Civ 3 is tooo easy.

[markusf]

On a large map with 16 civs.
In deposition crank out settars and sacrifice workers to build temples and other improvements. This will create large amounts of culture early on.

Research until republic then go and set your science rate to 0% for the rest of the game and cash at 100%. Save up cash and buy a tech from the leader and then sell it to 14 other civs. You make about 10 times your money back. While you are doing this build up a army of knights or cavelry (30 or so units) Then rush a big civ and take it over in 2 or 3 turns. Do this repeatably until there are no civs left. If you have bombers build 20 of them and about 20 tanks and 10 fighters. Send in the fighters first, then the bombers, then the tanks. The tanks will just roll over all the defenders because they only have 1 hit point left. You can take 5 to 8 cities a turn doing this.

[Ecthy]

which difficulty level were you playing on?

[Freeze]

Sad but true.

[Dale]

Why bother wasting money on buying the techs in the first place? Get the Great Library and sit back 'n wait for the AI to research the techs (2 known civs need it). Then sell it the next turn to all the other AI's.

[Isle]

Great library is obsolete to quickly, btw beyond regent you cant expect to complete ancient wonders before the AI. In other word: "dont waste your time on them" Build temples and libraries..

I dont get the point of buying the techs, given enough culture they will give it to you. And you win anyway since everybody votes for you. (I only have monach/emperor experience)

[markusf]

Originally posted by Isle
Great library is obsolete to quickly, btw beyond regent you cant expect to complete ancient wonders before the AI. In other word: "dont waste your time on them" Build temples and libraries..

I dont get the point of buying the techs, given enough culture they will give it to you. And you win anyway since everybody votes for you. (I only have monach/emperor experience)

100% cash, because its a total waste to research.... and they won't give you any tech if you don't have anything to trade for it.

[War4ever]

not only that markus....but suing for peace will grab you cash and techs.... and even cities......

if you knock a civ out of the game they reappear..... immediately contact them and sue for peace..... they will give you their workers, techs, and gold....and they come back in with 100g

its a joke really...

[DrFell]

Surely it can't be as easy as civ2? Anyway multiplay is the only challenge.

[zapperio]

Find it easy? Play with different settings...that *is* what they are there for.


Zap

[Blaupanzer]

markusf, go to deity (Republic is more of a hassle there, although your dismissal of research indicates you may already be there) and fewer civs on your large map. Then, you'll get a chance to admire Firaxis' great programming for the AI. This "greater than 8 civs" stuff was a last minute add-on, and does not appear to be properly balanced. However, at the level of the design (8 civs), the game is a challenge, especially for world conquerors.

[markusf]

Originally posted by Blaupanzer
markusf, go to deity (Republic is more of a hassle there, although your dismissal of research indicates you may already be there) and fewer civs on your large map. Then, you'll get a chance to admire Firaxis' great programming for the AI. This "greater than 8 civs" stuff was a last minute add-on, and does not appear to be properly balanced. However, at the level of the design (8 civs), the game is a challenge, especially for world conquerors.

Same thing... you go all war then. Play as the persians, their unique unit is unstopable. I played with fewer civs and it is much of the same. The only difference is when attacking a civ with 50 cities is you lose half your army to rebellion. Very annoying. THE AI is really nothing special in this game, its like civ2 except you can't kill a stack of units with one unit, so it looks more impressive. Build city walls and watch them move thier units around your cities, and all you have to do is pick them off one by one.

[War4ever]

yup..... you can set up a killing zone of ai troops easily in this game.... they keep wandering around aimlesly and then boom you drop your barage on them...

on large maps i just raze the majority of ai ciities far away from my core ones...i will usually keep the capital and a couple of others towards my area ...build the FP and start alll over....

alot of tactics from civ2 work in civ3 and the ai isn't really that powerfull if you thump them early enough..kinda scares all of em.....

persian immortal is stroooooong with the force..... but there are other units which are nice to use as well

[player1]

I usually at start put researsh to 10% to get advances in 32 turns, then rush to Monarchy (since AIs don't research in that direction).
When I get Monarchy & Handing Gradens (first) I already bought all other techs for excess money 90% tax.

Later in the game I am in tech lead & sell tech to all other civs.
(dicovering techs in 4 turns)

[Smash]

I agree that,while slightly improved,the ai still can't fight.I have yet to see anything "clever" from it.And I think it is more a change in game rules than anything else.Like no ZoC for one.
They send units in larger groups but there is no tactics.Not that I can see.I notice they seem to hang on to large numbers of supposedly obsolete units.They build tons of boats...but there is little to no use for them on these smallish worlds of civ3.Especially empty boats..I still see lots of those.
I attacked the Persians once with swords.They had iron but I only saw 1 immortal...
I launch an attack on France.2 turns later with their capitol beseiged...they start a wonder there.Good thinkin

swords and later knights is all you should need to control the map.Which is good I spose since anything much more modern and you get "funny" battle outcomes.
erects statue commemorating the glorious German galley that sank my aircraft carrier

[Monoriu]

I agree that the more civs in game, the easier it becomes.

Want a challenge?

I suggest:

Deity level
Max barbarian settings
Huge Map
Large land mass
Continent Map
ONE civ as opponent: Romans or Greeks
Spaceship victory only.