Sid game - advice

[vmxa1]

I tend to expect about 100 to 110 per city. They could manage more if they have better income from trades or wars or what ever source.

They can make 1 unit each turn for the most part, so it can look like they have more than they do. Also any commercial trait will allow more icome and hence support.

I would be surprised to find 150 per though, but is not easy to tell with those numbers.

[trev]

I have resumed playing the game over the last couple of days. The game is now about 1950ad, and is in the modern age. Through tech thefts I have kept up with the tech leader France and have stolen Space Flight and built the Apollo Program. So the space race is truly on. However most of the prerequisite techs are still to be learnt, but I am optimistic that I can easily have the money available whenever needed for the thefts. Due to constant warfare the AI's have learnt very slowly which is why the game will not finish until the 21st century. I have also just conquered the first offshore city, gets easier once tanks and MI's take on archers, horsemen and spearman.
I have been fortunate in this game to have all the stategic resources on my initial island except for coal. But I do not have any luxuries on the island and therefore must trade for all of those.
Through tech sales and a high tax rate I have been in the last 50 turns earning in excess of 1500 gold per turn, so money is not an issue in this game at this late stage.
I am reasonably confident of my first win at Sid level.

[vmxa1]

Are you saying you are running to mostly AA units? I have only twice attacked the first civ and had it not have at least Middle Age units. Those Middle Age units were advanced to me at the time.

One that had only horses, spears and archers, it was Germany. It was very early and they had only 9 or 10 towns on an island with no iron or salt.

By 1950AD I would expect all to be able to make rifles at least and probably ToW. Maybe have a few old units still around, but not the proponderence.

[trev]

Of the original 12 civs on this huge island map, there are 3 civs still in the AA, with archers, spearman, horsemen, and several more in the 2nd age. I think that only 6 civs including myself has progressed into the 3rd age and beyond. The civs that have not progressed beyond the AA began on small islands and have 6 or less cities

[vmxa1]

Never seen that in any of the sid games I have either played or reviewed.

Even on smallish islands they get out of the AA with their trade discounts. Was this some scenario hand made to isolate all the civs via ocean tiles?

Even then I would expect some civ to get to Navigation long before the human and finds all the other civs, before you could stunt them.

By the time I get ocean passage all land is filled and they have settled any island I did not grab. I tend to not grab islands as I prefer to take down the civs, rather then defend little islands.

[trev]

This was a randomly generated map, with 2 groups of about 4 civs making contact with each other reasonably early and myself making contact with both those groups through use of suicide carrughs etc. What has surprised me is that there has been very limited use of boats, many of the smaller civs still have not made contact with some other civs, even the Americans who are well into the 3rd age have failed to make contact with some civs.
I am now into the 1980's, and have built 8 spaceship parts, likewise the French whose technology I monitor and steal as quickly as possible. In order to complete the spaceship 3 more techs must be learnt. There are 3 factors which may prevent a win by me, they are
- failed espionage attempts when final tech is learnt
-culture victory by the French (currently on 280 000 with Germany just over 50% of that level and declining relative to the French
-20K victory by the Portuguese, their city now on 18560 approx

[vmxa1]

Culture is often a concern if you cannot get up to 1/2 their level. Often the AI that is closest get trimmed and it game over.

Sometimes the lead civs get the tech for the last part, but works on a wonder instead and you can sneak in the last part first.

I have had that happen twice, but i have no idea why.

[trev]

My intention is to have a number of prebuilds using ICBM's which will get me the part in 1 turn once I learn the tech. Assuming the espionage attempt is successful 1st go, that will be immediately after the French learn the tech. If they do not switch a prebuild also I should win.

[trev]

I have won the game on Sid, helped by some unbelievable stupidity of the AI.
The last tech required to build the spaceship was Robotics, and I was checking the French every turn with the intention of stealing it (I did not expect to have enough gold for a purchase as The French had knocked back an offer of 55 000 gold for an earlier tech). But the turn the French learnt it, I was able to purchase it for just 11 gold and the world map. I then switched the production of my city from ICBM to the spaceship part, built it in 1 turn and won.
I can now buy civ4 with a good conscience knowing I can beat civ3 at the highest level.

[vmxa1]

I just start the other day on IV.

[trev]

Unfortunately IV is not yet available in Australia, late this coming week may be able to get a copy

[realpolitic]

I'm surprised that anybody thinks a build strategy is best at Diety, I wouldn't even do that as Summeria.


What do you think of Agrarian at Sid? The best civs seem to be: Iroquis, Summaria, and Mayan.

[vmxa1]

Iroq is my fav for Sid. UU very good at handling barbs too.

[trev]

This game I won at Sid was basically a build game, my isolation on an island allowed me to retain a minimal military (generally about 2 - 3 units per city) and I concentrated on my economy earning me enough that I could steal technologies frequently and onsell to the 2nd tier civs (France being alone at the top of the tech tree). Admittedly I made extensive use of MA's to keep the others all at war with each other, so there was very little AI - AI trading.
The major difference between this game of mine and others I win at demigod and deity was the use of tech theft instead of self learning, in other respects game was much the same

[realpolitic]

I played Iroq at Emporer, I didn't get Chivalry, boy did it take a long time to upgrade to Cavalry(I was at 0% science forever). I got Sun Tzu and Leonardo, which I was afraid I wouldn't get at Diety. Maybe I can get Leonardo, even at Sid. Any one have any experience upgrading 200 MW at full price?