The CIV3 FAQ

[vmxa1]

Not really. The more you have the less chance you have of staying on good terms.

The best bets are to make lux deals or sell them techs. In my last Sid game I was still gracious with the top tech civ going into the end of the industrial age. Well I was until I declared war on them.

Two of the weakest civs were still polite with me. I was feeding them techs at a discount. The top dog and I had a lux deal straight up for scores of turns.

[Toby Rowe]

Yeah,

But in Civ 3, sell/exchange your territory map and they not only know where you are, but have your exact troop dispositions from then onwards until the game finishes.

Sell tech's and the next turn all other nearby nations have it as well, 3 turns (sic) later, all have it.

My advice is, give away your location to distant nations early in the game only if your border has met all your neighbours.

Never sell a military tech EVER, especially the infantry tech, as your stuck with Cavalry until Modern Armour (not Tank) arrives, as only MA can easily despatch them. It causes an unwelcome lull in the game.

The programmers weighted defensive units unfairly to attacking units to counter the cheat the AI gets which shows the AI exactly where all your units are on the map at any given time.

I've never done this, but I think I might for fun:
Don't ever sell your map and never establish diplomatic relations- ever! Heh, how about refusing to even talk to any nation throughout the game- this might be really funny- anyone tried it?

Toby

[Paddy]

Originally posted by Toby Rowe
.......

I've never done this, but I think I might for fun:
Don't ever sell your map and never establish diplomatic relations- ever! Heh, how about refusing to even talk to any nation throughout the game- this might be really funny- anyone tried it?

Toby

that sounds great

please let us know how it goes

[Toby Rowe]

Hi mate,

I'm currently playing a map I made for deity level for fun(I start with 20 settlers all in oddly convient city-foundation-type-spots, the rest don't I'll try a conquest/space game on that map for fun doing the above.

I reckon that I'll need Explorers for the first time ever....

Toby

[vmxa1]

Actually we play games like that all the time. It is called Always War.
You declare war on any civ you met immediately and never talk to them, which means no peace either.

It is till the death or you win by domination. Well I suppose you could allow some other things, but the game is over before you get to space ships.

I have played at all levels up to sid, both solo an in SG's. Well actually the SG's are only at emperor, but on extra large maps with 19 or more civs up to 31.

Those are just random starts, no home grown maps with any fat start locations. Right now we are palying as Cleo and have all FP and desert for all the near stuff. Rather bad start for shields.

We are playin LK's world map with 18 others. 4 are gone now and we caught up by capuring the Mongol capitol with the GLB.

[Toby Rowe]

Hi mate,

That sounds interesting, but from what you say you are all working in co-op mode? (Never played a game on the net before).
GLB?
I too want a game I don't need to edit, but after two years of playing Civ 2 which I loved, even I got fedup of the unasked for "Partisans", that was bonkers!

In Civ3 I started to set ok starts on Monarch level once I realised the AI knew exactly where you are, and your troop dispositions anyway.

I just want the orginal Civ in a modern game with ok graphics, great diplomacy AI, good trading logic patterns (like Caravans) and a slower early world than all three have thus far offered.

We don't all relish Tanks, I like the slow discovery/conquest in the early times that can carry on to the middle-ages with only a pause in each city as they produce just one unit to help in between building a temple and a library.

Ooops, back from dreaming, how does it go in that type of game? As the AI never gets your territory map I assume it never gets given your troop disposition?
So does it act all defensive instead? Or did the developers never assume us Humans would ever play in that way and thus leave the AI blank and confused for much of the game?
(So desireious of the extra 4-8 gold you can get when exchanging Territory maps untill the Industrial age).

I did learn one thing- setting up a map with severely reduced corruption led to me being extremely wealthy, whilst having a game mainly without pollution actually meant the game was fun, not a trial.

I do prefer the unknown (start) though, albeit at a far lower level of difficulty, but what the hey, I play games for fun, not to stress me (too much)!! (I don't know a single mate who would pay £8 to watch a film that would stress them out, neither would I, conversely that's true for games at home that cost £30.)

Enough of my mutterings, how do these games pan out?

Toby :-)

[vmxa1]

"Toby Rowe"

"That sounds interesting, but from what you say you are all working in co-op mode? (Never played a game on the net before).
GLB?"

