Jeff Morris Strategy Guide at Avault

[SerapisIV]

Here's a doc with all eras and overall strategy

[Mannamagnus]

Did anyone get industrial?

[Mannamagnus]

Industrial. Viva Serapis!

Industrial:

The Industrial Era is ultimately one of conflict, which is why I love it. It's an era of massive nations crashing into each other over strategic resources. Ancient Era wars are easily forgotten, but because of the military hardware available during these times, an Industrial Era war leaves indelible scars on an opponent. In my opinion, Civilization III is most thrilling when balanced, established, and stable civilizations begin to compete directly against one another. At no time is this more evident than in the Industrial Era.

In all likelihood, your first goal when entering the Industrial Era is Sanitation. If you stopped to smell the roses at all in the Middle Ages, you've probably got a few cities capped at population 12. By researching the Medicine and Sanitation advances you can build hospitals, which is the city improvement that permits unlimited growth--as long as you have the food. Even if you don't have a large number of population 12 cities, you soon will, so you may as well get these fundamental structures built sooner rather than later.

There aren't a lot of Wonders in the Industrial Era, but the ones it does have are very useful. The advances are expensive in this era, so the two free advances given with the construction of The Theory of Evolution are a treat. There is also the Hoover Dam Wonder, which bestows the relatively clean Hydro Plants continent wide. Espionage can enable the construction of the Intelligence Agency, which, not surprisingly, can change the tenor of a game dramatically.

When it comes to units, you've got quite an arsenal at your fingertips in the Industrial Era. My favorite units in this era are the Infantry. Unlike units in the Middle Ages, the advance that enables infantry also makes rubber available. There's little you can do to prepare for Infantry because it's typically based on city location.

Once Infantry comes onto the scene, bombardment units become even more important. Since two fortified Infantry in a metropolis is a very tough nut to crack, you frequently need to reduce that city's ability to function rather than capture it. Artillery is an extremely useful unit toward that end. It doesn't require a resource, it has decent ranged fire, and when it hits a city, it can destroy an improvement, reduce the population, or damage units.

Sometimes, if a city is too difficult to capture, it may benefit you to simply reduce the city to rubble. At the very least, the enemy won't be able to enjoy its full production, and if you pillage the surrounding trade networks, you can prevent them from reinforcing themselves. Don't forget that the naval units of the Industrial Era are some of the game's most effective bombardment units. Battleships and Destroyers are far more mobile than artillery, can't be captured, and have attack values in addition to their bombardment strength.

Another real highlight of the Industrial units is the introduction of Air Power. Beyond the infrastructure benefits of airlifting between cities and air trade networks, you begin to have access to bombers, fighters, and helicopters. Fighters are capable of minor harassment of ground units and improvements, but truly excel at providing combat air patrol over cities or units. Bombers are like artillery, but have significantly longer ranges and are invulnerable to most ground units. Helicopters can be loaded up like naval transports and then airdrop their units to any tile within their operational range. As the Eras advance, strategic resources become increasingly necessary, but with toys like these to play with, it's more than worth the trouble to secure them.

[Boliao]

Seraphis You are the Greatest man...I am in awe.......

[SerapisIV]

No biggie, you all would've done the same if you found it

[SerapisIV]

Avault
The equally useful Monotheism bestows the Cathedral, a very important element in expanding your territory and the first non-Temple happiness city improvement available

Something interesting, no more colliseums. Then what function do the collisseums we've seen in city-view screens do?

[Steve Clark]

I know I've seen the question before, but I forgot the answer. What do the "Ages" have to do with techs and wonders? I know we had the ancient-middle-industrial-modern grouping, but they were just there for flavor. Is the game forcing you from one Age to the next? Will I be able to make a bee-line straight up the tree to research only those techs needed for the Space Race? And for bloodlust games, maybe I just want to concentrate on those techs that give me the most powerful military units, regardless of year, age or whatever. I should be able to have my beloved Vet Knights in 2000 bc without having the game forcing me to wait, right?

[Mannamagnus]

I never thought I'd ever say this but .....


ELVIS LIVES!!!!

[SerapisIV]

Avault
Helicopters can be loaded up like naval transports and then airdrop their units to any tile within their operational range. As the Eras advance, strategic resources become increasingly necessary, but with toys like these to play with, it's more than worth the trouble to secure them

No attack helicopters, only transport choppers.

[SerapisIV]

Avault
Combat becomes exceedingly lethal in the Modern Era. Nuclear submarines enabled by Fusion and Tactical Nuclear Missiles enabled by Space Flight create a pretty potent one-two punch. These vessels are invisible except to other submarines and AEGIS Cruisers, so you can safely moor them off the shore of your rival. While they can only carry one missile at a time, a small wolf pack of four submarines can absolutely decimate important enemy cities. ICBMs are even more devastating. Enabled by Satellites, they can deliver a nuclear payload to any location on the globe

Subs only hold one missile now. No mention of MAD however, hopefully still in there. Destroyers can't see subs or no more destroyers?

Nuclear subs enabled by nuclear fusion? Ha!

[Mannamagnus]

Another critical advance in the Ancient Era is Construction, which is useful for enabling the building of the Aqueduct and Coliseum city improvements, as well as the Fortress.

Coliseums are still there.

[SerapisIV]

Avault
Occasionally, Integrated Defense can be an early priority if nuclear weapons are in play. To be honest, though, it's a better preventative measure than cure. Usually, if there are mushroom clouds sprouting across the globe, global warming will starve you and everyone else back into the Stone Age no matter what you do

Global Warming more sensitive and potent now? I guess there is no MAD, so you have to rush to Integrated Defense to get SDI.

[SerapisIV]

Originally posted by Mannamagnus
Coliseums are still there.

But they're not tied to happiness? Jeff says that cathedrals are the first non-temple happiness improvement. What other function could colisseums do now then?

[EnochF]

D'oh, they removed it!

But before they took the Modern strategy guide down, I managed to snag some important info, especially about the Spaceship.

The Spaceship is made up of ten components.

SS Cockpit (Space Flight)
SS Docking Bar (Space Flight)
SS Engine (Space Flight)
SS Exterior Casing (Synthetic Fibers)
SS Fuel Cells (Superconductor)
SS Life Support (Superconductor)
SS Planetary Party Lounge (Laser)
SS Stasis Chamber (Synthetic Fibers)
SS Storage Supply (Synthetic Fibers)
SS Thrusters (Satellites)

Other info:

Mass Transit and Solar Plant are both in the game. They come with the Ecology advance.

Interesting stuff

[izmircali]

SerapisIV: You are the MVP (Most Valued Poster). thanks!