A guide to ICS

[MacUser]

Well, my first real attempt at true ICS is rather frustrating. I have so many units and cities that I have a hard time keeping track of them! It seems that frequent micromanaging and tracking is required to keep from accidentally building a setter in a size one city or building yet another warrior in error. I also have been stuck in Monarchy, as eveytime I go to Repub, I end up disbanding units that I can't support. I guess I need to wait for Fundy.

So, what is the proposed defense against ICS? Just wait until the weight of too many cities drives the opponent crazy?

All in all, a very good explaination DaveV, and overall thread et al.

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"And now for something completely different..."
- John Cleese

[kcbob]

Just finished my second true ICS game last night and started an OCC game after it. Reminds me of the old Peter Paul commercial "Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't". Now there are definitely two winnable approaches.

Which makes me wonder, what would the middle-of-the-road approach be called? Is that a "perfectionist" approach? And is there a guide to it such as Dave's ICS or Paul's OCC? Until I had a good feel for OCC or ICS, that was how I tackled the game.

And why would anyone disable smilies?

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Frodo lives!

Better dead than "Red"... or green... or blue... or yellow... or orange... or purple... or white.

[Scouse Gits]

There are many variants on winning stratagies - and different approaches to ICS. I hope someone will write about the "Perfectionist" way, with particular reference to having an early republic.
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SG (2)

[Carolus Rex]

I think one possible cure may be the game's settings, more specifically as follows. Now, I wasn't successful when trying this against Dave(he found me early), but here it goes.

King level, medium or large map, waterworld, no continents (preferably archipelago?). 1x1.

Republic first strategy. Go for Republic instead of Monarchy. Try to get two to three cities (preferably close to the capitol) to size 3 (or size 2 with potential to reach 3 fast). Race for HG, grab it if possible. WLTCD, after that you should have 3 turns/discovery (depends on your number of cities).

If you don't get Pottery early, skip it and go directly for MC. A sleazer will certainly go for HG ASAP, don't even think about it if you don't get Pottery as an option immediatly after Trade. Be sure to have the caravans ready when you discover it.

Skip Colossus early on, the sleazer won't build it so you may be able to build it later. The key is surviving the early game, where the sleazer's advantage is more immediate.

Go for Invention, race for Leo's. MC may seem like a detour, but with WLTCD you should be able to get 3 turns/tech. If you miss LW, build GW instead (Masonry is on the way to Invention). Given the choice between GW and Leo's I would pick Leo's, warriors behind walls are no good against musketeers. I'm not good on the combat rules, but isn't even a pikeman behind walls in trouble against vet musketeers?

Granted, King level is beneficial for the sleazer too. But IMHO deity level unhappiness is harsher on a rep first strat than on a sleazer.

Carolus

[Carolus Rex]

A clarification.

That was not in response to SG (2). The request for an early rep manifesto must be answered by someone more competent than me.

Carolus

[astrogator]

Sadder, but wiser am I.

I am probably the least skillful computer game addict alive and I have been looking for a winning formula for a long time. I tried the ICS strategy and it really seems to work.

I may have overdone it. I wound up with swarms of troops & tons of gold and it took a long long time to make each move (Was the 18th century always this long?). Whenever I (Russia) had trouble taking a city, I would send in a diplomat and incite a riot. I finally won, crushing the last major power (Persia) in 1832 and by 1855 I had mopped up the few stray civ's on islands.

The big problem was finding all the little guys. I had Marco Polo, so I used some of the 25000 gold I accumulated for gifts so they would exchange maps with me. I felt real bad about it, but I sent my marines after them anyway.

This is an evil strategy. Once I believed that Civ II was a nice moral game that rewards peaceful development and punishes imperialism and agression. Back then, I was a nice guy with a spotless reputation. Back then, I was a loser.

[SilverDragon]

Yep, the best civ 2 players are the ones who would bribe your cities with the money they got from you as tribute.

[kcbob]

quote: Originally posted by astrogator on 09-08-2000 11:35 PM This is an evil strategy. Once I believed that Civ II was a nice moral game that rewards peaceful development and punishes imperialism and agression. Back then, I was a nice guy with a spotless reputation. Back then, I was a loser.

One of the things I love about these forums and the people who post in them is the ability to bring a smile to your face. Great stuff, astrogator.

BTW. Does your name imply a U. of FL grad who now roots for a MLB team in southern TX?

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Frodo lives!

Better dead than "Red"... or green... or blue... or yellow... or orange... or purple... or white.