My first game...

[Gamecube64]

My first game is going pretty well, but I didn't expect it to. From the reviews on Amazon.com I was expecting to lose my first few games, because they said stuff like "It is impossible to beat on even the lowest difficulty level." Seeing how things are going right now the above statement leads me to believe one of these possabilities:
1. I have natural talent (doubt it)
2. They suck.
3. They think deity is the lowest difficulty level.

Sadly number 3 is probably the best answer, since the AI hardly makes ANY atacking units on chieftain from what I have seen, and aren't very quick in city building or science.

Accomplishments:
Conquered Egypt.
Lost many a legionary to numidian mercenaries in the conquest of carthage.
With the help of the Great Lighthouse I crossed a small amount of ocean and discovered England, who I got contact to the French from.
Spotted brown borders to the north and found Russia.
In a map trade with England spotted a green city in the northeast of my continent.
Discovered the green Greeks.
In map trades with them I found they were on a small Island-Continent to my east.
Am in the process of the total and complete genocide of Greece, they only have one size one city left.

Overall chieftain seems pretty easy. How am I doing?

*the save says 1950 B.C. but it is much later than that.

http://apolyton.net/upload/view.php?file=51013_CaesaroftheRomans1950BC.SAV

[Aqualung71]

Welcome to Civ3. Sounds like you're going great. Wipe them all out, then start your next game at the next level up. Get to a level you feel comfortable with and then hit these forums for some pretty intense strategy advice! Everything you could ever want to know is here.

By the way, it seems you are playing PTW or vanilla civ3, correct? If so, make sure you are patched to the latest version.

[Gamecube64]

Gold, I think it is fully patched at 1.27f. I am getting conquests next month (hopefully).

[Proserpine]

Re: My first game...

Originally posted by Gamecube64
My first game is going pretty well, but I didn't expect it to. From the reviews on Amazon.com I was expecting to lose my first few games, because they said stuff like "It is impossible to beat on even the lowest difficulty level." Seeing how things are going right now the above statement leads me to believe one of these possabilities:
1. I have natural talent (doubt it)
2. They suck.
3. They think deity is the lowest difficulty level.

Sadly number 3 is probably the best answer, since the AI hardly makes ANY atacking units on chieftain from what I have seen, and aren't very quick in city building or science.

Even more sadly, I tyhink that it's more No. 2, though probably No. 3 also plays a part.

[lmtoops]

It also helps that you have actually read the manual (my guess), and have put some thought into your movements. In that regard, you do have some natural talent.

[Goethe80]

Gamecube64,
welcome to the ridiculously addictive world that is civ3. I'm sure I speak for almost all the players on this forum that we've spent countless sleepless nights going 'just one more turn'.

if you're finding Chieftain too easy, perhaps you should gradually ramp up the difficulty levels, the difficulty levels start with the game giving you substantial advantages over the AI all to way to the Sid (with the AI getting several more settlers, workers, and military units than you right at the start).

anyway, all the best, and hope you enjoy your conquests when you get it!

[lmtoops]

I just read a thread in CFC were is guy is asking for help on Chieftain level becuase he always losses ???? (I think the thread is in the Strat. Forum)

I just hope this is a young kid. When you look at his save, he does everything wrong. He hordes his cash, refuses to trade with anyone (??), and builds very little military. The few workers he had were fortified (?).

So Gamecube, you doing much better than some.

[vmxa1]

I once tried to help someone who was losing at Chief. No matter how many times I played a start with details on each move, they would not adapt.

They finally won a game with a score of about 300.

[Solomwi]

Sounds like you've got the mechanics down, which is really what Chieftain is good for. I'd recommend one game at Warlord, to ease the "shock" a bit, then on to Regent. With Regent being the neutral level, where neither you nor the AI has a bonus, I always recommend trying to get to it as quickly as possible. Warlord and Chieftain won't to much to hone the skills of a player who "gets it" (but will help a player "get it" who doesn't). At Regent, you can still outresearch the AI, but trade begins to come into play. There are tons of good advice here for the player moving up the lower end of the difficulty levels, but the best piece I've seen yet is this: Forget that the Pyramids and Great Library exist. Forcing yourself to do without wonders you could get, and usually rely on, will do three great things for you, make you really appreciate them when you move up again and do manage to get them, teach you how to use the natural game mechanics to solve your issues, and open your eyes to just how dang productive those shields can be when put to "normal" use.

[ZEE]

i totally agree with Solomwi . wonder dependancy is one of the worst things to do as an early player. especially at the harder levels when wonders are extreamly hard to come by. ive met, and played with, many players that just couldnt cut it at the harder levels because of their wonder dependancy.

[vmxa1]

We had a no wonder AU game at one time, good practice. I think C3C causes wonder cascades to rip through ancient wonders very fast. There are so many that if one is finished the AI's switch and don't lose shields.

[Hermann the Lombard]

I've found lately that I don't even bother to *try* to get wonders, or at least ancient age wonders. If I have ivory I'll try to grab Zeus (relatively low cost and high payoff). If I got a very early SGL I might grab something, but I'd be tempted to keep it for a Medieval wonder. Likewise if a close neighbor just happens to build something...

I tend to start a prebuild in late ancient to use in the early medieval. I've been skipping Sun Tzu as I usually have some dedicated military cities early on. I've gotten Sistine repeatedly...and then often built few expensive cathedrals. I haven't built the GL for a long time. I love COP and often get it.

And then there's the beeline to ToE and Hoover's; now that's my addiction!

[Proserpine]

[QUOTE] Originally posted by Solomwi
Sounds like you've got the mechanics down, which is really what Chieftain is good for. I'd recommend one game at Warlord, to ease the "shock" a bit, then on to Regent. With Regent being the neutral level, where neither you nor the AI has a bonus, I always recommend trying to get to it as quickly as possible. Warlord and Chieftain won't to much to hone the skills of a player who "gets it" (but will help a player "get it" who doesn't). At Regent, you can still outresearch the AI, but trade begins to come into play. There are tons of good advice here for the player moving up the lower end of the difficulty levels, but the best piece I've seen yet is this: Forget that the Pyramids and Great Library exist. Forcing yourself to do without wonders you could get, and usually rely on, will do three great things for you, make you really appreciate them when you move up again and do manage to get them, teach you how to use the natural game mechanics to solve your issues, and open your eyes to just how dang productive those shields can be when put to "normal" use. [/QUOTE/]

Interesting. See, Gamecube64, I have been on these forums for quite a while and I have never heard of "wonder dependency" - but that describes me exactly. I am wonder dependant (I try to get as many as possible and struggle if I don't), and I can instantly see that that is probably why I am only now moving up to Regent having played for the longest time on Warlord.

Next full game I play I will dispense with the Wonders. You learn new stuff every day. Gosh darn (image of lightbuld lighting up over head).

Guys, any "12-step" programmes (threads) to wean me off this?

[Krill]

Proserpine, If you want a thread to help you, there is the Ducki does Regent

EDIT: that is for PTW, so not all of that info is relevent. Start another if you want to, since one is needed for C3C

[Proserpine]

Ducki does Regent? Sound like a bad porn film. Thanks, however the link didn't work. I might well start a new thread on this . . .