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  • Please Help the Newb

    Hello all,

    I've been lurking around here a while now and I've noticed the high level of Civ-skill that you all seem to have, especially Dominae, Arrian, etc. So I was hoping to get a few pointers on my own game.

    I consider myself a newb even though I've been playing Civ3 (and Civ2 before that) for more than a year and a half. I can beat the comp about 60% of the time on Regent, having mastered Warlord a while back. But I could still use a lot of help.

    I tend to have a hard time in the early middlegame, around the end of the Ancient era. I'm wondering if I'm starting wars too early; see below for more on this. I also need help with city placement and spacing, worker tactics, and tech management. Basically everything.

    My current game is mediocre. I'm the Persians, 9 civs, standard or large map (i don't remember which), Pangaea, I think it's 70% water, everything else normal. The landmass is horseshoe-shaped, I'm on the right end.

    I took a number of cities from Zululand, my closest neighbor, early on, thanks to a large-scale warrior -> immortal upgrade . However, I then gradually lost the initiative and lost a number of units to stupid tactical errors, like not including Spearmen in my Immortal stacks. I recently arranged peace in exchange for a couple of cities, reducing them to a handful. Currently, I'm preparing a sneak attack on their new capital with ~10 immortals.

    I'm second in the rankings; Egypt (across the sea on the left end of the horseshoe) is first. I'm considering building a crapload of galleys after I wipe Zululand and launching an amphibious invasion. That, or I'll press on to lowest-ranked Babylon, which is above the remnants of Zululand.

    So, help me out, please!!
    Attached Files

  • #2
    Screenshot of my formerly Zulu holdings:
    Attached Files

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    • #3
      I personally wouldn't attack that far away - it would be difficult to defend. You might find yourself embroiled in Egypt and then attacked by the Zulus, and the Egyptians might find an ally in one of those other civs that your flimsy triremes have to sail near to get your reinforcements to the war. It could turn into one big mess.

      I would build fortresses in those mountains and then use those immortals to attack the Zulus again.
      One OS to rule them all,
      One OS to find them,
      One OS to bring them all
      and in the darkness bind them.

      Comment


      • #4
        3 words: Improve your tiles.

        You have 28 immortals running, but only 3 workers. Build 20 (yes! I mean 20!) more workers, and build them now. Irrigate your plains, your cities aren't growing. Build roads, that makes you cash to buy techs. You have a well placed FP (leader built?) , that's a great asset in 450AD. You could, and should have a kickass economy. Build workers. They are, together with settlers, the most important units in the ancient and early med age. Not swordsmen, not horsemen, but workers build your economy.


        You have enough Immortals to knock the Zulus out, stop building more. Attack in stacks, Immortals/Pikemen in 2:1 ratio. You can launch an assault on Egypt if you like, but I would say it's not necessary. If you improve your terrain, you can outproduce and outresearch Egypt easily. And it would net you a bunch of hopelessly corrupt cities, anyway. I would consider to take Heliopolis for the furs, and may be a couple of other luxury colonies. I wouldn't take large unproductive areas, but that's just me.

        Have fun with your game. It has definitely enough to become a great experience.

        Comment


        • #5
          TheGuitarist three key items
          1- city spacing too loose
          2- not enough workers
          3-still in despotism

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          • #6
            Wow, that was fast. Thanks.

            jake: good point. But which mountains are you referring to? The ones near Ngome?

            Sir Ralph: normally I do build more than 3 workers but your point is excellent. Will do. Btw, do you normally micromanage your workers? I usually set about half on 'automate - no altering' and then micro the rest for specific jobs.

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            • #7
              I wouldn't automate them. I micromanage. YMMV.

              Comment


              • #8
                I see the workers are automated and that just will not be good. One is irrigating and unworked tile, while that city has several worked grassland tiles unimproved.

                Getting to Monarchy or Rep will really help your empire produce more.

                I did not check to see what the cities were producing, to see if that makes sense and if you have build any granaries or temple or barracks, where it would make sense to do it.

                Wars are more fun and can be useful, but you can cripple your empires growth. It is best to make them short and decisive and infrequent.
                To that end make workers and settlers in the early phase until you have no room to grow or are threatened. Around 500BC you may want to do some pruning on a neighbor. It depends on many things, but if you are at war in 2000bc, it needs to be for a good reason IMO.

                Comment


                • #9
                  But which mountains are you referring to? The ones near Ngome?
                  Yes, but also the ones near Hamzaan (?? - I didn't download the game) Always use the terrain to your best defensive advantage, and always prepare for the worst - as in the possibility of someone storming in and taking those plains cities in your north.
                  One OS to rule them all,
                  One OS to find them,
                  One OS to bring them all
                  and in the darkness bind them.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by TheGuitarist
                    jake: good point. But which mountains are you referring to? The ones near Ngome?
                    I was going to let that remark about fortressing go by.
                    Now that you have jumped on it, I have to say I seldom see any need to build fortresses. In fact I never build them. That does not mean they are of no value, but it should be rare.

                    Anyway why do you want to attack Zulus at this time? They do not have anything special on their land that you need right now. You have lots of land that has not been settled and the AI will soon be back filling it for you if you do not get settlers to those spots. The only reason I can see if that Immortals shelve lif is going to expire soon. You also have a few cities with no defenders that are near open land. This means barb camps will be popping up and you will get pillageed.
                    I would have preferred a couple of those Immortals to be running guard and recon in that open area. Bust those camps for the 25 gold and prevent an uprising.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I din't download the save, and I had the same immediate reaction.

                      WORKERS, MAN, WORKERS.

                      You might want to read carver's early game tile improvement threads at CFC.

                      And, unlike vxma1, I happen to love fortresses... and that means more WORKERS!!
                      The greatest delight for man is to inflict defeat on his enemies, to drive them before him, to see those dear to them with their faces bathed in tears, to bestride their horses, to crush in his arms their daughters and wives.

                      Duas uncias in puncta mortalis est.

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                      • #12
                        Even if you love them, he has no workers in sight to make one.

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                        • #13
                          BTW it is Cracker's

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                          • #14
                            Actually, Theseus, I've already read that. But I don't think it says much about building a ton of workers...

                            Anyway, I played another ten turns. 100 years later, I've got 20 workers and two settlers (both on the way to southeastern city sites). Researching The Republic at 20%, 23 turns, 43 gold surplus.

                            My undefended city in the southeast (a prize from the Zulu peace treaty) was indeed sacked by barbs... three times. Lost a pop point and 17 gold. There are currently 8 Immortals cleaning up in the southeast; unfortunately the Babylonians stuck a city in the far corner. Maybe I'll be able to flip it with temples.

                            Sent a stack of 20 immortals to take Ulundi and Hlobane from the Zulus; lost one unit. Zulus have two cities left.

                            F11 tells me I'm ranked first in land area, approval rating, and annual income. Persepolis is #1 in the world with the Colossus and Great Lighthouse. I've surpassed Egypt by five points, according to the histograph.
                            Attached Files

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                            • #15
                              New acquisitions:
                              Attached Files

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