I need help/suggestions (me = n00b)

[urusai]

Alright, although I've been playing for quite some time I still consider myself a n00b. I haven't had the opportunity to play Civ 1 or 2, or any other Sid Meier game for that matter, so this could explain why I feel like such a n00b when it comes to some things. Anyway, let me set some background.

Now, at first I played the Egyptians because the industrious/religious aspects were attractive. I had decided that because the comp likes to overwhelm you with massive amounts of units that it would be better to play a pacifist and win purely by culture. That eventually got me in to a huge crap storm though as I had foolishly signed a mutual protection pact with some of my neighbors, and from there it pretty much crumbled into a world war.

Now I'm trying out Aztecs mainly because of their UU. In the current game I'm playing I have the English, French, Germans, and Romans as my neighbors. The French started out sandwhiched between the English and I on the same continent, with Germany and Rome on a seperate continent to the east.

After reading through much of the strats posted by Velociryx and co. on the Aztec civ, I decided to put some of those tactics in motion. I've had tremendous success using the jags to 'prune' the French civ. So much so that I forced them to restart on the eastern part of the continent. Now I have them cornered and they are unable to expand, with about 4-5 cities to themselves.

While all this is happening I start producing units so that I may start the pruning process on the English. So I make war with them a couple of times, but nothing real major. By this time the French are contained on the eastern part of the continent so of course I start to concentrate my efforts on the English. By this time I have knights, musketmen, with research for cavalry units well on the way.

Eventually the English decide it might be funny to send a massive hoarde of horsemen to one of my border cities (we're talkin a good 15-20 units here). All of which I held off with knights and musketmen. I got them on the run and just as they started running I believe research for cavalry units had been completed. So to make them pay I amass a force of cavalry and I start to prune the outer edges of their cities. I take a good 5-6 cities and eventually it leads to where I am now.

So, if I haven't bored you yet and you haven't hit the back button, here's where I need the help/advice from the enlightened ones.

First of all, Germany seems to be threatening me out of horses. Should I give in to his demands or should I tell him to screw off seeing as how he's on another continent? Germany has established a few cities on the continent that the English and I are on, but nothing major (about 3 cities).

Second, is there any type of strategy I should use when attacking the English? I usually just amass a huge amount of cavalry and go through their front borders with guns blazing, doing as much damage as I can before having to retreat. I'm not too sure how many times I've declared war on the English, but I'd estimate about 4 or 5. Each time, though, I found it increasingly harder to get an audience to establih peace. If I am going to make a final attack to get them under my belt, I want it to be precise and do as much damage as I can before I re-establish peace. I'll post a link to my save. Any help is greatly appreciated.

http://home.hawaii.rr.com/urusai/aztecattack.SAV

[Nym]

Re: I need help/suggestions (me = n00b)

Originally posted by urusai
First of all, Germany seems to be threatening me out of horses. Should I give in to his demands or should I tell him to screw off seeing as how he's on another continent? Germany has established a few cities on the continent that the English and I are on, but nothing major (about 3 cities).

As their main cities are on another continent, I would say: refuse him it. AI is not good to conduct overseas attacks. Furthermore it seems not to have strong attack units as it does not have horses. This situation should be maintained.

[Jethro83]

Re: I need help/suggestions (me = n00b)

Originally posted by urusai
Now, at first I played the Egyptians because the industrious/religious aspects were attractive. I had decided that because the comp likes to overwhelm you with massive amounts of units that it would be better to play a pacifist and win purely by culture. That eventually got me in to a huge crap storm though as I had foolishly signed a mutual protection pact with some of my neighbors, and from there it pretty much crumbled into a world war.

I've never found the peaceful builder approach to work at all. On harder levels, the AI just gets too far ahead with technology. Wait until you have infrastructure in place, and everyone else held by the throat before building up (circa Industrial Age).

Second, is there any type of strategy I should use when attacking the English? I usually just amass a huge amount of cavalry and go through their front borders with guns blazing, doing as much damage as I can before having to retreat. I'm not too sure how many times I've declared war on the English, but I'd estimate about 4 or 5. Each time, though, I found it increasingly harder to get an audience to establih peace. If I am going to make a final attack to get them under my belt, I want it to be precise and do as much damage as I can before I re-establish peace. I'll post a link to my save. Any help is greatly appreciated.

