Civ 3 Strategy guide is out!

[Footie Mad]

Forgot about that one, thanks

[Andrew1999]

Here's the unit list. I'll put in the caveat one more time that these stats may have changed between printing of the Strategy Guide and the final game. In fact, I know they have.

Ground Units
Archer: 2/1/1
Artillery: 0/0/1 12/2/3
Cannon: 0/0/1 8/1/2
Catapult: 0/0/1 4/1/1
Cavalry: 6/3/3
Chariot: 1/1/2
Explorer: 1/1/2
Horseman: 2/1/2
Infantry: 8/12/2
Knight: 4/3/2
Longbowman: 4/1/1
Marine: 10/8/1
Mech Infantry: 12/20/3
Modern Armor: 24/16/3
Musketman: 2/4/1
Paratrooper: 8/10/1
Pikeman: 1/3/1
Radar Artillery: 0/0/1 16/2/4
Rifleman: 4/6/1
Settler: 0/0/1
Spearman: 1/2/1
Swordsman: 3/2/1
Tank: 16/10/2
Warrior: 1/1/1
Worker: 0/0/1

Naval Units
AEGIS Cruiser: 12/12/6 4/2/4
Battleship: 24/20/4 8/2/4
Caravel: 1/2/3(4)
Carrier: 1/8/4(4*)
Destroyer: 16/12/6 6/1/3
Frigate: 2/2/4 2/1/2
Galleon: 1/2/4(6)
Trireme: 1/1/3(2)
Ironclad: 4/4/3 4/1/2
Nuclear Submarine: 6/4/3(1**)
Privateer: 1/1/3
Submarine: 6/4/3
Transport: 1/4/4(8)

Air Units
Bomber: 0/2/0 8/0(6)/3
Cruise Missile: 0/0/1 20/4/6
Fighter: 4/4/0 2/0(4)/2
Helicopter: 0/4/0(2) 0/0(4)/0
ICBM: 0/0/1
Jet Fighter: 8/8/0 2/0(6)/1
Stealth Bomber: 0/2/0 8/0(8)/4
Stealth Fighter: 0/4/0 2/0(6)/2
Tactical Nuke: 0/0/1

Civ-Specifis Units
Bowman: 2/1/2 (Babylonians)
Cossack: 6/4/3 (Russians)
F-15: 10/8/0 2/0(6)/1 (Americans)
Hoplite: 1/3/1 (Greeks)
Immortals: 4/2/1 (Persians)
Impi: 1/2/2 (Zulus)
Jaguar Warrior: 1/1/2 (Aztecs)
Legionary: 3/3/1 (Romans)
Man-o-War: 3/2/4 2/1/2 (English)
Mounted Warrior: 3/1/2 (Iroquois)
Musketeer: 3/4/1 (French)
Panzer: 16/10/3 (German)
Rider: 4/4/3 (Chinese)
Samurai: 4/4/2 (Japanese)
Scout: 0/0/2 (Expansionist Civs)
War Chariot: 2/1/2 (Egyptians)
War Elephant: 4/3/2 (Indians)

[Bleyn]

I know the stats for some of the units are a bit off, but I've got a few combat related questions that might settle some disagreements in another thread.

Does the guide explain exactly how combat works, what the mechanics of it are? Or does it leave that out as something covered adequately enough by the manual.

Specific questions that would be nice to have answers to include:
Does it give the exact formulas for combat?
If so, is it one formula for attacker and defender, or seperate ones for each?
Are the hitpoints sub-divided like in Civ2 or not?
Any specific details on how bombardment works.

I figure its worth asking, since the mechanics should not have changed in quite some time, that would be one of the first things about combat that would have been locked in stone.

Anything that the strategy guide includes on those sort of details, and you feel up to sharing would be greatly appreciated.

[manofthehour]

For the resourse stats what are the adavantages of food/resources/commerce? Does it say anything about resourses running out?

[SteveJH]

Originally posted by manofthehour
For the resourse stats what are the adavantages of food/resources/commerce? Does it say anything about resourses running out?

Those are added to the regular stats of each terrain tile that the resource is on. It has already been stated that resources can be depleted, this is a random event. Oil and uranium deplete the most often out of all the resources.

[Xmudder]

What use is Coal?

From your list, it looks like Coal is mostly useless. It's needed for Ironclads, Ironworks, and Coal plants. That doesn't sound right. Coal was used to make steel, including Battleships, Destroyers, and Tanks, and to power early factores and railroads.

