Your SID level experiences

[The Viceroy]

Yes, I noticed the Great Library still available, I wonder why its ignored ? Some culture for me finally

A good early start is so critical with this level, and a clear bit of land to do it on, the AI took no time at all to surround me, and whats worse is, the culture flipping.

Delhi is to the left of my civ, and yet the Indian cities to the righ, a considerable distance from their centre, have started flipping my new built cities, I can only imagine they've got a FP over that side ???

I can see me losing this game, not to the expected mass attack .. but to the culture flipping.

[DrSpike]

Culture flipping is to be sure an issue. Thing is, you spend so long building up an army that can make a dent in theirs that you are way way behind in culture. Flips back are one thing, but I too have seen native cities flip in a Deity game where I started close to the Romans.

[OPD]

The most effective way I found to beat Deity was to play tiny pangea maps as the Ironquios or Persians after playing that type of game enough times it was a realiable way of winning. I tried it once on Sid but it got annilated, even using a GA fueled chariot - MW upgrade spree I still got my ass handed to me.

I'm thinking about trying a tiny archy 80% water map with either the dutch or Byzantines, if all the AI get screwed badly enough and you get an ok start you may be able to get somewhere. I've seen some starts on these maps that even the sid AI could do nothing with.

[Filippo]

ok you guys made me want to try again... But I'm gonna try it with arcipelago and seafaring civ.

Cos I'm just not up to fight Knights with Archers on a pangea or continent map

[DrSpike]

The easiest setting for Sid is now IMO archipelago with seafaring, but not for the reasons given. Essentially it means that the pace of advancement is much slower, since the AI will be slow to contact other civs. Also, the 'suiciding' curragh is now available to the human from the word go and is an overpowered tactic in reality since the AI will not use it. But on Sid..........whatever goes I'd say.

[Filippo]

of course those side reasons were thought too... but I still would give up the ability to build Curraghs (especially if you're not seafaring when they move only 2 squares) if that would save me from fighting knights with archers, thank you.

[Enriquillo]

Scary stuff, this Sid mode, I'm at 210bc with 16 cities, researching Code of Laws atm.
Been seeing nothing but Medieval infantry running around, whilst I'm stuck with 35 spears and 19 swords.

Playing as Mayans pretty much standard settings, the middle maptype on a standard map with standard amount of enemies, etc, just the barb setts turned down a notch from raging

So far so good, even though I feel they could wipe me off the face of this map whenever they feel like it.

Good start, with two cows to split between two starting cities, so a good Rexing deal, currently trying to figure out how to catch up, LOL.

EDIT: forgot to mention, a stack of 16 MI a handfull of archers and pikes as well as the fact that I got ZERO luxuries to work with. This is starting to look bleak.

[Enriquillo]

Culture stats at 210bc, OUCH

[DrSpike]

I feel your pain. Are any of their capitals nearby.........if so watch for the flips of your external cities.

And if (big if) you build up enough units to take a city or 2 holding on to it is going to be tough.

[Enriquillo]

400AD, I'm still alive but my pikemen are telling me all the cavarly scares them a bit

Just made the switch to republic and had to sell about 30 troops in order to make even a slight profit with 30% luxury and 0% research!

I thought about throwing 20 swords and 10 pikes at the Inca, but noticed they had riflemen so decided not to

Still no luxuries, but also not a single culture flip yet, so I'm doing great considering the circumstances.

Going to abandon this game now, next one will on a slightly more favorable map I think. It's just no fun hearing how the Koreans build Newton's university when you're just learning to write

[DrSpike]

Hehe I don't think it's worth going republic until you have conquered enough cities to be a force in the game. And if you haven't done that already you may as well give up I'm afraid.

Try archipelago with the dutch and a nice wet map. No shame in cooking it a little.

[Chieftess]

I've tried it a few times, and I've had the most success when:

1 - I was isolated (you can actually get more than 3-6 cities).
2 - The AI razed quite a few cities of a neighboring civ (allowed me to get about 12 cities total one game).

[DrSpike]

Yeah if only there was a "Bismarck, Gandhi said you were an uncouth barbarian" option.

[Vince278]

Am I given to understand that NOBODY has won a game yet at Sid level?

[Vince278]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Yeah if only there was a "Bismarck, Gandhi said you were an uncouth barbarian" option.

I'm not uncouth.