Greeks - The only way to go

[jerkwaterbox]

The Greek civilization, in my opinion, is the best in the game. Why you say, why is that? Several reasons of course. One, their civ specific unit. The hopolite can be built at the beginning of the game and has the same defense as a pikeman. It also upgrades to a musketman which eventually upgrades to infantry. So if you build hopolites early, the defense of your cities is secure, as long as you have the funds to upgrade your troops. Which brings me to my next point. The Greeks are scientific and commercial. This is one of the best combinations in the game. The extra commerce and the lowered corruption allows you to gain vast amounts of money very quickly which means you can put more money into science. Science also gets a boost by the reduced cost of science amplifying buildings. So not only are you cities safe, but you will be pumping out techs like no ones business.

That is why, in my opinion, the Greeks are the best.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

(1) The extra commerce doesn't effect you until your cities reach a certain point ( pop7 I think)

(2) Hoplites are great as long as you have Iron near by

(3) Lowered corruption is good

(4) The most useful science buildings arn't till the middle ages. The Science wonders (Copernicus, etc) might allow other civs to catch up to you in science if you don't lock these up.

[MaSsConFUsi0n]

i don't think that hoplites require iron.... so they are awesome to have instead of those spear dudes. greek cities are really tough to take in the beginning, unless someone really sends the human wave.

MaSsConFUsi0n

[jerkwaterbox]

[SIZE=1]
(2) Hoplites are great as long as you have Iron near by

Hoplites are the best defensive unit of the time, they are better then spearmen and on par with the later pikemen, and they require NO resources.

(4) The most useful science buildings arn't till the middle ages. The Science wonders (Copernicus, etc) might allow other civs to catch up to you in science if you don't lock these up.

what about libraries? They come early and give you a bonus to science, plus on top of that they produce culture.

[David Weldon]

I have found that the french are far superior to the Greeks. I agree with your analysis of why the greeks are powerful, I just think the French are better at it.

Specifically, I prefer Musketmen to Hoplites because I don't fight much in the ancient era, and I like the first wave of wars (as well as my Golden Age) to happen in the early medieval age. When I get musketmen I can then launch an offensive with unparalleled units at a time when I have the production to support the war without worrying about expansion any more.

Second, I find Industrial is superior to Scientific in almost all respects. The added growth due to better workers (and the presence of a slave worker force that is actually useful) allows me to generate a much larger empire much more quickly. The lower cost of support of the free or more efficient workers allows production and population to be shifted to growth, science, and improvements. The larger empire leads to production benefits that can be used to build science improvements as well as other wonders, improvements, and military units. The extra growth also increases my trade base to take advantage of the Commercial bonus that both civs get. This extra trade more than makes up for the three extra advances allowed by Science, especially if you look at the timing of when you get those free advances.

The Greeks certainly aren't bad, but I have had far easier success with the French (Industrial), and I even prefer the Indians (Religious) or Chinese (Militaristic) to the Greeks (Scientific).

Essentially I think the bonus unit is not meaningful in a full-length game, and I find Scientific to be the weakest of civ strengths (save perhaps Expansionist).

Lawrence:
Of course the extra commerce is useless, even with large cities, but the reduced corruption makes things _so much easier_.

[Sarxis]

lol



Its great seeing the 'why my civ is better' arguments starting up.

[CygnusZ]

After having just played a full game with the Greeks, ending in the Launch to Alpha Centauri... I think the Indian's are probably a bit better. The scientific advantage.. does it do anything besdies give you a single free tech and reduce the cost of "learning' facilities?

[ChrisShaffer]

That's three free techs - one at the start of each new age. Unfortunately, you don't get to choose which ones.

[splangy]

Romans are MUCH better than greeks

1-Legion. 3attack 3deffence and Iron isnt to hard to get.
2-Militeristic. What a god-like thing my milllitary is
3-Comercial.Low corruption and commerce is always nice
4-CHEAP BARRACKS. if war is your thing you can build barracks so quick, its just so...Magnificent...

[Martinus]

It all depends on the style you prefer. I think for cultural builders (like me), Egyptians are the best followed closely by French. Egyptians are both Industrious and Religious, so the construction of all kinds of temples etc. is really fasts. French are Commercial and Industrious, so build fast and corruption is lower.

I think for Militarists, Romans are probably the best, as Commercial CSA allows you for a big empire (plus they have the dreaded Legion )

As for me, I prefer to build a small, but perfectionistic Empire. I usually found only 4 - 5 cities on a tiny map (more on bigger) and the rest (twice this much) join me because of cultural expansion. By that time I have everything connected by roads (Industrious CSA rocks), temples everywhere (Religious CSA) and produce or import most or all of luxuries - so the corruption is really low (or non-existent). So for my style Egyptians are perfect.

[jerkwaterbox]

Originally posted by splangy
Romans are MUCH better than greeks

1-Legion. 3attack 3deffence and Iron isnt to hard to get.

This is true, but eventually the legions become obsolete and you cannot upgrade them. When the hoplites become obsolete though, you can upgrade them to musketmen, saving you valuable production.

[Leonid]

You all are forgetting about the Japanese. I'm playing them my current game. They get Religious for great culture, cheap temples+cathedrals and change governments at drop of a hat and they are Militaristic= Cheap barracks. There special unit is pimp+freaking RAWKS. Samurai 4 attack, 4 Defense, 2 speed. How can you argue with that???

Now thats some sweetness..The japs can hold there own with the Romans..but Romans are cool too. I liek being able to jack out ancient temples and have rad culture.

[YefeiPi]

Well, I think Chinese is the best in Civ3. I'm dominating my game right now. I single handedly eliminated 40+ German and Roman cities with my fast and ferocious riders (the Chinese unique unit of stats 4-3-3).

Yeee-Haaaa!

[Leonid]

Well as my game continues into 1 ad. I just finshed taking over my 6th Indian City with a massive wave of swordmen about 8 or so and I got a great Leader Tojo.. Woot! Looks like I'm gonna save him until I get Samurai and make a samurai army to pound the Chinese.

Now China has like 20 cities on my continent and I am going to war with them next. I hope I can get to fuedalism and get my samuarai before they get riders. I'm gonna try to take out there horse resources.