OK lets here about those strategies!

[Achnor]

I find civ3 very different from civ2 come to strategy. Civ2 was childishly easy, build settlers and settlers and settlers. Science science science and then when you have democracy before the others, get those 1000 income per turn and buy every city with spies...

Then comes civ3 and ruins everything :-)
First, settlers costs population.
Science is slow in Despotism (Maybe it's not but it feels that way)
Much much more difficult...I had no trouble beating deity in civ2 and now I'm struggling with regent :-D

This is my best plan yet, please comment and give me your own strategies:
Start as french civ or something which can give you a tech with Wonders.
Research Litterature (32 rounds!?)
Build first city and produce warrior and then settler.
Found second city.
While researching like mad on Litterature you start building a wonder (ex. Pyramids) in the first city, use worker from second city to mine around your capitol, boosting shield-production, and when you made it to litterature, change to The Great Library.
When it is built, drop science to nil, and sit and wait while the others do the science for you while you build up your cities/military.
When you get close to Education (Which makes TGL obsolete) start pounding other cities, go max on science and ... well... thats really how far I've come :-)

I can't think of a better start than this, what do you think?

Achnor

[Monoriu]

I don't think its a good idea to build wonders so early on.

During the ancient age my most important goal was to win the land grab race. So the first few cities were crucial in producing settlers, particularly the first two. If I build a wonder so early on, those cities would essentially be shut off for probably 40-60 turns, which could alternatively be used to produce at least 2-3 settlers. Given the speed the AI grabs land, producing settlers is the most important task.

Another reason is, now that there is almost no way to rush a wonder, beyond the fake build palace strategy, the AI would most likely beat me to producing an ancient wonder.

About the specific wonders: pyramids is an advantage if you start on a standard or larger map and start on the largest continent. But its effects can be replaced. Besides, my cities usually reach size 6 before I build any granaries anyway. Bottom line is, its nice to have, but its not worth it to invest in it.

Great library. It will be obsolute very soon after its discovered. Again, its nice to have, or at least to deny it from the AI, but its also not worth it.

[Achnor]

I disagree but maybe I should try playing on a more difficult level :-)

1) The great library. Yes, it only lasts for a "short" period of time but in that period techs are very expensive. And with no research (because of TGL) you get a nice cash-in flow you can use to hurry units/buildings in republic.

2) The Pyramids. Very useful in civ2 but not here. Usually my cities reach size 6 looong before I can build aquaducts and hence it's no point in rushing city-size.

I've found that building settlers en mass doesn't work for me. The other civ's make all the good wonders so early so you have to direct production from expansion to wonders.

I think it fantastic how changed civ3 is from civ2. The game is basically the same but with different fundamental rules which requires you to develop new strategies. Kudos to Sid and Firaxis.

Ok, I'll try now with the expansion-method :-)

Achnor

[Monoriu]

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree

The game is about choice. Do you want to build 2 not-so-useful-and-most-likely-won't-get-it wonders instead of building a few more cities which will likely pump out military units and science till the end of the game? The choice is yours. I choose cities

Oh BTW I am playing on the Regent level (for now).

[MaSsConFUsi0n]

remember that in order for you to reap the benefits of the great library, you must be in CONTACT with 2 civs that have the same tech that you don't. i remember sitting and waiting for those techs to roll on in but i didn't get any... then i asked those stupid zulus for communications and BAM, i got like 5 techs...

MaSsConFUsi0n

[morb]

The city siege tactic.

Since leaving slow moving units around cities can be detrimental to their health, I use a mix of fast (at least movement 2) units and slow units when sieging. This used to happen much more in Civ2 and SMAC than Civ3, but it still happnes. If a sieged city has strong offencive units garrisoned within, they may lash out at your offencive units in squars adjecent to the city at the very least damaging them and at the worst not even giving them a fighting chance (which is my bigest tactical concern ).

So:

1) move all units and park them 2 squares away from the city/town; turn.

2) move to strike with your fast units, if the city has no other fast units garrisoned and if they are attacking form level turrain, they will usualy escape if damaged to red; move your slow units to within 1 square; turn (since the city under siege likely lost many units or they became damaged, they are not likely to lash out from the city at your weaker defending, slow moving, attack units).

3)do them in with everything you've got.



Its probably an old trick. It works for me almost all the time.

[dopplex]

When the AI has a low culture city placed right next to a resource that you want (Maybe it just beat you there...) place a city on the other side of the resource(Just out of the AI sphere of cultural influence.. The only way you can control a square immediately next to an AI city seems to be also being immediately next to that square, and havign a higher culture than the AI city..) and then rush build a few cultural structures to make your city take over the special resource squares. As a bonus, you get a good chance of a cultural take over of the original AI city.
Of course, I've only really used this on Chieftain and Warlord (Gradually building up the courage to try some harder levels), so it may not work at higher difficulties.. (Well, it ought to WORK, it's just that the AI may prevent it...)

[Executor]

Start wars early and often. Attack your weakest rivals at first to build up your city count, but move on to stronger foes once you have a sizeable army. Especially target technologically advanced civs. Worked great for me. On Regent, I own slightly more than half of the cities on a 180x180 map, having eliminated 7 of 16 starting civs.

[Barry Brenesal]

Originally posted by Achnor
I disagree but maybe I should try playing on a more difficult level :-)

1) The great library. Yes, it only lasts for a "short" period of time but in that period techs are very expensive. And with no research (because of TGL) you get a nice cash-in flow you can use to hurry units/buildings in republic.

2) The Pyramids. Very useful in civ2 but not here. Usually my cities reach size 6 looong before I can build aquaducts and hence it's no point in rushing city-size.

I agree with what you've written about The Great Library, but disagree about the Pyramids. Sure, there's no direct benefit from having The Pyramids; but there are two excellent indirect benefits.

First, because your villages grow quicker, you can churn out settlers and workers faster. This gives you the advantage in expansion.

Secondly, it adds a hell of a lot to your culture rating, both in that city and for your civilization. The reactions of other civs are more respectful, you have a greater chance of converting neighboring foreign cities, and you might even win a culture game.