Sid game - advice

[trev]

I have played 5 or so Sid games, this seems to be my best chance so far. Huge map, islands, 80% water.
I have contacted most civs, currently up with tech leaders as I begin 2nd age, a war with Portuguese cleared that civ from my island (they had settled 3 towns), other wars have been in name only as they cannot reach me. The war with Portugal triggered a golden age which has expired.
What govt next (nearly finished anarchy), tactics (tempted to wipe out Ottomans)
A successful espionage attempt against France for construction got me out of the 1st age techs, and with bonus tech now receive money from a number of gpt deals, including a gpt deal from Portugal for making peace. Finances are therefore good, but all towns still small as I built settlers quickly to get my island fully occupied, with no improvements except for several barracks.
Due to wars AI tech growth is slow.
I hope the game file is attached correctly, have not tried attaching files before.

[Drakan]

Re: Sid game - advice

Originally posted by trev

A successful espionage attempt against France for construction got me out of the 1st age techs, ...

You have built the CIA and have spied on France to get...Construction ??!! You better explains us how.

That means that unless you've built on a river tile your cities they'll be size 6 or less (because you couldn't build aqueducts without Construction). Then how on earth did you get to the Industrial Age on Sid and manage to build the CIA with a Sid empire of size 6 cities ?? Impossible.

Please clarify this point. Because spying for techs is only available in the Industrial Age with the tech Espionage and you have to build the CIA IIRC.

Also what civ are you playing with ?
I take it you're playing with C3C v.1.22 ?
What type of victory are you aiming for ?
How many AIs are you playing against ?
In what year are you ?

[trev]

File is attached now I hope

[trev]

The technology was stolen with diplomats, spies are not necessary for tech theft.
I am playing with the Bryzantines and civ3 conquests with latest patch I think.

[trev]

I am playing against about 12 civs I think, game is about 0AD I think, all victory conditions are enabled (except wonder)

[Drakan]

Yeop sorry, mea culpa. I had forgotten that diplos can steal techs prior to Espionage.

I'm at work now, I'll download your sav tonight and advise.

On the meantime read this thread. It's Always War, Byzantines, Sid-level.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=115582

[trev]

Byzantines (seafaring and scientific), please look at game, it is attached to the 3rd post if you wish to comment

[Drakan]

You've chosen wisely. You probably couldn't have chosen better civ´s traits for this level of gameplay and map setting as well as a very good UU, the Dromon.

[trev]

I have played on a bit more, met the Iroquois who have proved that AI's are idiots, they built the GL, but only know me, so they cannot gain from it, also technologically reasonably advanced so they will probably remain isolated until after they have learnt education.
In general I am developing my towns a bit more, went to republic and building marketplaces initially, will build some temples and libraries as well. I stole another technology (monotheism) from Iroquois and traded it for Feudalism and Invention, so I am in the tech lead. Portugal has renewed their war, but my dromons will prevent invasion. I have pulled the French into war against Germany several times (French are leading techs with me, so I like to see them at war) but they broke the last 2 MA's to make peace, so may not repeat that effort with such an unreliable ally

[trev]

I am trying to grow my towns into cities, so unit support increases. Then I will build units to wipe out some of the weaker civs (Ottomans first)
The save at 500ad

[vmxa1]

With what I have read it sounds like you do not need any advice. Now what you need is an MGL or two.

I will say I am not real fond of Byz as I get so burned out trudging stacks of Dromons around. To me they tend slow down my invasion, not speed things up.

I also do not like to stop landings as that is how I fish for leaders, so what good is it to sink ships.

I find that seafaring is not my cup of tea either. I would rather have Mil or Ind or Com. I do not care for Sci as I am not going to do self researching.

Yeah I know you can bottle up civs with stacks of Dorms and I have done it.

[Drakan]

I'm sorry Trev, I downloaded your 500 AD sav a couple of times but my home PC seems not to be reading my CD-ROM unit. I'm having it fixed today so I'll be without Civ for a couple of days. I'll post as soon as I have it fixed.

[trev]

I usually play as a builder, doing my own research, however that has not been possible so far, only research I have done at high rate was literacy, I have learnt 3 or 4 techs on 50 turn gambit as well, which is why I like scientific, seafaring is good for the early contacts as trading is essential to my usual style. Seafaring has been useful for the contacts I have made, scientific less so this game, as I am using diplomatic tech stealing and trading to keep up with the leaders this time, war I do not fear as my isolation prevents effective assaults on me.

[vmxa1]

Building style is not optimal on Sid. I am not sure it can even work. Researching other than writing and Lit and maybe Monarchy or Republic is a hard road to go down, until you have a very large empire. Even then it easier to steal.

Contacts are only slightly easier with Sea. Without it you just send more boats out. All I am saying is I prefer to have traits that last the whole game for Sid. The extra commerce for coastal towns is not important as I will just keep adding towns anyway.

[trev]

I am maintaining the tech theft, although it fails about half the time, now about 6 or more techs behind the 3 leaders probably, but probably holding at that level, may be able to catch a bit as cities have grown and become more productive. Although the major AI's now have Navigation, I am able to defend my island satisfactory intercepting majority of attacks at sea, but Portugal has the ability to land units though, but still not really threatening. Now building banks to earn more money for thefts.

The attachment has been changed, hopefully it now works