How it is done is say I am up as in fact I am today. I take the posted save and play 10 turns. I post the new save and a report of what occurred. Things like kills and loses. Towns captured or razed or founded.

Then the next person on the team play from that point and we just rotate turns.

Read them at civfanatics in the sucession games forum.

The GLB is The Great Library. I do not use GL as the Great Lighthouse also has those initials.

"I just want the orginal Civ in a modern game with ok graphics, great diplomacy AI, good trading logic patterns (like Caravans) and a slower early world than all three have thus far offered."

I really dislike the caravans and the similar treatment in Call TO Power. The AI is not going to be logical, it is not intelligent. It is just a set of checks and is not able to remember things.

"We don't all relish Tanks, I like the slow discovery/conquest in the early times that can carry on to the middle-ages with only a pause in each city as they produce just one unit to help in between building a temple and a library."

Create biq for a high tech cost and that will slow down the research.

"Ooops, back from dreaming, how does it go in that type of game? As the AI never gets your territory map I assume it never gets given your troop disposition?
So does it act all defensive instead? Or did the developers never assume us Humans would ever play in that way and thus leave the AI blank and confused for much of the game?
(So desireious of the extra 4-8 gold you can get when exchanging Territory maps untill the Industrial age)."

With so many civs sending units at you more or less non stop, it is a struggle gain land after the inital land grab. Right now I expect to have a number of attacks with 50 to 70 cavs and maybe 100 rifles that may or may not attack.

Landing frequently and scores of frigates bombarding my shores. They will be able to see the coastal tiles and part of the land with attacking units.

Iam sure that they did not deal with this sort of a thing, but they did consider it in civ4 as thy saw what we were doing.

I would never trade my map, until I had al the open land settled. You do not want the AI to send settler in to found towns. Well you may if you want to attack those settler combos.

I cannot speak to what is fun for you or anyone else. I prefer the stress of not being sure to win. That is why I like Sid games or very tough variant games such as AW with lots of civ on a pangea or at least at demigod with normal civ numbers.

The crunch point that we are coming through now is what makes it fun. The idea that I could lose unless I can play smart. Just to fire of a std game at emperor is too easy as I would never be pressed.

Press is looking at more units coming my way than I think I can handle. Looking at them having cavs while you are still trying to learn about knight.

[Toby Rowe]

Hi mate,

I'm quite impressed with your last sentence, but it's not my type of game unless a tense game like "Hidden and Dangerous" where I know it's going to be that way from the start.

I played the original Civ, and for me, the most tense periods were desperately trying to get a caravan through hostile territory in order to earn both the cash bonus on arrival and the yearly increase it gave to the treasury, plus the long time it took to actually build just one of them!

Your description of the Co-op game seems more like you co-op together in the non-stop wars against the AI?

I'm playing now, based upon your info in the previous message to last, using the map I made at Deity level for both me and the AI- and the AI seems to know your positions without you having given away your map!

Following what you stated (to do my trial), I decided to declare war upon any nation that gave me the "remove your troops (Automatic)" demand. As a result I've been at war almost since I started the game, I did decide to accept any offered peace provided they didn't demand anything else. If also offered peace to one other nation after destroying (AI destruction) a single city.

I'm now just down to fighting one of the two nations who jumped in without any provocation (sorry mates, It's the Yanks!), the other was the Russians, who accepted a white-peace.

However, this constant fighting is leaving me weary, I enjoy peaceful development inbetween the conquests and this game, thus far has been nuts because of it.

The year is now about 300AD and I should have the Railway (called an odd thing in the game "Railroad"? technology) in 6 turns.

I had to fight on the dreaded two fronts untill the Aztec's finally became part of Greater Britain, so logistics have cerainly become easier.

I also edited the game to nearly elimiminate corruption and pollution so that each city more than 10 tiles away from the Capital is useful and not a burden on the treasury.

It's quite strange not having an embassy in each nation, although the Babylonians established one in my Capital. Almost All nations are either "furious" or "annoyed" with me, even if I only declared war to prevent automatic removal of my scouts and to fullfil the test. Mind you, the AI in Civ 3 makes all nations bar one or two like that anyway!

