Strategy help

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Originally posted by El Civ
Isn't Eyes the guy who no one here likes because he claims to be the best ever at Civ?

So he says. His proof is that in every duel he's played and not abruptly quit, he's won. The dislike is more that his omniscience excludes anything related to social skills.

[El Civ]

Originally posted by Marquis de Sodaq

So he says. His proof is that in every duel he's played and not abruptly quit, he's won. The dislike is more that his omniscience excludes anything related to social skills.

Yes, I remember seeing him troll the boards and inflame nearly everyone there. I also noticed there was someone doing the same thing in the MP board for Civ 2...is it the same guy?

[La Fayette]

El Civ

First choice when you start a game: shall I settle or shall I wander and tip huts?
Have you ever tried wandering?
If not, try it once (remembering that many people have won the game without settling, only destroying their foes with the NON units they found in huts).
It will teach you that settling at once is not compulsory (especially if you start on rough terrain).
On the other hand, remember that the main drawback with wandering is when you get unwanted techs, because if you get several it can really slow down your research later on.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

El Civ, try using communism instead of fundy in your conquests. You will need to mind your economy more in order to increase the cash flow. You get plenty of free units (3 per city), but not the flood of bad guys fundy gives you. Once you get good at that, try representative gov't and conquest.

Using different strategies proves useful for all strategies you employ - you learn various elements of the game a bit better, and can carry those over to improve the strategy you prefer. Have fun!

[Marquis de Sodaq]

For starting strategy, your approach is not at all bad. Rushing to monarchy is a very common approach. What follows is usually where players diverge.

Most players would recommend Trade as the next most important tech goal. Caravans bring you gold, science beakers, and trade arrows. They are key to speeding up science, and boost your income. Establish trade routes in your cities!

Preferred wonders vary as much as playing styles. Few people want the Pyramids or Great Wall in single player mode. Michaelangelo's Chapel is probably the most powerful wonder - tho some would argue for Leo's Workshop or others. Sun Tzu's is great, imho.

You really don't need barracks in every city. Often it is sufficient to have them in just a few cities that produce many shields (and thus units). These can be sent about and rehomed to other cities.

[El Civ]

Originally posted by Marquis de Sodaq [/SIZE]
Most players would recommend Trade as the next most important tech goal. Caravans bring you gold, science beakers, and trade arrows. They are key to speeding up science, and boost your income. Establish trade routes in your cities!

Here is another area where I am likely weak. I have always believed that trading with other civs increases revenue per trade. I also believed that the further a caravan/freight has to travel the more revenue. Are these correct?

Preferred wonders vary as much as playing styles. Few people want the Pyramids or Great Wall in single player mode. Michaelangelo's Chapel is probably the most powerful wonder - tho some would argue for Leo's Workshop or others. Sun Tzu's is great, imho.

Until recently I always tried to get Sun's, but then I read a few posts where it was besmirched as a waste of shields. I do always try for Mikes as it is quite beneficial.

You really don't need barracks in every city. Often it is sufficient to have them in just a few cities that produce many shields (and thus units). These can be sent about and rehomed to other cities.

Ah, the old rehoming trick
These are very good tips. I once printed off a large compilation someone had put together on an array of Civ related topics but it's gone now (we just moved). I never read it in-depth and the help I'm getting here is fantastic. I've even learned what a git is!

[Scouse Gits]

Originally posted by El Civ
I've even learned what a git is!

The start of all knowledge ...

SG[1] - well oiled after lunch!

[El Civ]

Well oiled after lunch? You must have a great job that allows you to get half in the bag after lunch. Wherever you work....are they hiring?

[Campo]

I have always believed that trading with other civs increases revenue per trade. I also believed that the further a caravan/freight has to travel the more revenue. Are these correct?

Yes, both correct. The bonus is greater when you trade with a civ other than your own, and it's greater when the receiving city (yours or a different civ) is on a different land mass.

Until recently I always tried to get Sun's, but then I read a few posts where it was besmirched as a waste of shields.

That's a matter of opinion and style of play. Sun's isn't one of my top priorities but I very much like to have it for conquest games, for a couple reasons: 1. Saves the cost of building and paying maintenance for barracks. 2. Re-establishes the vet status of units that are upgraded with Leo's. (You're probably aware that a vet phalanx, for example, will become a "green" musketeer after a Leo's upgrade. If you've got Sun's, one combat will make it vet again. Barracks won't do that.) 3. Don't have to rebuild barracks after they become obsolete by technology advances. (And second and third generation barracks have a higher maintenance cost -- 2 and 3 gold -- so aren't covered by Adam Smith's.)

