkp1187


Better yet, attach the Great General to a privateer or frigate, and get an uber naval unit that gets a free promotion to destroyer later on.

Also possible, but when I get destroyers, the AI still have a huge fleet of wood and canvas wich mean I can get the XPs very easy without risking my über ship.

But giving it to a privateer could be fun though, especially if you have enough of them as canon fodder in case you get attacked.

[Azuarc]

Thanks for the replies, folks. Also read zero's thread, but obviously this dealt more with my own concerns.

Now if I can just figure out how to pick my strategies...

[Blaupanzer]

Azuac, welcome back!

[Supr49er]

Originally posted by jkp1187


Better yet, attach the Great General to a privateer or frigate, and get an uber naval unit that gets a free promotion to destroyer later on.

A GG Frigate upgraded to a Battleship is great fun.

[wodan11]

I played one game where I was on a semi-smallish continent with 2 AIs. I took them out early and had it all to myself. What to do but beeline privateers and send out in wholesale job lots.

Before I could turn around I had NINE GG privateers, which in short order were upgraded.

That game was a blast.

Wodan