Vanilla CIVIII: Regent to Monarch - how?

[SIV]

I've been playing regent games for quite a long time - they provide some challange, but if I don't get killed in the begining (damn expentionist AI civs) I win the game.
(Space race or Domintation most of the time)

I want to start playing monarch game and I understand, from reading here that I HAVE to cahnge my style:

In regent, after some tech trading with the AI in the first age I'm able to research all by myself. - How should I deal with the AI bonuses on monarch?

I also dpn't have large armies in regent games:
Usually several horsemen / swordsmen (depends on the situation) in the first age, about 10-20 knights the next one - and then 15-25 cavalary, And 20-35 infantry later and usually about the same number of tanks and bombers for the last war (I don't like to fight in the modern era) (standart size map) - should I change this? I also hardly have defencive troops unless I'm bordering a VERY powerful AI.

[SIV]

Also: In regent I reasearch always at the maximum I can afford - But you guys somtimes "research pottery at 10% to save money" - tell me more

[Solomwi]

Turn the AI bonus to your advantage by letting them do your work. The most obvious way to do this is by choosing techs to research based on what you can trade for the most, rather than what you need or want. The basic priniciple can also be applied to letting the AI found cities for you to take, rather than you "wasting" the time and effort to build and move settlers. While the AI is expanding, you're building up military to take the cities.

I tend to have fairly large armies. Currently, I'm in the mid to late ancient and have 18 MWs and a few spears. I'm still building, too, as that isn't quite big enough for my planned invasion yet. A good rule is to build as much as you can support for free. For support reasons, and a few others, my army explodes in size when I hit the industrial and modern eras.

Research is much more interesting at Monarch, and slowing it down to build up cash reserves for an impending mass upgrade becomes a viable strategy because the AI bonuses make alternate choices more than just luxuries. In other words, at Regent, I can outproduce the hell out of the AI, and simply overwhelm him with inferior units. For that reason, a mass upgrade, say from chariot to horse, isn't a necessity but a luxury. At Monarch, the production advantage isn't as clear cut, so it becomes a strategic choice, rather than a preference. Also, as I mentioned before, tech choice shifts somewhat from "Oooh, swords would be nice!" to "If I research Philosophy, I'll be able to get HBR and IW out of it, plus the free tech.", just for hypothetical purposes. That doesn't rule out the possibility of deciding "I need swords NOW, IW it is.", though.

I applaud your offense/defense balance. Keep the war on the AI's land and it will work beautifully.

The biggest difference when I moved up was my attitude. Remember Warlord, when you got upset or disappointed if you didn't REX to that spice 6 tiles south of the AI capital, even though you were half a huge continent away or didn't sweep the wonders completely? Remember how you learned to accept some of those happenings when you moved up to Regent, but still got worried if you didn't have a tech lead by the end of the ancient, or didn't get 2 or three ancient wonders? It's a similar adjustment, only moreso. At least it was for me. I learned to pretty much give up ancient wonders, and choose my early medieval wonders instead of trying to sweep them. I also learned to be comfortable without tech dominance ASAP.

[Dominae]

Originally posted by SIV
Also: In regent I reasearch always at the maximum I can afford - But you guys somtimes "research pottery at 10% to save money" - tell me more

The 10% Science trick exploits the fact that you will research any tech in 50 turns as long as you contribute at least 1 Beaker to it every turn. If you can afford to wait, it saves you a lot of cash because almost all techs on all difficulty levels cost more than 50 Beakers.

Edit: You may be wondering why 10% Science = 1 Beaker per turn. In general, this is not true because as your cities grow more than one will contribute a Beaker at 10% Science. However, it's still low enough (say, under 80 Gold total) that it's more cost-effective than researching the tech outright. If you find that 10% takes in much more than 1 Beaker per turn, you can always turn a Citizen into a Scientist (2 Beakers per turn flat rate), and put Science to 0%. This slows growth in the city with the Scientist, but costs less Commerce.

However, I would not use this trick with Pottery. You need Pottery pretty fast if you're going to make maximum use of it (i.e. build early Granaries). In a vast majority of cases you will want to build your Granaries before turn 50. Also, as one of the two techs with lowest cost (the other being Ceremonial Burial), Pottery is often researched by the AI pretty fast, the upshot being that you get a nice discount to your research cost if you meet AIs that discover it. This discount does not help you on your 50-turn rate.

The trick is therefore best used on expensive techs the AI is not likely to get before you in 50 turns (Literature, Monarchy, The Republic, etc.).

[Solomwi]

Less than or more than, Dom?

[Dominae]

MORE THAN!

[Krill]

SIV, the best piece of advice you are ever going to hear: "What Dom said" - Solomwi

another trick that helps is to prebuild for the great Library, so when you build it you cut research to 0%, and rake in the cash fr upgrades. If you get Leonardos workshop as well...

BTW, I have a pic of my best ever army and a save (albeit it is conquests, v 1.22)

This is in 470AD, though, (I have yet to use any NMs, because I want to use the GA when I have the FP down.)



SIV, mostly the skills needed for beating monarch are easy to learn: trading and abusing the AI, and micromanaging.

[Krill]

I also have SoZ (captured from Eygpt) and as soon as I beat Holland, I will have a large empire to my self

edit: made a mistake, it is stock rules, not the AU mod

[Solomwi]

I'm glad somebody paid attention to that. It works.

[Krill]

If you find that 10% takes in much more than 1 Beaker per turn, you can always turn a Citizen into a Scientist (2 Beakers per turn flat rate),

er, Dom, a Taxman gives 2 commerce flat rate, a scientist gives 3 beakers, and slows growth so that it is not effective unless you have a maxed out barracks/wonder-producing city


and Solomwi, it is one good piece of advice...

[Dominae]

Originally posted by Krill
er, Dom, a Taxman gives 2 commerce flat rate, a scientist gives 3 beakers, and slows growth so that it is not effective unless you have a maxed out barracks/wonder-producing city

Two mistakes in the span of 10 minutes...I must be distracted by something! (Although I did mention the slowed growth thing.)

[Solomwi]

Ahem, SIV specifically mentioned Vanilla Civ3 in the OP. You're clear on this one, Dom.

As for distractions, closing the porn window while replying is a must.

[Krill]

I beat Dom, 4 mistakes in 5 minutes :P

Vanilla, read this thread. Most of it is only applicable to vanilla.

[Solomwi]

Btw, nice leader naming convention. I'll have to hone my warmongering skills and reputation and make it into that elite company.

[Krill]

I got those 2 MGLs on the same turn, and I am not sure of what to do with the 2nd one. I want to save it for the FP build. What do you think i should do? (this is emperor btw)

oh yes, some additional info. It is 470AD, I am in despotism, and I am paying 62gpt support, yet still making ~60gpt @ 90% tax.