Confession. I suck at Civ III.

[monkspider]

I don't see you around these parts too often Sloww. I suggest you start off at cheiftain or warlord at very least. I hope you get into it, you may prove to be a worthy adversary when PTW comes around.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

I've yet to play above monarch level. I lead the AI there, but not by too much. As was my habit with CivII, I've also yet to play past 1600ad - so I don't know if I'd win or not...

[SlowwHand]

I'm playing with MP on my mind, Monkspider.

[notyoueither]

One phrase Sloww, expand early and often.

[Sava]

It's all about expanding and outproducing the AI.

[mwaf]

Civ I - I considered myself a guru. No Internet for me back then, so I really don't know good I actually was(/is).

Civ II - I usally played on prince or king (IIRC), although, I did beat the game at Deity once (Spacerace, with a perfect grassland continent to start off with (the world was generated as: warm, wet and young)) and that was enough of Deity for me.

Civ III - Bought the game last week. I won my first game on Cheiftain by score at 2050AD. I'm currently playing my second game, on Warlord, and I'm getting my ass kicked (one city left), gotta rethink my old tactics (which probably go back all the way to Civ I).

I'm probably going back to Cheiftain after the current game to improve my skills (fortunately, there's still time to imporve before anyone gets their hands on PtW).

BTW, I'm playing on a huge map with 15 civs+/me, is that considered difficult compared to, say, a standard size map with 7 civs+/me?

[Aeson]

Somewhat depends on your playstyle. With more civs there are more alliances/trades you can make, and no one civ gets really powerful until they take some of the others out. With less civs there is more room for you to expand.

I think uncrowded maps are easiest overall. The AI expands really quickly up to a certain point (about optimal number of cities), but then they slow down. The player never has to slow down until all the free space is claimed.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
I'm playing with MP on my mind, Monkspider.

I tried to go back to an unmod-ed game for that reason but I didnt like it so I stopped playing altogether. Maybe with PtW who knows.

[Sava]

I enjoy MODing the game more than MP... I just love conquering the mindless AI citizens

[Nakar Gabab]

*The* #1 thing that improved my play was unit production. I made WAY too many early improvements when I really should have been making units. Sure, having culture is great, but if you just rush a temple early, you'll get plenty of culture over time, and you don't NEED to rush to those libraries/colosseums right off.

I found that the more units I made early on, and the more... aggressive I was with them, the better and better I did at the game. It's not so much the leaders (I rarely get many of them) as it is the ability NOT to take the AI's guff. And if you're "too nice," you get that in spades.

Buck up, batten down the hatches, reach out, and crush somebody. You'll do 100% better at Civ3 if you start out strong and project your power.

Note that it's fine to be nice, just make sure you're nice with a better army.

Speak softly and carry a big stick. Or just speak loudly and hit people with the stick until they beg.

[Jethro83]

Originally posted by Nakar Gabab
*The* #1 thing that improved my play was unit production. I made WAY too many early improvements when I really should have been making units. Sure, having culture is great, but if you just rush a temple early, you'll get plenty of culture over time, and you don't NEED to rush to those libraries/colosseums right off.

I found that the more units I made early on, and the more... aggressive I was with them, the better and better I did at the game. It's not so much the leaders (I rarely get many of them) as it is the ability NOT to take the AI's guff. And if you're "too nice," you get that in spades.

Buck up, batten down the hatches, reach out, and crush somebody. You'll do 100% better at Civ3 if you start out strong and project your power.

Note that it's fine to be nice, just make sure you're nice with a better army.

Speak softly and carry a big stick. Or just speak loudly and hit people with the stick until they beg.

Exactly the problem I had in the early days of buying the game. And because of it, I couldn't even make it past Warlord. Now that I am producing numerous units, and showing that I have the stones to send them out after anyone in my way, I am rapidly establishing my place as a superpower and maintaining it through the ages.

Furthermore, it seems to be more effective to be beating techs out of the enemy than to be researching them yourself in the early stages of the game. Despite being called Civilization, being civilized hardly gets you ahead until you are already powerful.

[delsolsi]

I've been playing this game about 3 weeks now and at first I sucked real bad too. I started on chiefton I won my first three games so I decided to go up to warlord and got my a$$ absolutly kicked. I went back down to chiefton again but it was so easy it wasn't fun, so I tried warlord again but with a new play style. I consider myself to be a peaceful player, I only go to war when I get attacked. On chiefton I never got attacked so I didn't build up my military very much. When I went up to warlord I tried playing the same way but the other civs would always gang up on me and kick my a$$ because I could not fend them off because my military was so weak.

On my last game on warlord I started building my military up from the start. I tried to stay atleast at average military compared to the other civs and strong against most. I didn't have any problems with the other civs attacking me but I fell way behind in tech. After noticing this I went straight for Literature so I could get the Great Library. I got six or seven techs from the Great Library, this caught me back up the rest of the civs. From this point I was able to gain a lead in tech and then sell the techs to the other civs for gold per turn. I used this to pay for my military and make it even stronger.

Russia decided to declare war on me after a while. My military was way stronger and much more advanced than theirs so I wasn't worried about them but from my other experiences on warlord I was worried about all the other civs sideing with them and declaring war on me so I signed mutual protection pacts with all the civs neiboring Russia. After takeing a bunch of Russian cities I signed a peace treaty with them and never had any problems the rest of the game with other civs.

I eventually ended up winning that game by space race in the 1930's. Last night I started my first game on regent. I'm playing Marla Singer's world map. So far so good. I kept restarting untill I got a starting position on North America. I think this may have given me an unfair advantage. There is only one other civ on the continent and they got stuck with a bad starting position while I got a good one so I'm kicking their a$$ in every aspect. I haven't found the other civs yet so I don't know if I really doing good or if the other civ on my continent just sucks worse than I do.

[dnassman]

Best piece of advice is to start at the bottom (Chiefton) and work your way up once you find it too easy. I started off at Chiefton and it took me a while to learn the ropes. I actually one my first game and played a couple more at that level and one them as well. Couldn't get a Conquest victory though. Mainly Cultural. Moved to Warlord and again won my games and achieved again Cultural victories with possibly one conquest. Went to Regent once I thought I was comfortable and started to expand and grow. Babs and India come along and kick my ass. Not enough military. Changed tactics and changed civs to Persia and started kicking their butts.

Big difference was the civ and building of early military and expand. Kept winning a lot with conquest and domination at Regent. A lot of fun with Immortals. Would try and wipe most civs off as fast as I can with them. Worked really well. Monarch was a nice step up and am winning in every game so far. Even played a Pangaa standard 8 civs and won by conquest before AD. 8000+ score. Greatest victory. Very warmongering though.

Most people have giving similar advice to me and I guess the majority has spoken.

Good luck

[Sava]

Usually the same strategies work. The AI only gets production bonuses. Combat and AI strategy is still the same as lower levels. Don't let Deity intimidate you.

[Theseus]

SH:

Lots of good tips above. here's my two cents, at a very broad level:

* I saw you're focused on Militaristic. I assume that's for GLs... don;t go there quite yet. I would recommend Religious and Industrious until you get comfortable.

* Understand that proactive early war helps quite a lot... don;t focus on GLs yet, just damage neighboring civs, and maybe (again, maybe) take a city or two.

* EXPLORE!! I don't care how, even Warriors are OK. Take down goody huts, and meet as many civs as you can. Know the terrain, and focus on the best sites.

* Despotism needs a new thread... it is the bulk of the game, and most importantly the determining period. Actually, I'll stop here... everybody, chime in.