I did get the entire need to explore negated when I signed peace with the Indians, who filled in the whole AI world, as it does....... Yet had little to discover by then.

In summary, I've found the game to be only more marginally stressful, but much less fun than playing an ordinary game.
I'd recommend that type of game-style is best served by "command and conquer" type games, but then I made a map to make myself in a level-playing field with the AI cheating (Which I can't abide).

Once I get back from my Holiday I'll continue, but I'm finding it hard not to flit into the game-style I most enjoy for this type of game- relaxed, choose an enemy carefully, one at a time, never more, enjoy building up the expanded nation thereafter, and preferably concentrate on techs, even if the AI always matches you, albeit a few turns behind.

Toby

[vmxa1]

"Toby Rowe"

"Your description of the Co-op game seems more like you co-op together in the non-stop wars against the AI?"

Yes we are required to declare as soon as we have contact with any civ and never make peace.

"I'm playing now, based upon your info in the previous message to last, using the map I made at Deity level for both me and the AI- and the AI seems to know your positions without you having given away your map!"

Yes they always know the disposition of all tiles. IOW if troops are there or a resource, they know it. Even if they do not have the tech for the resource. They just do not know how to get to the tile, if they have not seen the map. Just a litttle help, they need it.

"However, this constant fighting is leaving me weary, I enjoy peaceful development inbetween the conquests and this game, thus far has been nuts because of it."

The purpose of variants is to make them more challenging for very experienced players. AW (always war) makes the game play at
about 1 or 1.5 levels harder. Once you get to where AWE (always war on Emperor) is not real tough, you can make larger maps and more civs to really push you.

It can get very tedious after the middle ages and that is why SG's are nice. You get in a set (5 or 10 turns) and pass it on, before you are burnt out. Playing a solo AW game is for vey determined players, like me.

"It's quite strange not having an embassy in each nation, although the Babylonians established one in my Capital. Almost All nations are either "furious" or "annoyed" with me, even if I only declared war to prevent automatic removal of my scouts and to fullfil the test. Mind you, the AI in Civ 3 makes all nations bar one or two like that anyway!"

First I cannot speak to any modding of the game as I do not use them, I just take the corruption and deal with it. It was put there to make it hard on the human to run a vast empire.

It is true that the AI will get annoyed or worse rather soon, sooner as you play at higher levels. This is not an issue for me as I am not going to talking to them, unless I play at Sid and it is not an AW game.

"In summary, I've found the game to be only more marginally stressful, but much less fun than playing an ordinary game.
I'd recommend that type of game-style is best served by "command and conquer" type games, but then I made a map to make myself in a level-playing field with the AI cheating (Which I can't abide)."

Preference is just that, a peference and it varies by individuals. The handicap that the AI gets does not bother me as they need it. That is why I do not "level the field".

In our current game we start with hundreds of tile of desert and plains and grass tiles were very far away and faced 18 civs. We have essentially won the game now in 1700's. We are going for conquest only, so it will take more time to eliminate everyone.

"Once I get back from my Holiday I'll continue, but I'm finding it hard not to flit into the game-style I most enjoy for this type of game- relaxed, choose an enemy carefully, one at a time, never more, enjoy building up the expanded nation thereafter, and preferably concentrate on techs, even if the AI always matches you, albeit a few turns behind."

Not my cup of tea, I do not enjoy cake walks. So I prefer to play solo games at sid or a variant. I want to be under stress all the way and no breathing room.

Nothing like seeing 4 or 5 stacks of knights with 40 to 70 in each just outside the gates and you have mabe a dozen units. That is stressful.

My favorite is a landing on a sid level civs shore and found a town and have 400 or 500 units attack in the next turn. Knowing they will have those replaced by a few hundred more next turn and they may have 2000 units and you landed maybe 40.

[Toby Rowe]

Blimey mate,

Back from my hols complete with a broken collar bone, a crap NHS back home, but a wonderful people and better medical trreatment than in the UK, given by the local district hospital in a provincial town. (At least they appologised for not having the right type of sling untill I went home to the UK. I'm still waiting for it in the UK, along with.....)

Any chance of joining in with one of these games? Out of the 16 players how many are human?

