Do you play peacfull, or Warmonger?

[Melboz99]

Just wondering everybodys style of play. I have tried regent and monorch, and lost big. I was trying to attack early, but I never realized 8 swordsmen can't beat 2 spearmen. Anyway, how do you play? And if warmonger, how early do you attack?

[Arrian]

I tend to play a hybrid of the two, leaning toward peaceful. I almost never fight in ancient times, as I have more important things to do (improvements to build).

I like fighting during the middle ages. More often than not, one of the AI's will pick a fight with me. If no one does... well, I may have to be the aggressor.

---

I know lots of people like swordsmen, but I think they suck. If you are gonna use them, bring some catapults or something. Otherwise, use horsemen. They can retreat and they can upgrade.

If you get attacked, the AI will move its offensive troops toward your weakest point (the AI knows where your troops are). This gives you the opportunity to destroy his offensive capability. Do so, and then counterattack. Of course, it isn't always this easy... if you are playing a peaceful style early on, you may not have the troops available to stop the initial wave of attackers.

If you do the attacking, then take one border city and wait for the counterattack. They will send it all. Once again, destroy their army, and then proceed to mop them up. Trust me, mobile troops are the best. If you want to do early fighting, I strongly suggest the Iroquois. The Persians are good too, even though their UU is a 1-move guy, because a 4 attack early on is awesome.

-Arrian

[DrFell]

Lots of war, generally. Early on plan out the early war, then build up, whilst fighting the second war. Then fight more wars. All I do is fight in my games it seems, more entertaining than sitting around building temples I think

[steelehc]

I don't mind war myself, but I usually won't start one until I can field modern armies: modern armor, mech infantry, and radar artillery. These are an awesome combination.

Steele

[godinex]

Peacefully, I prefer the defense strategy.

[KithrupFugitive]

Originally posted by Arrian
I tend to play a hybrid of the two, leaning toward peaceful. I almost never fight in ancient times, as I have more important things to do (improvements to build).

Ditto, though not with the same degree of success as Arrian

[Arrian]

Originally posted by KithrupFugitive

Ditto, though not with the same degree of success as Arrian

Hah! I don't always win, Kithrup. An early AI rush will beat me, handily. That's why I hate starting near Bismarck or Abe. Either one of them will slit your throat before you know it.

I also realized, very early on, that starting position is absolutely crucial in Civ III, far more so than in Civ II. Therefore, I restart a LOT, searching for a good site, prior to playing a game out. I just don't want to waste time on a poor location. That, of course, helps make my games more successful than someone who just takes what they get upon starting a new game.

-Arrian

[Dom Pedro II]

Well, my strategy usually depends on what type of a world I'm on. 75% of the time, I play on a mostly-water island world, so I'm usually alone on an island or with another civilization that usually ends up making trouble with me rather early on and is usually gone very quickly (or I am, but I give up those games ).

Alone on my island with lots of sea acting as a buffer zone, I usually get pretty fat and lazy in a climate of decadence and complacency. I build my improvements, and wonders, and I send my ships out to scout for nearby uninhabited baby islands. I let my cities go without updated defenders or many troops or attack forces. In these games, its all about going for Cultural, Diplomatic, or AC victory. Or at the very least go island-hopping when you've got better weapons for the job.

On a Pangea or Continental map its a totally different experience. When I'm playing with five or six other civilizations on the same continent, I'm paranoid like a frightened lemur. I build up, build up, build up for defense purposes. You're friends usually aren't friends for long. Quick! Get the cavalry out! Go! Go! We haven't got any cavalry? Send the donkeys! Go! No donkeys? Pots and pans! Just start throwing the pots and pans!

Wars just seem much more frequent on Pangea games. In the last two Pangea games I played, I did not go more than 10 turns without at least an isolated war breaking out. Usually, one war precipitates the next. For example, the Russians surprise attacked me (India). England signed an alliance with me, and wiped out the Russians, but I sued for peace with Russia for a plentiful reward before they were destroyed which ticked off Elizabeth. She, in turn, declared war on me later on. I got France and Germany to enter on my side. Egypt jumped in next. I took what I wanted from England, and the rest of the powers betrayed me and made peace... so I did too. Then they started up again and wiped out the English.

I'm a nice guy, so I find it hard to instigate war with a peaceful or honorable civilization. There are those few small civs that just don't seem to bother anybody, and they're ripe for the picking, but I just don't have the will to kill them off. Now, one of those civilizations that comes along like Johnny Appleseed planting a city everywhere and anywhere (especially in what I have claimed as my living space)... now those fellas become my "special" friends. Peaceful or not, I usually think those folks have got it coming to them, and I'm usually not shy about beating them up. Also untrustworthy or aggressive civs usually receive no pity from me. Once a civilization is on my bad side though, that's when I get ruthless! Anything and everything to WIN!!

