A Few Questions on Civ 2

[Scouse Gits]

Just a quick comment ...

It seems to me that you have not focussed your game on any particular goal - you want to expand and be perfectionist - virtually self contradictory ...

As many here know I am a self confessed rabid rodent at this game - have you tried racing to Democracy, building the SoL and changing to Fundamentalism (or some say Communism) and swamping the rest of the world with your military units??

A different game, but great fun and once you have one of the military governments in place happiness is really not a problem...

Carry on and enjoy ...

[Carolus Rex]

Just some random thoughts...

When trading, use the ship chain. By having naval units properly spaced, you can move a camel/freight across the world the same turn you build it. Don't be afraid of hostile AI (happens especially with MGE version), caravans can enter straight into a city from your ships without having to "make a landfall" first. Hence they will not be able to talk to (or demand anything from) you.

If you have a caravan or two in their turf, and they do contact you, yield to their demands. 50 - 150 gold or harmless techs is nothing compared to the foregone (gold and science) bonuses you risk to lose if they kill your caravans. Not to mention that cities with trade routes celebrate easier than cities without them... The only victim will be your pride... I even give them techs enabling them to build the wonders I want, but haven't built yet, provided that they are not building another wonder, which they can switch from.

Never have a city (or more) building a wonder. Build caravans instead. They can be rush bought cheaper than wonders and they allow you to switch to units if something nasty happens (barbs out of nowhere, for example).

When to set up the ship chain is tricky. The sooner the better, but there are also other things to build early in the game. Experiment. Same goes for the monarchy to republic switch; tricky when to do it. Sometimes I wait until after MC is built, sometimes I switch as soon as I have HG. Do not know which is more efficient yet. Experiment.

Fill the science box as much as you can with camels/freights, but only until you hit the "roof" (any more beakers from bonuses are wasted).

Max trade in your own, sending city before moving the caravan into the target city (this increases the bonus). Don't forget to shuffle your workers back afterwards or you may be in for an annoying surprise (shield or food deficit kills supported units and settlers).

There is a debate about granaries vs WLTLD (even though one does not exclude the other). Some (including me ) never build granaries or the Pyramids and view it as a waste of shields. WLTLD = "instant Pyramids", but as I said, others will argue otherwise. Try both approaches and use the one you feel helps you the most.

An underestimated wonder is Marco Polo's Embassy. This was not always the case. A couple of years ago it was conventional wisdom on these fora to build it and take control of AI research. I, for one, saw it as superior to the GL. Then OCC fever struck us all, with its stream lined wonder approach, and old MP was forgotten (at least by this civer! ). Recent comparison games have reopened my eyes to its importance. Try building it as your first wonder, then give map making to the AI as soon as you have it and trade enough techs to make them cordial or enthusiastic about you. Trade maps with all of them (the AI will never do this, no matter how much it loves you, until it has map making). Now you know where they are, whether you are going to send caravans or elephants to them...

When you're in a AC game and don't know what to build, build a caravan (I'm expecting DaveV to flame me for this one! ). Not necessarily for trade; when you build the space ship parts you will need it too. Say you have a city with 30 (or 10) shields. Set production to a wonder and use one (or three) freight (s) to help build the wonder. Switch to a space ship structural (or a component) and the city will complete it in one turn. Do this in all your cities = instant space ship!

Good luck!

And skip granaries and the Pyramids!

Carolus

[Carolus Rex]

A clarification...

...about when I talked about "trading" techs with the AI above to get them to share maps. Only trade techs when they have something you want, otherwise offer them techs as gifts. Big difference!

Carolus

[La Fayette]

Re: Just some random thoughts...

Originally posted by Carolus Rex
An underestimated wonder is Marco Polo's Embassy. This was not always the case. A couple of years ago it was conventional wisdom on these fora to build it and take control of AI research. I, for one, saw it as superior to the GL. Then OCC fever struck us all, with its stream lined wonder approach, and old MP was forgotten (at least by this civer! ). Recent comparison games have reopened my eyes to its importance.
Carolus

Eyes wide open, Carolus, that is the right way to land early and secure.
Here is my opinion about what happened:
The great early landers (arii, samson, solo, Ribannah, ...)discovered very soon that any shield and any beaker was precious. Marco Polo is 200 shields: they skipped it.
And other people, more or less copying the champions, started skipping it also.
BUT
early landers were playing on premade or at least very carefully chosen maps where they could manage to contact and trade maps with the AI almost when needed.
Playing the average random map (or a scenario where the map is unknown) Marco is GREAT.
I build it very often as wonder#1 (unless I already have contact with at least 2 or 3 AI civs previously).
Eyes wide open, Carolus