I didn't realise that the scout was Civ Specific. Can I build another one, or is that all I get?
A 0-0-2 is nice... It doesn't die, it just get captured - so you can send your military to smash the barbarians to rescue him. And he's a 0/0 unit, so it can move though other civ's territory, right?

[Andrew1999]

Originally posted by Bleyn
I know the stats for some of the units are a bit off, but I've got a few combat related questions that might settle some disagreements in another thread.

Does the guide explain exactly how combat works, what the mechanics of it are? Or does it leave that out as something covered adequately enough by the manual.

Specific questions that would be nice to have answers to include:
Does it give the exact formulas for combat?
If so, is it one formula for attacker and defender, or seperate ones for each?
Are the hitpoints sub-divided like in Civ2 or not?
Any specific details on how bombardment works.

I figure its worth asking, since the mechanics should not have changed in quite some time, that would be one of the first things about combat that would have been locked in stone.

Anything that the strategy guide includes on those sort of details, and you feel up to sharing would be greatly appreciated.

The standard combat formula is more or less the same as it's always been.

(attacker strength)/(attacker strength + defender strength) = chance of attacker winning

The defender strength is modifed by fortification, terrain, and improvements. The winner of each round does one point of damage to the loser. Conscripts have 2 hp, regular units 3 hp, veterans 4 hp, elite units 5 hp. Fast units (more than 2 movement) will retreat when they are down to 1 hp unless they are fighting another fast unit.

Bombardment isn't explained very well here. When you fire at an opposing square, the bombardment randomly damages units, improvements, fortresses, population, etc.--whatever's in the square (unless you have smart weapons on your Stealth Fighters and Bombers and you can pick your target.)

[Stuie]

Originally posted by Andrew1999
Here's the unit list.

i love you.

[Andrew1999]

Re: What use is Coal?

Originally posted by Xmudder
From your list, it looks like Coal is mostly useless. It's needed for Ironclads, Ironworks, and Coal plants. That doesn't sound right. Coal was used to make steel, including Battleships, Destroyers, and Tanks, and to power early factores and railroads.

You're right, it does look pretty weak when you look at it that way. Well, that's what the rule editor is for.

I didn't realise that the scout was Civ Specific. Can I build another one, or is that all I get?
A 0-0-2 is nice... It doesn't die, it just get captured - so you can send your military to smash the barbarians to rescue him. And he's a 0/0 unit, so it can move though other civ's territory, right?

Expansionist civs can buld more scouts if they like. I don't think 0 strength units can go wherever they want in Civ 3. Diplomats and caravans are gone and that's who the rule was meant to benefit. Otherwise all the bombardment units could go wherever they wanted!

[Barshy]

coal is indeed needed

I read somewhere that coal is required for railroads. But I could be wrong.

[Andrew1999]

Re: coal is indeed needed

Originally posted by Barshy
I read somewhere that coal is required for railroads. But I could be wrong.

This guide is terrible on worker abilities. It goes into detail about irrigation, mining, and roadbuilding, but almost nothing about other activities. I found out that workers could plant forests by reading about it in the the Engineering technology description (well I already knew, but that's the only place it's mentioned.) In the Editor you can change what resource is required for terrain improvements, so requiring Coal and/or Iron for railroads makes sense.

By the way, Replaceable Parts doubles the speed your Workers work at.

[ancient]

whys there no mention in your unit list of a standard nuclear weapon?

how do you make art?

[SerapisIV]

What's with all the slow speeds of the ships? AEGIS Battleships and Carriers with the same movement points as the galleon and frigate? When did sail-powered ships become as fast as gas turbine and nuclear powered vessels?

What are the naval benefiting Wonders? Do any of them increase movement points?

[Andrew1999]

Originally posted by SerapisIV
What are the naval benefiting Wonders? Do any of them increase movement points?

The Great Lighthouse (expires with Magnetism) and Magellan's Voyage add one movment to your naval units. Harbors produce veteran naval units in addition to producing more food from water squares and allowing trade.

From Friday's screenshot it looks like Battleships are up to 6 movement now instead of 4. Guess Firaxis agreed with you.

[manofthehour]

"ICBMs have a 50% chance of killing every unit in their target square and 8 surrounding squares immediately, and cause a reduction in city population if a city is targeted."

So what happens the other 50% of the time when they don't kill every unit? DO they do nothing?