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Dom Pedro II

Quick! Get the cavalry out! Go! Go! We haven't got any cavalry? Send the donkeys! Go! No donkeys? Pots and pans! Just start throwing the pots and pans!

That reminds me rather strongly of a guy named Eddie Izzard. ("Get the Tanks out there! We haven't got any Tanks? Ok, then, get the Ice Cream Van out there! Kill!")

But anyway...

You are absolutely right that world type matters... we should probably mention what we settings we use. 90% of the time I play on the default settings (Normal, Continents, 70% water, Temperate, Normal, 4 Billion).

-Arrian

[Rotten999]

I can't get peaceful to work. The AI makes ridiculous demands or sneak attacks everytime, it seems. If there's going to be wasteful wars anyway, they should happen on my terms at least.

Early conquest seems neccessary for just about any strategy. Small civs get buried, and it's rare you get enough room at the start to grow peacefully. Of course you could just decrease the number of opponents...

Swordsmen pretty much dominate their era, btw. Retreat isn't as reliable as it once was, and I for one like that change.

[Qilue]

I'm usually very peaceful, honourable and helpful towards other civs.

That is until one of them wants a war. Then I turn into a bloodthirsty savage razing and pillaging anything and everything that's in the path of my armies.

[Melboz99]

does peacfull work on higher levels?

I was wondering if the game is beatable by say spaceship on Empereor or Diety with peacefull. I tried warmonger on Monarch and got my tail wooped. Would it be easeier or harder by playing peacefull?

Right now I'm playing warlord to get used to the AI, playing styles. After this game I will try regent. I will probably play as Egyption. I would play on the earth map, but there are too many barbs, anything I can do about that?

Anyway my current game is going great except for 100(yes, over a hundred) Pikemen, Spearmen, Infantry, Cossacks, and swordsman on my doorstep.. I have about 75 bombers and 50 rifelmen in the defending city. The war started when I noticed a nearby Russian city has the only rubber on the continent. But anyway, I played peacefull until early 1800's now at war in mid 1800's. will the same strategy work on Regent? I'm not gonna play france again, and try the earth map with culture link.

Ideas? Tip's? Pointers?
Thanks for your posts!:-)

[Shaka II]

It sounds like you're playing on a larger map with that size forces. I generally play standard size map, 8 civs, continents, etc., although a Pangea game is fun once in a while (I think if you want to win by conquest, Pangea is easier). Once you get good at war, it is easier to win at the harder levels. I like a mix of war and peace.

Even in a peaceful game, I choose the right time to make a strategic war. Last game, I played as Greeks, Pangea, standard size map, Emperor, situated between Japan and Germany. I defended against Japan with hoplites early, caved in to AI demands to stay out of war, bought my technology, built up and attacked Japan when they were weakened by wars (captured Sistene/ Bachs/Trading Company/Shakespeare), made peace, kept building, turned science on full and on to space victory ~1754AD.

I have not tried Deity "peaceful"/builder yet. That would be tough.

[Biggles]

I have discovered the Persions.
I go straight for the discoveries to build Immortals.
Then every city will churn them out.

I wipe out any other Civ on my Continent.
Then I go back to being peaceful and aim for Democracy.

You can make the remaining Civs sweet by donating $! frequently to all of them, once they are talking to you again.

If anybody plonks down a city in one of my vacant tiles, I immediately destroy it.
Taking it over by culture is a waste of time. It will always be a useless city and my own city borders will eventually take over the tile.

Apart from that, I am all sweetness and light.

[Harovan]

If I'm lucky and can seize a decent area in the ancient era, I avoid to fight wars. But that happens seldom, because I tend to start between the expansionists England and Russia, and it often happens, that they steal with lots of "skilled settlers" all my resources. Thus, I often have to go for iron, horses or both.

I absolutely hate wars in the medieval era. There are such attractive wonders to build, I don't like to waste shields for a big army. I barely hold enough to defend my own land, there's nothing left for conquests. Sure, I could build lots of knights and conquer all the wonders, but they could be far away at another continent, and to ship lots of units with caravels is certainly not fun.

In the industrial era I usually have to fight, mostly for coal or oil. For some reason, I always have rubber. I try to limit these wars, but often they turn into world wars, due to MPPs and alliances.

In the Modern era it depends. If I left the Space race victory in, I rush for it and launch the ship. Meaning, I usually don't build/upgrade even Modern Armor, and I never built Radar artillery or Stealth aircraft. Sometimes I have to fight for uranium though. If I play without Space race, the invention of Motorized Transportation means, it's showdown. There's seldom more useful to build than Tanks or Panzers, and I let them roll.