Swimming in money in Monarchy govt

[Fistleaf]

I am playing a Civ3 vanilla Monarch game on Pangaea using the Zulus.
This map has only 2 continents separated by an impassable ocean (at least until Navigation). The Zulus, Persians and Babylonians start on the same continent.
My Zulus started off by building a few cities quickly and then switched to troop building because my capital is at the end of a peninsula and the Persians and Babylonians have blocked off the rest of the continent from me.
I invaded the Persians and Babylonians on and off using horsemen and Impi and finally eradicated both of them after they became so small and have nothing to offer me.
The French and Germans from the other continent built a few cities on MY continent but I captured or razed those cities so my Zulus can rule the entire continent.
I am now swimming in money while still remaining in Monarchy. 400+ gold per turn with Tech every 6-7 turns even with corruption although I did have a Forbidden Palace and courthouses in several cities. I don't build any Cathedrals or Colloseums because my luxury rate is at 20% and I have 3 luxuries on my continent, enough to keep size 12 cities content.
I then invaded the Chinese on the other continent and captured one city with spices as my base of operations.
I now have a major tech lead and am orchestrating wars between the other 5 civs and capturing some cities for luxuries or Wonders. I have tanks and bombers while the other civs are about to get Replacement Parts.
It is funny to see 5 civs squeezed on one continent fighting one another for space while my Zulus have an entire continent to myself.
This is the first time I stayed in Monarchy all the way and I have no intention of switching to Democracy because I am still earning about 50 gold/turn at about 5-6 turns per tech. This is after I have built Cathedrals and Colloseums almost everywhere. So far, my monarchy feels like democracy without the side effects.

[vmxa1]

Sounds like you had fun Fistleaf. I had to check the name to make sure it was not Arrain. This sounds like a game he would approve.

[Fistleaf]

Yes, it is a fun game. First I got everybody against the Russians. After the 20 turns are up, I got everybody against the Germans because they are expanding at the expense of the Russians and the Russians are in trouble.
After the Germans are reduced to a single city, I got everybody against the French because they captured all those German cities that I wanted to raze. I have now destroyed the French and am thinking of attacking the Russians again.
The only two remaining civs are China and England. England has only 2 cities, London recently rebuilt because I razed the first London! The Chinese are my ally in all the wars.
Almost everybody has infantry now but only my Zulus have tanks, bombers and destroyers. I am trying to get a Domination victory because I haven't won one before.

[vmxa1]

I wish you could smack the Russians in my game.

[Fistleaf]

Well, I always end up smacking the Russians unless I am playing as them of course.
They keep asking for tributes every now and then and they are always attacking somebody. They are usually high on my list of civs to cripple.
The Germans come in a close second.

[vmxa1]

Since they are in the modern age and I am still in the middle ages, so chance to smack them. They have Tow already, I have knights. They have crusie missile, I do not even have frigates.
At least I have just passed them in score for the time being.

[Aqualung71]

Originally posted by vmxa1
Since they are in the modern age and I am still in the middle ages, so chance to smack them. They have Tow already, I have knights. They have crusie missile, I do not even have frigates.
At least I have just passed them in score for the time being.

That's what you get for playing Sid!

But I don't understand how you can pass them in score when they are so far ahead of you in tech, etc. I also noted you've stayed in despotism a long time in that game vmxa1 - why's that?

[Solomwi]

Originally posted by Fistleaf
Well, I always end up smacking the Russians unless I am playing as them of course.
They keep asking for tributes every now and then and they are always attacking somebody. They are usually high on my list of civs to cripple.
The Germans come in a close second.

Russia's usually at the top of my list, all other things being equal. Smacking an expansionist civ in the ancient age can be a great boon.

Germany never makes my list anymore, because lately I've been hooked on them as my civ.

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by Thriller


That's what you get for playing Sid!

But I don't understand how you can pass them in score when they are so far ahead of you in tech, etc. I also noted you've stayed in despotism a long time in that game vmxa1 - why's that?

You are right.

I guess the main way is by having more land than they have. I did not look at it, but since they had huge metros and two landmass, they probably have not done well in happy faces.
I stayed a despot, so no WW. I have more pop, due to the fairly tight spacing and more cities.

I stayed in despotism, because I felt I could not afford the anarchy and the support. IOW, stupid. I just am not sure what is a good timing for taking the hit. I think I had about 150 units and was about to go into high gear building more.

[Fistleaf]

I have finally won the game by Domination after destroying the Russians and rush building temples in all captured cities. This is the first time I got the title "The Magnificent". It seems that territory does contribute a lot to the score.
There is no global warming in this game and pollution occurs only once in a blue moon. I have only two cities with factories and 5 cities with Hospitals, so pollution is very manageable. The other civs simply do not get the chance to grow beyond size 12 or build factories with all the world wars going on.
One weird thing is that the Germans chose to have a Republic govt instead of a Democracy when they do have the Democracy technology. The English, Chinese, French all chose Democracy with Russia in Communism. Granted, Republic is the favoured govt of the Germans, but that has never played a major part in any game.
I also have about 100 captured workers spread over the 2 continents, so many until I do not know what to do with them.

[vmxa1]

All hail the magnificent Fistleaf, congrats. Yes land is a large part of the score.

[Hermann the Lombard]

Originally posted by Fistleaf One weird thing is that the Germans chose to have a Republic govt instead of a Democracy when they do have the Democracy technology.

Well...there seem to be a number of good players here who remain in Republic (or Monarchy) rather than suffer a second period of anarchy. [In the Sage's dutch game I just got clipped with 7 turns.]