A critique of my playing style is wanted!

[SilverDragon]

Tell me how my strategy sounds, etc. etc.

I really would like it if arii and solo's records weren't 500 years before mine.

Your tech path is
Monarchy with BW on the way
Trade
Pottery
Writing
Astronomy
Construction
Monotheism
Republic
Then follow Paul's path

PLAY AS THE PURPLE CIV! At the beginning, if a good SSC is found, establish one city on the SSC and another outside of the SSC radius. If there is no SSC within a few turns of your start, then build the two cities close together. If you got merceneries before founding from a hut, send them exploring. Both cities should build warriors. After that build settlers in both cities. Then build a warriors in one city to explore if you don't have an explorer already. If the other is the SSC, start the colossus. If not, build settlers. From then on the ICS cities build a warrior, or a phalanx on fronteir cities, and then either a settler to build new cities, or a "Special Project." Special Projects include a settlers for improving the SSC, or defenses for the SSC, or pretty much anything for the SSC, or caravans to help wonders, or the wonders themselves, or anything else you wanna build. The SSC should be around before 1500 BC. It builds colossus after it has a warrior. (The ICS cities will give it 2 more.) Switch to monarchy, and go for trade. Soon after you get trade, 4 caravans should be built for the HG, so you can build it in one turn. The city doesnt matter. Also build 3 caravans in your highest trade city. (Often made on gold or wine) These go to the ssc. The SSC should build a temple, library, and marketplace, in that order, before it gets to cope's. Cope's should be built quickly, to sprint to monotheism. Wen you get to monotheism, Mike's should be finished very quickly. You will need it. Then you switch to republic. Afterwards, build Shake's and Ike's in the SSC. After that, your path is clear. Meanwhile, your ICS empire is gigantic. Follow Paul's tech path, and OCC guidelines in your SSC. When you get to fusion, which is almost always before your ship is done, switch to fundy via SOL. The gold pours in from mike's and from the tribute you haven't been getting while in Republic and Democracy. You can then buy ship parts easily. You have Robotics and Tactics, you are researching mobile warfare, and you're in fundy. This last part is fun.

Tell me how to improve! I wanna land before 1500!!!



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- SilverDragon, scourge of the western skies

Email me at
SilverDragon141@aol.com

[solo]

1) A major difference between your approach and mine is the order of building wonders. I build Michaelangelo's first in order to celebrate the first group of cities up to size 8 as quickly as possible. The earlier I can manage this in a game, usually the better the result. However, it's a great temptation to build Colossus and/or Hanging Gardens first, but this just delays the most essential wonder (IMO), which is Michaelangelo's.

2) Each tech you have to learn by yourself slows you down and adds years to your landing date, so another way to speed up acquiring techs is to use diplomats to start embassies with each AI, and use them to help learn techs. They will usually research most, if not all, of the militaristic section of the tech tree (feudalism, chivalry, leadership, etc.) while you are busy learning other parts. Diplomats also double as the best of early explorers, too, and each one only costs 30 shields.

3) I believe trade is crucial, too. The double income of beakers and gold from each delivered commodity is hard to beat, so I trade, trade and trade.

hope this helps, SD.

[Juggler]

I guess everyone has his own strategy, I would rather build 3 or 4 cities before building a wonder.

[SilverDragon]

quote: Originally posted by Juggler on 05-02-2001 11:43 AM I would rather build 3 or 4 cities before building a wonder.

Juggler: Actually, when I start colossus I have at the minimum 2 cities and 2 settlers, and at the maximum, if it takes me a long time to find an SSC, i have 10 cities or so.

Solo: I have a bunch of questions:
1. Doesn't it take a long time to get to monotheism if you don't have the colossus?
2. How close together are your helper cities, and how many are there?
3. Do you ever get them beyond size 8?
4. Don't you have a hard time with unhappiness until Mike's?
5. Do you ever build HG?
6. Am I badgering you with too many questions?

I agree with you, that trading techs is good. Especially since I am the purple civ so I don't get handicapped. (I am supreme from 3000 BC on.)

Yes, trade is definitely key. I always love getting huge amounts of trade and money and science and all those goodies from caravans.


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- SilverDragon, scourge of the western skies

Email me at
SilverDragon141@aol.com

[solo]

SD,

I've been away for a few days, so my apologies for this late reply to your questions:

1) It does take a while to get to Monotheism, but it also takes a while to get the first group of cities built and upto size 3, and also takes a while just to build enough caravans to build Michaelangelo's. Things helping to speed up early tech acquisitions are: a) Monarchy (hopefully) before 3000 BC. b) Trade for techs leading to Trade and Monotheism. Thus, the earlier embassies are established, the sooner you will know which techs you should study and which ones the AI will learn that you can trade for. Soon after an AI gets an embassy, I give it Monarchy (or Republic, if I have it) so they can learn faster. Before embassies, I rarely go for bronze working, since one of the AI always learn it early. AI's also seem quick to learn Polytheism and Currency too, providing they have or are given the prerequisites. c) Being first to learn Philosophy gives a free tech, so I always try to be first. d) Too much early trade of techs on non-essential paths may slow down the arrival to Monotheism, but not really that much in my experience. I trade freely after getting Monarchy & Trade. e) Set city workers on the best trade locations to speed up research, such as rivers and oceans.

2) The helper cities are very close, and the ones around the SSC can benefit by overlapping and sharing the use of its specials early in the game. Since no helper grows beyond size 8, it pays to overlap on specials and on good terrain, such as rivered grasslands, but plan for each city to have enough good spots for all its own workers later when cities are size 8. However, additional access to trade specials a little further out would more than justify having a city further away, but it does take longer to connect by road and is more vulnerable to attack. Try to get all of the first group of 6 to 8 cities upto size 3 at the same time, by building settlers in earlier cities until newer ones have caught up.

3) Going beyond size 8 for helper cities does not really pay for early landing games. Resources devoted to the upkeep in the form aqueducts and extra happiness improvements are better spent on building caravans for trade and for constructing wonders. In addition, most city sites do not have more than 8 good worker locations, and no city site ever has more than 4 specials. However, if an individual helper city had 4 of its own trade specials and great terrain, an exception might be made.

4) Since I wait until I am ready to build Michaelangelo's before switching to Republic, military units are used for keeping cities happy. Hopefully, a few will come from huts, and for the rest, warriors are good because they are cheap, and 2 per city are enough for size 3 cities. Right after the switch to Republic, all but one unit in each city can be disbanded for starting off new caravans being built. Left over warriors become musketeers and riflemen later. A centrally located diplomat is a good, cheap way to defend your cities.

5) I do use HG (see the 1056 landing game) now, and try to build it soon after Michaelangelo's. It really assists the simultaneous celebration upto size eight, and once that size is reached only 20% luxuries are needed under Republic to keep cities happy, and HG facilitates the celebration of the SSC upto to its maximum. Just before Railroad, (when HG expires) colosseums can be built and take over the job of keeping 3 (4 after Electronics) citizens per city happy. Now I have a preference for the HG over the Colossus. If the AI are first to the HG, then temples will have to be built instead.

6) Not at all.
[This message has been edited by solo (edited May 08, 2001).]

[East Street Trader]

Thank you, Solo. That is highly instructive.