Mayans are crazy good.

[arnoldvsgooch]

I just bought Civ3 Complete and haven't played civ3 Vanilla for a long time. I am in the late stages of a game with the Mayans and they are absolutely my favorite civ so far. The agricultural trait is awesome for early expansion, industrous workers build roads everywhere, and their UU creates more workers! I have captured tons of barbarian slave workers. Awesome, just awesome. I'm now close to the space race and am well ahead in culture, territory, and power. I have only fought in one war, in which I completely destroyed the French with my Cavalry before they had muskets. Now I have Barbarian and French workers EVERYWHERE cleaning up pollution, building roads and railroads on every single tile, and still have some automated for mines and irrigation. Best Civ ever!

[Dis]

yup, 2 great traits, a uu that isn't too early (you may still be able to pull off a battle victory- and subsequent golden age in the early middle age). Capturing slaves, what more could you ask?

[Shogun Gunner]

It makes a jungle start tolerable...

[joncnunn]

Maya is actually so good a civ it feels like cheating when I play them.

Just remember that if you join barb workers to your cities they will be unhappy. (Stop fighting our mother country!) You are always at war with barbarians.

[gunkulator]

Maya are good only because of the Agr trait. UU is mediocre at best. If you get lucky and find lots of barbs, it's great, otherwise it just an overpriced Babylonian Bowman. Ancient Era GA is meh.

[vmxa1]

I agree not all that great and the level and map size determines how useful the barb farming will be. Std map at emperor, it won't be long beofre the barbs are gone, Higher levels you may not even get a shot at barbs if any AI's are near you.

Trigger a GA with not many towns with that UU, is not fun either.

[arnoldvsgooch]

I actually triggered my golden age with I believe Pyramids (may have been another early wonder), not UU. I was on a standard size map and I did have alot of barbarians with three or four barb farms.

[joncnunn]

It's easy to get lots of barbs.

Choose RAGING barbs.

Then don't have military units in the sections of your emipre near but outside your cultural boundary.

Wait for the barbs to appear. Just knock the ones away from their camp. Leave the camp alone unless you need the 25 gold cash (or if the AI is about to clear it)

Especally leave these areas unexplored after the 1st player enters the Middle Ages until the second player enters it.

As to avoiding a GA with the unit, just don't have them fighting AIs.

Originally posted by gunkulator
Maya are good only because of the Agr trait. UU is mediocre at best. If you get lucky and find lots of barbs, it's great, otherwise it just an overpriced Babylonian Bowman. Ancient Era GA is meh.

[joncnunn]

The Pryamids is indeed a wonder that satisfies both of Mayas traights.

(This GW is Industrious, Agricultural, and Relgious so it trigues by itself GAs for the following three civs:

Maya
Egypt
Celts

Originally posted by arnoldvsgooch
I actually triggered my golden age with I believe Pyramids (may have been another early wonder), not UU. I was on a standard size map and I did have alot of barbarians with three or four barb farms.

[Modo44]

Yes, Pyramids do that to the Maya. If you ever get them, that is.

My favourite civ by far. Has the most powerful non-random REXing abilities. Quick growth goes very well with quick land improvements. The UU is not so bad, although I fail to get the Slave numbers others seem to be having with it. Still, it is good for triggering an early GA right after switching to Republic.

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by arnoldvsgooch
I actually triggered my golden age with I believe Pyramids (may have been another early wonder), not UU.

Another reason to not like the Mayans, but I will not be worried about building the Pyramids.