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Another SunTzu bonus: the barracks count in newly conquered cities, too. The turn after you conquer, everybody is full strength again, instead of waiting # turns.

[Scouse Gits]

Originally posted by Marquis de Sodaq
Another SunTzu bonus: the barracks count in newly conquered cities, too. The turn after you conquer, everybody is full strength again, instead of waiting # turns.

Sun Tzu awards veteran status to all newly built land units and makes any unit a vet after combat. It does not give every city the healing power of the barracks. Alas Marquis, that's another 40 shields away.

Typically, a recently captured city will be in a state of disorder which will not allow you to rush buy any new military units. However, there are two things you can do in this situation and it helps to be rich!

1) Rush build a city improvement like a granary, then take the 30 shield hit to make it a musketeer.

2) Rush build the barracks for healing in the year of conquest. The injured troops will not be fit the following year but will recover the year after that.

If the invasion force has sailed to another continent it's worth including a caravan if room on the ship. Bang in the trade before you conquer so boosting your treasury for emergencies.

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SG(2)

[El Civ]

D'oh!! I have now begun two games on emperor and have run into the same problem with both. What am I doing wrong?

I begin by founding my city and building a warrior. I then build at least one, preferably two, settlers from my capital. I build a second and third city afterward, with each one building a warrior. After the warrior each city builds a settler and the process begets itself anew. Following the warrior in my early cities I try to build a wonder in 1 (HG) and a horse or two in others (at this point I have 4-5 cities). Of course, my domestic advisor is recommending barracks and temples at this point.

What is happening is that the AI civs are beating me to every wonder, sending a representative to brag about the tech they just obtained and/or sending 2-3 horses and a couple of cats to the doorstep of one of my cities, demanding gold to not destroy me. Sigh. I am way behind in technology, can't build a wonder to save my backside and have not yet had time to build anything resembling a military. In one game I hadn't even reached monarchy yet and one AI civ began building SunTzu's and another (the stinkin' Greeks, who sought my demise) sent a horse to one of my cities to brag about having discovered philosophy (I think it was).

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Originally posted by Scouse Gits Sun Tzu awards veteran status to all newly built land units and makes any unit a vet after combat. It does not give every city the healing power of the barracks.

Has Civ3 tainted my brain?

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

Originally posted by El Civ
D'oh!! I have now begun two games on emperor and have run into the same problem with both. What am I doing wrong?

What you're saying sounds good. Warriors, and then Settlers, and then more Settlers. On Emperor the lessened unhappiness should make quick expansion easier than on Deity. If you're going to build a lot of cities, build ones with access to things like rivered forests or specials (especially whales/silk) and work those specials.

Two bits of quick advice. First, where are you putting your workers - are you working a high trade square, high food square, or high shield square? DaveV (I think) suggests in the GL that you should maximize food production in size 1 cities, and then maximize shields when you get to size 2. This works well for me (I only learned this nuance recently!) - grow the city as fast as you can and then keep production high to pump out Settlers... and...

Second - ...Caravans! If you're losing wonder races, then you may need to add Caravans to your wonder building efforts. I usually make Trade the #2 priority to research, after Monarchy. Caravans for wonder building are crucial in the early part of the game, IMO. On the way to Monarchy you should pick up Bronze Working or Pottery so you can start a wonder after there are a few cities down. Then, build Caravans mixed in with Settlers to keep a balance between growth and wonder production.

Oh - one last thought - if the AI bullies you and taunts you, give in (if you aren't already). Gift to them. See if you can trade for something useful, or beg for money or science. It really does work.

STYOM

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

Originally posted by Six Thousand Year Old Man

Oh - one last thought - if the AI bullies you and taunts you, give in (if you aren't already). Gift to them. See if you can trade for something useful, or beg for money or science. It really does work.

STYOM

This presupposes that you haven't sneak attacked anyone. It pays to be nice in the early part of the game. If you betray one AI civ, they'll all hate you. Time enough for treachery later, when you're strong.

This also presupposes 2.4.2. In MGE/ToT, the AI is much harder to make nice with.