PTW Strategies (Monarch+)

[joftinac]

I was just looking through the threads and on the front page (top 30 listings) i didn't see anything about strategy (specific to PTW). So, i'm gonna start posting here and hope it grows.


-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-

Anyway, i've read strategies before about keeping a tech lead and earning money (per turn deals) from other civs. Well, i have to say, after reading those posts, i've done MUCH better!!!


MY CURRENT GAME:
MONARCHY difficulty
FOUR opponents
LARGE map (Pangea)
TIME=1575 AD

Anyway, i'm looking for Comments/Suggestions:

Here's what i did:

i was seeming to lag behind in techs (though always leading in total area) so i made sure to go straight for Theory of Evolution. That tech got me "ATOMICS" and "THEORY of EVOLUTION" ... at that point, i finally gained the technology lead.

from there, i made sure to every turn or two, check on the other competing civz and make sure that i sold them my advanced tech (1 or 2 turns before anyone else got it) for the best price possible. (**note: what they offer for a tech can be manipulated -- take out the stuff you don't want (ie: SaltPeter if you don't need it anymore) and CRANK the PER TURN they offer as high as you can -- you'd be surprised how high they'll go)

since then, i've managed to stay ahead in techs. last turn the Persians gave me 210g PER TURN and RADIO, then the Arabians gave me 170 PER TURN for COMBUSTION. OMG!! i'm now earning 909 (PER TURN!!!) from other civs and paying ZERO!!!!

anyway, as far as strategy goes, i wanted to mention that getting a tech advantage can be HUGE!!!! at the end of every turn, check out all your opps. if you see one of them drop their price for a tech noticably, they're prolly gonna get it the next turn, so do your rounds and sell that tech for the best you can get now!!!

AND, don't forget, every time you can sell a tech, get as much PER TURN AS POSSIBLE for it --- because, IF THEY're PAYing YOU PER TURN for tech, then that means they're gonna research slower and you're going to research faster. compile that through a few turns, and next thing you know, you've ALWAYS got the tech advantage because they're giving you the money they could be using to research.

Anyway, please let me know if you have any suggestions/ideas/comments about my game-plan.

---btw, it's 1575 and i'm 2 turns from flight (and my golden age just started with the hoover dam)... my opponents have got to be at least 7-10 turns from flight. i will get flight first, no question.

lemme know what you think... hope this idea helps!!

- joftinac

[MrWhereItsAt]

A lot, if not ALL of what you say are sound strategies for Civ3 without PtW. There have been threads detailing these sorts of tactics before, but it's always good to see them refreshed every now and again.

In the Civ3 Democracy game we have made our fortunes by selling techs to all who don't have them for enormous prices (we call it "techwhoring"), and it is definitely a great way to fund a war campaign.

[joncnunn]

Myself, I prefer as sell techs as much as possible for up front gold and buy techs as much as possible via per turn deals for better cash flow management.

In addition, this minimizes the risk of AI non-payment and maximizes the possibility of you being able to stop paying the AI early should they betray you.

Actually, the fact that the AI is willing to give you a large amount of GPT at all tells you that they currently aren't putting as much into science as they can. The AI will never sign a deal that would produce a deficit under the current slider levels. In addition, it won't accept a GPT deal from you that would cause you to be negative under your current slider status. (If you want to sign the deal while purposelessly running a deficit, you have to lower the science silder, sign the deal, and then re-raise the science slider.)

[joncnunn]

Another thought specific to multplayer.

In single player, a very good early game tactic on high levels is the 1 beaker of science reserach, and using the cash to buy techs from the AIs who can reserach cheaper than you. In multiplayer game though, if you find that your neighbors are human, you could find out that they don't have techs either (because they aren't reasearching either) and the global rate of science advacement is at a virtual standstill.

[joftinac]

Originally posted by joncnunn
Myself, I prefer as sell techs as much as possible for up front gold and buy techs as much as possible via per turn deals for better cash flow management.

In addition, this minimizes the risk of AI non-payment and maximizes the possibility of you being able to stop paying the AI early should they betray you.

hmm, interesting idea... most of my opponents seem to have little or no gold on hand, but are willing to trade hundreds per turn. is this normal??

also, you're right, getting gold up front is probably better for the betrayal reasons... good point!


and thanks for the tip about the slider-bar requirements!

- jof