damn it!!! what am i doing wrong!

[The Andy-Man]

build HG as soon as you get pottery. no more need fro temples early on.

[lord of the mark]

as others have said, be careful in builfing improvements, - a marketplace adds 50% to trade, but costs 1 maintenance, so (given the rounding) its not profitable until the city has 4 trade. Which can be increased by road building, or trade routes. Similarly(though less obviously0 for other improvements

which (for a player who is used to building every improvement) leads to the question "what SHOULD i build, when there are no worthwhile improvements, and i cant use/support more military units" - answer -(in the words of a wise civver) unless theres a reason to build something else, build caravans. then build some more caravans.

LOTM

[Hunter Hutchins]

I think my philosophy is rather unpopular, but I say when in doubt, let the game decide. There's two things: Auto building (auto in build window), with either domestic or military and auto engineers (K).

The advisors are excellent at keeping un-needed improvments about until you can acually benefit (or "need" them), and they also tend to supply you with more than enough military units. It's all about managment.

Some notes:
This helps with huge civs with many cities, less micromanagment.
Engineers/settlers will only transform mountains, and will not settle. This you must do.
Towards the end when all improvments and techs are in light, the advisors will run out of ideas, even if there are remaining improvments and units needed. Then setting cities to a certain unit is good.
I don't think the advisors ever build dips and spies. This you must do. Good for tech gaps.

And then there's that whole "make the capital marble, and the provinces brick" thing.

Well, just a suggestion. Try lots of things and you'll find what works best for you.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by splangy
are spys really that great?

Spys are great at the beginning of the game if you have money. You can buy an AI city at a cheap price. If the AI has lots of money, you get a big refund plus a tech.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by splangy
what weapons are best?

I usually avoid major fighting at the beginning of the game. Just the closest AI for defensive reasons (an offense is the best defence).

What I prefer to do is wait until the end game. I develop my science quickly until I get robotics and then use howitzers, the most under-rated weapon on these forums, to wipe out the AIs.

An army of say a dozen or more howitzers, combined with railroad and defensive units will cut through the AI like a knife through butter.

The trick is to attack once, then pull back the howitzer along the railline (so you don't lose MPs) and send in another. Once the city is taken, use the remaining howitzer to take out the partisans.

You will rarely ever lose a howitzer in battle.

If the AI has nukes, you need a bigger army so that each howitzer hits once and then moves to safe location `cause the AI will nuke the city it lost if it can.

The great thing about this strategy is it doesn't matter how big the AI empire is. I can usually take dozens of cities with this simple attack approach.

The key is build up your army under Fund. and use your engineers to build rail links to AI cities.

That's the basics of it.

[La Fayette]

howitzers

Originally posted by Tingkai
I get robotics and then use howitzers, the most under-rated weapon on these forums, to wipe out the AIs.

You probably haven't read much if you think that howitzers are under-rated on this forum.
Most experienced players consider them the second most powerful weapon available (just after vet spies).
The plain fact is tnat, in an ordinary game, real warmongers conquer the world with horses, long before anyone starts dreaming to research robotics.
Scenarios are something else...
You might read the thread named 'Arriba' (winning ww2 with smaller civs) if you wish to have some idea of what can be achieved with howitzers.

[Tingkai]

Re: howitzers

Originally posted by La Fayette

The plain fact is tnat, in an ordinary game, real warmongers conquer the world with horses, long before anyone starts dreaming to research robotics.

Ouch. Now that was some jab.

Originally posted by La Fayette
Scenarios are something else...
You might read the thread named 'Arriba' (winning ww2 with smaller civs) if you wish to have some idea of what can be achieved with howitzers.

Where is that thread?

[La Fayette]

Re: Re: howitzers

Originally posted by Tingkai
Where is that thread?

Just alike any other thread on this forum, it doesn't appear on your screen any longer after a while.
There are 2 main ways to find it:

1) 'Search' function
A very powerful tool at your disposal (thank you Apolyton!).
Look at the top of this page: 'search' is written in blue. You click there and then you write 'arriba'. (another time you can write 'La Fayette' and you get all the threads that I have started: certainly worth reading )

2) List of older threads
Look at the end of this page. The small numbers written in blue are where to click. Number 1 corresponds to the page you have on your screen ('newest' threads, 'newest' meaning that someone has posted recently). Click on number 2; you get slightly older threads, and so on. If you have a lot of sparetime, you might read all threads (and then the archive: that is precisely what I did when coming to Apolyton; believe me, it's real fun reading about Ming's high score for example
).
I would advise that you start with the GL (first thread at the top of this page, started by the highly revered SGs ).


(La Fayette, sending a friendly smile to Ming and the SGs)

[Dom]

To expand build knights (Vet: This is very important)
Don't build any city improvements, except barracks.
In one city you build HG for happiness.
Suddenly you got a fast and strong army, which kills all opponents on your continent.

Now you can conquer the world or improve your science and launch a space ship.

Quite easy

Dom

[Earwicker]

And don't forget the beaker bonus for each caravan establishing a trade route. This is a significant boost to your research efforts and will provide a lasting benefit to income and discovery. Couple this with some diplomats to scarf up enemy units and barbs, and you're well on your way.

[rixxe]

Originally posted by Tingkai
What I prefer to do is wait until the end game. I develop my science quickly until I get robotics and then use howitzers

This is possible in 'Warlord' mode, but when in Emperor/Deity, with the AI waiting for a good occasion to kick your ass, waiting for robotics is too long....

1. Build 5-6 transports
2. Load these transports with spies and Cannon/Crusaders/Artillery/...
3. Be sure that the AI has his cities connected by rail, if it's not the case, give 'em railroad, and wait a little bit,...
4. Incite a revolt in a city that have a access to the sea
5. Enter the city with your transports, this way your canon/artillery will keep his 1 movement
6. Conquer the civ

Note: an vet. artillery can easily beat a alpine/fusillier behind a city wall

Build the UN, this will allow you (under fundy) to declare war when you want, and to make peace, when you want,...

[Scouse Gits]

Originally posted by rixxe

Note: an vet. artillery can easily beat a alpine/fusillier behind a city wall

Uhmm ... not easily

Vet Artillery attacks at 15
Non-Vet Alpine Troops behind walls defend at 15
Vet Alpine Troops behind walls defend at 22.5

-----------------------

SG(2)

[rixxe]

Originally posted by Scouse Gits
Uhmm ... not easily
SG(2)

Ok, without dying

[DaveV]

Originally posted by Scouse Gits
Vet Artillery attacks at 15
Non-Vet Alpine Troops behind walls defend at 15
SG(2)

But artillery is the first unit to have a firepower of 2, so it should easily beat a non-vet alpine behind walls. If the alpines are vets or on a river (or, horror of horrors, both!), the artillery will take some losses.

[Scouse Gits]

Sorry! - I had forgotten how good Artillery can be.

Results of a quick test in CHEAT MODE

Vet Artillery v Non Vet Alpine Troops - City built on Plains with Walls.
Artillery Wins 5 - 0

Vet Artillery v Vet Alpine Troops
Artillery win 2 - Apline Troops win 3
This is close as all winning troops were red!

rixxe - keep building those big guns

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SG(2)