Pathetic Newbie tips? :)

[Blaupanzer]

L2F, some of these folks conquer the world before industrialization. So it must be possible to do it without later techs. Darned if I can figure it out, though. Of course, since I've not thought it possible, I've switched to the agressive research track (hit 'em when you can, stay ahead in science). So, with what I've learned here, maybe we can try again.

[Mercantile]

Blaupanzer thats the key exactly. Beating on the ai, is all about taking key advantages. Slam them with Knights, dips, and crusaders, form a battle line with your muskets , dragoons and cannons. When on large maps take advantage of artillery, alpines, calvalry, and super ironclads. In the final stages, tanks , howies, spies (really alot earlier)battleships, bombers and nukes. Keep laying a beating on the ai, preferable taking out one civ at a time, eventually though, they will all gang up on you and the best way to avoid the invasions is by controlling the seas and the choke points while amassing a well planned army.

[Crustacian]

One of the posts above may have eluded to this but:
Take a capital city even if it is very costly in units, then bribe away at a cool bargain rate! The only planning involved is to save 1-2 grande and have a decent envasion force to take the capital. Depending on how early, chariots, elephants, or even legions will do it! Vets? Of course!

[Like2frolick]

Super IronClads?

[Chainsaw]

Build the Lighthouse and Magellan's, and your ironclads have a movement of seven (regular four plus one for the Lighthouse plus two for Magellan's) and are vets. Kick ass, even non-vet musketeers can't stand these nice ships.

[Scouse Gits]

To build the Super Ironclad you must have The Lighthouse and Magellan. Your research target is Steam Engine.

Under these conditions you can enjoy Ironclads which start as Vets and move 7. Use them quickly, and build fleets of them! This is the howitzer of the middle game as they (like all offensive ships) ignore city walls. The Super Ironclad window of opportunity can be a small time frame, as the AI knows the path to Magnetism and Metallurgy.

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SG (2)
[This message has been edited by Scouse Gits (edited December 14, 2000).]

[Ming]

quote: Originally posted by Scouse Gits on 12-14-2000 04:38 AM The Super Ironclad window of opportunity can be a small time frame, as the AI knows the path to Magnetism and Metallurgy.

If you are far ahead in the science race against the AI, the window becomes much larger. In MP, it will be a very small window... If your opponents know what you are doing, costal fortresses are built much quicker by humans than the computer

[La Fayette]

L2F
Any vet ironclad is super (because it ignores city walls and stands a fair chance even against non vet riflemen).
But:
1) The LH makes all ironclads vets (building LH before your first ironclad) and gives them movement 5 instead of 4.
2) Sun Tzu make any ironclad vet after one fight (finding a trireme or a settler or a cat along your enemy's coast is a good idea before attacking the strongly defended city).
3) Magellan gives 6 moves instead of 4.
4) LH + Magellan give the super super vet with 7 moves(hello SG, hello Ming!).
In any case I would advise to use a fleet (at least 2; preferably 5 or 6). Firing several shots in a row, your ironclad will indeed kill defenders but it will soon get yellow or even red, and it takes a long time to get back to the nice green color that allows your superclad to shoot again at full strength.

[Blaupanzer]

I like that phrase, "super ironclad."

[Kitana]

I've been gone from the site for a long time and noticed your post. I will not claim to be an expert but I can give you a few newbie tips.

I'm not sure who said it but diplomats/spies are very good at weakening your enemies but are useless against the great wall. But by the time you have spies the great wall is obsolete and there is a chance that you can reuse a spy. Spies are great if you have alot of cash as well. Just keep subverting cities. It is my attack method of choice and I've reduced all other civs to just their capitals using this method.

Republic is good for tech and for growth. If you set your taxes to 20%, science to 40% and luxuries to 40% you can get size 8 cities easily (and size 12 if you upgrade to Democracy.) I find it better to leave cities at size 8 or 12 because you don't have to worry about happiness with these tax rates. Put a pikeman in the city with your best attack unit and a city wall, temple marketplace, library and city wall(even if you have great wall, it doesn't last forever and you don't want to be caught unaware. Then if you build Adam Smith you can start with banks and aqueducts. But I get ahead of myself. Fortify your defender but only put your attack unit a sleep so when an enemy gets close your unit is ready to attack!

This is my stratagey for Republic. It is new and I'm refining it but it seems to work well.


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Kitana
Shogun of the Japanese

[The Undertaker]

Am I the only one here who never uses dips/spies to buy cities? The only time I ever use them is when a Barb takes one of my new baby cities - where I like to "believe" that my covert agent has organized a resistance against the terrorist occupiers.

I dunno, I just think that buying cities compromises the realism aspect.

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"You're fired." - Jack Larkin

[Deity Dude]

I don't bribe much either, and to tell you the truth, I hope that that feature goes away with civ3. i can see bribing a unit, but a city - come on. I prefer to use my cash to rush build crusaders, cavalry and wonders and win early.

[Deity Dude]

I just reread my post and it sounded a little arrogant. What I said was my strategy. I didn't mean to give the impression that bribing is cheating or anything. And I'm sure there are a lot of players in here that win early by incorporating bribing into their gameplan.

[dawgboy]

In terms of realism, you can think of "bribing" cities as your dip/spy organizing resistance (funneling lawyers, guns, and money) to dissidents in the competing civ. Think about Soviet support of the Sandanista rebels in Nicaraugua in the 70's/80's or US support of military factions in Chile back in the 50's. Go even further back to WWII when the Germans rolled into Paris. A lot of the French cities just kind of rolled over after that with very little military resistance.

I like to throw the occasional bribed city into my military conquest, particularly if I'm running out of troops and there's a fat city with more inside just ahead. This is particularly useful in the late game for picking up cruise missiles since the AI loves to make em. I think of it as captured equipment being used against it's makers.

One more thing. In CTP, the "bribed" city does not join your civ, it becomes a new civ that typically hates the old civ but likes your civ. That might be a somewhat more realistic world model.


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What the hell is Seat Management?