what level is the highest you can win most of the time?

[Odin]

Originally posted by Silpy
I have most luck with Persians. I've got them down to a fine art, it seems.

The Persians are for beginners. try the Zulus.

[Silpy]

Yes, the Persians are a good newbie civ (along with Egypt & China) But I find them good even at the higher levels. I don't like the Zulus. I prefer the Mongols.

PS. I never reload. Ever. That's cheating!

[Dis]

I like the babylonians as well. Those are just as good as the Persians.

anyways I've been playing Monarch games recently. Regent games offer no challenge at all.

If I would revert to some of the tricks I know about here, I could probably play higher. But some of those I consider cheesy and some are exploits. I prefer not to play the game that way.

[Shogun Gunner]

Monarch is a level I can win at consistently. I will play higher levels, but I'm not into calculting probability, combat odds, production bonuses, etc, etc etc for every decision in each turn. It seems like the higher up in difficulty you go, the more that type of play is required.

I like to have fun and be able to save and come back days later without having to refresh my memory of the game by writing myself a book of notes because I can't afford one mistake.

[Drachen]

Originally posted by Shogun Gunner
Monarch is a level I can win at consistently. I will play higher levels, but I'm not into calculting probability, combat odds, production bonuses, etc, etc etc for every decision in each turn. It seems like the higher up in difficulty you go, the more that type of play is required.

I like to have fun and be able to save and come back days later without having to refresh my memory of the game by writing myself a book of notes because I can't afford one mistake.

Hey Shogun Gunner:

I’m getting a bit more lax in my Sid games as time goes on because I’m finding that winning at the higher levels is not about micromanaging and being ultra-efficient but is rather based upon making sound strategic decisions. You’ll have an easier time of it if you manage your empires resources well…but you win games by concentrating upon; a turn by turn assessment of how you intend to get the win, what you must do to achieve that end, and what you must do not to lose before accomplishing that.

[Shogun Gunner]

Drachen,

That's an interesting take. I think I should try Emp or Sid at some point to see how I do. I think I'm ready for a challenge. I just bugs me to see the AI able to plop down two cities for every city I can plant.

Thanks for mentioning that -- I really hate the micromanagement/mathmatetical analysis approach, but I can deal with picking a sound strategy and managing that to victory. I haven't played enough on the higher levels to realize that. Thanks.

[Drachen]

Originally posted by Shogun Gunner
Drachen,

That's an interesting take. I think I should try Emp or Sid at some point to see how I do. I think I'm ready for a challenge. I just bugs me to see the AI able to plop down two cities for every city I can plant.

Thanks for mentioning that -- I really hate the micromanagement/mathmatetical analysis approach, but I can deal with picking a sound strategy and managing that to victory. I haven't played enough on the higher levels to realize that. Thanks.

Hey Shogun Gunner:

You’re welcome. As to the advantages the AI enjoys all I can say is you get used to it after awhile; accept it and watch the frustration fade away. Just start playing the next level up once you get comfortable at a level and your skills and strategies will evolve and improve. If I can be of any help just let me know.

Cheers

[Vince278]

I like playing for fun, whatever the level. It ceases to be fun if my primary consideration is how I can out-do the AI at a higher level. I'd like to think I'm playing against other civs in the game, not the AI as managed by my computer. Once I start devising strategies to outsmart a higher level AI it becomes less like Civ and more like playing chess on the computer.
As we know, to beat a computer at chess you don't have to be a better chess player, you only need to understand how the computer plays it then use that info to take advantage of it (this is pure Sun Tzu: Understand your enemy and you cannot lose. Computers are especially susceptable to this).

[Drachen]

Originally posted by Vince278
I like playing for fun, whatever the level. It ceases to be fun if my primary consideration is how I can out-do the AI at a higher level. I'd like to think I'm playing against other civs in the game, not the AI as managed by my computer. Once I start devising strategies to outsmart a higher level AI it becomes less like Civ and more like playing chess on the computer.
As we know, to beat a computer at chess you don't have to be a better chess player, you only need to understand how the computer plays it then use that info to take advantage of it (this is pure Sun Tzu: Understand your enemy and you cannot lose. Computers are especially susceptable to this).

Hey Vince 278:

Nicely done. A cogent piece well reasoned and defended. Let me ask you though, if “out doing” the AI at higher levels in chess like manner is not in particularly fun, then what is it, from an aesthetic viewpoint, that you do find to be fun or satisfying about playing Civ?

[Vince278]

Originally posted by Drachen
Hey Vince 278:

Nicely done. A cogent piece well reasoned and defended. Let me ask you though, if “out doing” the AI at higher levels in chess like manner is not in particularly fun, then what is it, from an aesthetic viewpoint, that you do find to be fun or satisfying about playing Civ?

Thanks. I suppose I'm a role player and a war gamer at heart. When I take out a civ I'd like to think I outsmarted the civ, not my PC. As the levels near the top it become appearant that I need to take more of a Sun-Tzu approach. Playing multiplayer may come close to what I'd like to see but I realize it is virtually impossible (so far!) for the AI to emulate a real person.

[Drachen]

Originally posted by Vince278


Thanks. I suppose I'm a role player and a war gamer at heart. When I take out a civ I'd like to think I outsmarted the civ, not my PC. As the levels near the top it become appearant that I need to take more of a Sun-Tzu approach. Playing multiplayer may come close to what I'd like to see but I realize it is virtually impossible (so far!) for the AI to emulate a real person.

It does seem like multi will be your best bet. Good luck!

[Vince278]

Originally posted by Drachen

It does seem like multi will be your best bet. Good luck!

Thanks. Computers, with their logic, are utterly predictable. Humans, on the other hand, are madly illogical and therefore dangerous oppponents.

[Aqualung71]

In my admittedly short forays into MP, it frustrates the hell out of me. You just don't get the time to manage your empire efficiently, which makes the game very unsatisfying for what is essentially still a TBS. Added to that of course, are the madmen there who simply build 100 Jag Warriors and send them over to kill you and won't accept peace at any price, so you spend your time building defenders!

On the other hand, PBEM is the perfect medium for Civ3, though a little slow moving.

[Drachen]

Originally posted by Aqualung71
In my admittedly short forays into MP, it frustrates the hell out of me. You just don't get the time to manage your empire efficiently, which makes the game very unsatisfying for what is essentially still a TBS. Added to that of course, are the madmen there who simply build 100 Jag Warriors and send them over to kill you and won't accept peace at any price, so you spend your time building defenders!

On the other hand, PBEM is the perfect medium for Civ3, though a little slow moving.

From the little I know of multi I get the same impression and LAN and internet play are still a bit lag prone for my taste. The PBEM threads seems well populated although I’ve never played a PBEM game. What are your impressions of PBEM Aqualung71?

[Dis]

for me. Pbem games are too slow. And internet games are too fast (at least the one's I have played with the simultaneous moves). I only seem to play civ3 in single player.