Once you've beaten the AI is that it?
How does the map look?
Do you all send troops to help each other?
How many human players are in the co-operative?
Co-operatives are rare on both local and national level these days, I hope the other players are internationial to you!
Stress: your description of it: You relish it, I just wish to escape it at 43, my son is 20, his mother is a nightmare, we are no longer a couple.

I want games that relax me, although far less stress now as I'm studying again, but that's also stress!! (Just not quite so bad as paying the rent).

Ok; This is real stress to me:

Q) A 230/110V transformer has a secondary current of 5A. Calculate the primary current.

Q) A Double-wound single-phase transformer has a primary to secondary turns ratio of 1:8
a) determine the primary voltage (Up) necessary to supply a load at 160V
b) If the current is 5A, calculate the primary current.

See, I just wanna have fun when I spend £30 on a game, and AI cheats are forbidden!!

Toby

Ps; any answers to the above are most welcome, but without the workings

[vmxa1]

"Toby Rowe"

"Any chance of joining in with one of these games? Out of the 16 players how many are human?"

There are two type of games. 1- demo and 2-SG.
Demo is where some teams are chosen and play against each other with or without AI civs. Depend mainly on how many teams and the size of the map.

In those games humans may or may not help each other. They may help at some point and hinder at another point in the game. Go to the forum that has Demo games and see what is going on and joint if you like.

I do not know how active it is right now as I am only in 1 that is Civ4. These games take a long time. The last one was 2 years.

SG (succession game) are just one team Vs the AI. Teams may be from 4 to 7 players. They play like any game, except you rotate turns among the team.

You may want to go over to Civfanatics and look over their SG forum as it is still fairly active.

"Once you've beaten the AI is that it?"

Demo games usually require you to beat the humans to what ever win type you allow. SG's are just like your regular games.

"How does the map look?"

In Demo games you usully have someone create a custom map in an attempt to keep things fair. In SG, you just do it like always.

"Do you all send troops to help each other?"

Sometimes and then you may find they turn on you. On Poly you have to join a team to get access to the private forum and read the post of only your team.

"How many human players are in the co-operative?"

As many as the map can handle. Teams may be very large as you have one turn player and the rest just chime in the discussions and maybe take roles such as diplomats with other teams.

"Co-operatives are rare on both local and national level these days, I hope the other players are internationial to you!"

We have teams fom all over the world and our team had players from many countries.

"I want games that relax me, although far less stress now as I'm studying again, but that's also stress!! (Just not quite so bad as paying the rent)."

Playing is escapism, so no real stress. I like to have pressure on me in my games. I want to have to be concerned that choices make a difference, otherwise I would be able to let the govenor run things.


"Q) A 230/110V transformer has a secondary current of 5A. Calculate the primary current."

Well I took electronics back in 1963 so I think the only formula I remeber is power squared = I*R. As long as you have the formula, then it is easy.

"See, I just wanna have fun when I spend £30 on a game, and AI cheats are forbidden!!"

Not only does the AI need the help, I usually give myself rules that help it further. No RoP rapes, no exploits, no breaking deals and so on. Otherwise the game is too easy.

[Toby Rowe]

Heh,

Cheers mate!,

Remembering the formula; well, as I said to a tutor just before we broke up- is that formula number 426 or 427?

I mean't it, and all understood. Why can't we specialise before we study? Once the 4 year courses are over we have taken as long as the longest degree in a University course, yet most of what we have learn't will never be needed short of invasion of our nation.

15 branches as minimum, yet we must learn all branches except planes or ships, in which case you must study for 5 years instead of 4.

I'm just to old for it, today a dimmer switch died, I put a new one in, without the manufacturers marking where the L1 and Common were on it- idiots, they just numbered the intakes 1-4, wallies.

As for playing a game on the net- dunno really, I'd rather play Victoria which is designed for a multi-player I think, much as I like the multi-player Civ concept. Ok. I'm scared sort of.......

Toby (ouch to me)

[zink]

hey how do u get an ally to help u fight some one

[vmxa1]

You mean actually send troops and get in some licks? That you have no real control over. They often do nothing.

If you mean get them to be an ally, you offer them something. I prefer to give them old techs or an excess lux. Many times they will just join for nothing.

[xplosiv]

Q:how can i delete saves in civ 3 gold?