Setting up IP Games XXXIV

[-Jrabbit]

Ming --

Practice games as RAH suggests are a great idea, I agree, but I haven't figured out how to set up RAH Rules on the Mac. Is this a user-accessible change, or a mod pack? (Mac version also doesn't seem to have a World Map, which I gather is part of the PC MGE package.)

Again, I haven't had the game for long, so I might just be woefully ignorant on some basics here. Maybe you or rah can show me next time I'm by.

Cable modem has serious security issues, where a DSL is as safe as a standard modem. Since our business lives on the computer in question, that's important. But my biggest issue is my daughter and AOL, since it's the chat of choice for 8th-grade set.

[rah]

With HG, it's really simple. Of course this is under the assumption that you had an eye towards trade when you placed your cities and that most of them are up to pop 3 already. With luxuries cranked to 50% and twenty cities, you can easily grow your pop from just over a million to 5 million quite quickly. By moving your workers to all trade squares, (oceans, rivers, roads, or trade specials) You can get most cities to size 8. Those that are on forests, hills or mountains that are not trade specials will stop at 6 or 7. Build a few aquaducts in your core cities can help them make it to 12, (a few trade routes are needed, and sometimes marketplaces.). For that city built on gold that's growing slow, send a settler or two to join the pop, once it's size three, it'll take off. And if you're sending that settler from an already celebrating city, it really doesn't cost much.

Berz's method is slower but can be effective. You will only be able to celebrate it one pop point at a time. Then the city will stop celebrating, until it grows another point. The trick is to get your entire civ in the same cycle so with a little good timing adjusting the tax rates, you can take advantage over the long haul. I do highly recommend that you practice this before using in a game. OCEANS are real helpful if trade specials aren't sufficient.

Markus just dominates using market, banks, and trade routes. If you don't find and jump on him early, it makes for a long night. He also just lays his cities in the optimal path for trade bonus (if connected by roads) to cruise up the tech tree. And then his superior forces will come a knockin.

Rich

[ColdWizard]

Sorry but I don't know the Quoting function in vB.

one way is to click the "Quote" button on the reply screen (under the end of the "Post subject:" box.

another way is to learn vB code

and a third way is to click on the "Reply with qoute" button just above the post you want to quote (on the right end)

I'm an idiot

we're all idiots until we learn

[DaveV]

Jrabbit - I'd recommend this thread in the strategy forum for a lot of great discussion on early-to-mid game strategies. There are a lot of save games, and you get the chance to contrast several different players' styles. It's a single player, 1x1x game, so not everything is applicable to MP games, but the theory of fast growth and targeted research is always the same. My suggestion is to download the 4000BC save, play the game, then contrast your game with some of the save game files you'll find in the thread.

[-Jrabbit]

"Reply with Quote"
Hmmm. Now what could that possibly mean????



**(shuffles off, beginning to suspect he's the missing village idiot)**

[Ming]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
"Reply with Quote"
Hmmm. Now what could that possibly mean????



**(shuffles off, beginning to suspect he's the missing village idiot)**

There is a reply with quote button right above a person's post.
As you can see... if you hit it... everything he posted is created in your new post...

Also, when you do this, you can see that you use:
[ QUOTE] [ /QUOTE] (minus the blank space after the bracket to start and end a quote... you can just copy and paste as needed

[rah]

Originally posted by DaveV
Jrabbit - I'd recommend this thread in the strategy forum for a lot of great discussion on early-to-mid game strategies. There are a lot of save games, and you get the chance to contrast several different players' styles. It's a single player, 1x1x game, so not everything is applicable to MP games, but the theory of fast growth and targeted research is always the same. My suggestion is to download the 4000BC save, play the game, then contrast your game with some of the save game files you'll find in the thread.

While that might be a good primer for learning SP, it may teach some bad habits along with some good ones. My SP strats were really routine because you knew the AI could very very rarely ever disturb them. In MP, more flexibility is required. (you're not always gonna get HG) so you must familiarize your self with considerably more options and recognize when to use them. Granted the basics are the same, but an MP game is different. (which is why it's still fun)

Rich

[Flatlander Fox]

Cheats and the like...

Since ColdWizard found me by 3600bc, he HAAADDD to have been cheating... Can I be in gameleague now?




Anyway, I have been DUSTED the last two times I played, and after examining the save games (So nice with one session games) I have seen both strats above employed...

For me, it's all about the huts. If you don't get them, you get boy wonder (ColdWizard) at your door with two horsemen by 3000 B.C. The dangers are not nearly as great as the rewards, and you might luck out and find an opponent's empty city too. Both games I've played in, I have missed out on the opportunity to dominate my corner of the world because I was too slow out of the gate.
Plus, you can plan your cities better when you explore the surrounding areas, and also ultimately set your defenses, and find your annoying neighbors.

You probably knew all this stuff already, but I thought my loser's insight would be useful.

When you sit in front of your computer for 5 hours getting your a$$ kicked, you have a lot of time to think about what you have done wrong.

I should be around on Saturday this week, if you are in dire need.

[-Jrabbit]

I'm usually on the Ming schedule Saturdays (betw 9 and 10 CST) and look forward to getting a healthy butt-kicking in the name of learning. If I can avoid spending all day in sleep-inducing activities like shoveling snow and scraping windshields, I'm hoping to join you then.

Thanx for the insight, Flatlander.

[War4ever]

Originally posted by rah


LOL, been there, done that. (usually after a FEW beers)

At least you didn't forgot to change which wonder you were building after buying up and build collosus instead of HG. LIKE SOME OF US DID. I was shocked that I still got HG later, but I had to sweat it out.

NOTE: while granted, your last two games were better and showed definite improvement, they were both far short of the runaway leader. MOI

RAH

hahaha all of which is moot b/c i wasn't in any of these games

[rah]

Good to see you Post.

Does this mean we will possibly see you in a game in the near future?

Hope you're taking care of everything.

Rich

[-Jrabbit]

Originally posted by rah
With HG, it's really simple. Of course this is under the assumption that you had an eye towards trade when you placed your cities and that most of them are up to pop 3 already. With luxuries cranked to 50% and twenty cities, you can easily grow your pop from just over a million to 5 million quite quickly.
(snip)
For that city built on gold that's growing slow, send a settler or two to join the pop, once it's size three, it'll take off. And if you're sending that settler from an already celebrating city, it really doesn't cost much.

RAH -- I totally don't understand the last statement. How does the mere presence of a settler in a city built on gold help it grow? What am I missing??



**(-Jrabbit does his idiot thing again...)**

[Ming]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
RAH -- I totally don't understand the last statement. How does the mere presence of a settler in a city built on gold help it grow? What am I missing??

**(-Jrabbit does his idiot thing again...)**

Move a settler from a city that grows quick to the mountain city (which grows slow). When the settler gets in the city, use the "join city" command. The settler disbands, and adds a pop to the city.

[-Jrabbit]

Really???

Never read about that trick anywhere. How did I miss it?

I thought the only way to save a starving city was with food caravans.

Thanx for yet another handy tip...!

[rah]

Yes, two settlers will boost it up to size three and allow you to start celebrating immediately. In 2x production, just by placing it on gold you should have enough trade arrows and food to keep it celebrating quite a bit. Especially if there's a little ocean around to help.

Rich
Sometimes after a few turns celebrating and pop used to create settlers starts to become meaningless. I'll send 3 settlers out to start a city so it can start celebrating on the second turn.