That works, but I've found it to be terrible in terms of losses, since cavalry (unless you're the Russians) don't have a good defensive value. Use of combined arms is the best option. Hold your cavalry back with your muskets/riflemen, so those can provide cover while you advance toward their cities. If resources allow, use cannons/artillery to soften up defenses when you get to the outskirts of their cities. Especially if those cities are size 7 or more, since you can use your artillery units to reduce the population to a less defensible figure, and possibly knock out their critical structures (eg. barracks... unless they have Sun Tzu's AoW).

[Laertes]

Some additional tips:

- try and attack at more than one point
- try not to attack the obvious places, the AI usually defend s these well, try and sneak around the back
- try and attack resources - send cav in to cut roads off around saltpetre etc, and to stop reinforcements coming to the front.

[sugar daddy]

I would advise you to trade horses to ze germans. Get them to declare war on the english in return, or if they already are at war, they will do more damage to your common enemy England.
As for attacking strategies, go for their strategic resources like Fergus says, then attack in force and watch their quality units dwindle away. Unlike Fergus though, I prefer to attack the 'obvious' places first. They are toughest, but you reduce the enemies forces drasticly and that makes them much more humble in negotiations and less of a threat to your advancing army(and your reinforcements.

[planetfall]

Depending on resources available, it is often useful to create sucker bait city. Move a force into a position England will hate, like a key strategic resource. If no strategic resource available, find a luxury. Just be sure one of the 9 city tiles is over the resource. You either want to place your city on a hill, or if possible across water of where you expect Egyptian attack. First 2 builds of city are: 1) barracks, 2) walls. You may want to hurry production. Don't make this city sole attack, just have as bait for English attack. Inside city have:
a) 5-10 cannon/artillery
b) 5-10 musketmen
c) 2-3 calvary

The way this works is the English won't like losing a resource and a small city seems too easy to take. Use field pieces to remove HP's. Once turn red, if stack you can use musketmen to remove pieces. For last piece use calvary as they can attack, remove enemy AND return to base in the same move. They are protected by base. You will lose HP in calvary so need barracks to rebuild. Only if the English get infantry will you have problems.

Variant of strategy is to use a stack of field pieces, musketmen and calvary. But for this to really work you would need Battlefield Meds as you need to either shuffle in/out calvary or rest to restore HP's. This variant gives you a slightly mobile "city". Useful for using same forces to deny access to multiple resources.

I have not found calvary to be effective by themselves without muskets or some other pieces to absorb counter strikes.

Don't worry about civ3 being first civ game, it was mine also, but with the help of the forum you can definitely improve play faster than trying to just play and read the manual.

[Arrian]

I would back your Cavalry up with your best defensive unit (musketman... rifleman). It will slow them down, but you won't lose as many to counterattacks. Crush the English totally. Take away their resources, luxury and strategic.

Don't give in to the mean, nasty, demanding Bismarck man. Refuse. You may want to sell him horses, but there's no reason I can think of (besides crippling war weariness, which you didn't mention) to give in to him.

-Arrian

[urusai]

Okay, here's a little update in on my situation.

A lot of turns later, Germany has completely destroyed Rome, with Rome only having 3 cities on the continent the English and I are on. I'm almost done researching the tech that gives ou tanks, so I figure I'll start my attack on the English soon (when I posted this I had just made peace with the English). Also, would making a 'border patrol' be a good idea? What I mean is, because England has a city well behind my borders, they often try to cross my territory so that they can bring in military units/settlers in an attempt to culture bombard me (I'm guessing.) So to prevent them from coming into my territory which by the way makes me feel really uneasy, would this be a good idea? I can't tell her to GTFO or she'll declare war on me, something of which I'm not ready to handle just yet. Any help appreciated.

Oh, and one more question. Does razing cities make other civs look down upon you/become more irritated with you? I remember getting Germany to polite once, but after razing a few cities he wen't back down to annoyed.

[Theseus]

Yeah, razing damages your rep. I'm not sure if it is specific to the "razee," or just general.

As to your situation with the English: prepare yourself well to let slip the dogs of war. Liz' troops are in your territory? Good, just make sure they are in killzones. Garrison and fortify any high ground. Have LOTS of artillery, it's a lifesaver. Pull your Workers back from the front, except for
some slave who will be used as bait. make sure you have barracks wherever appropriate. When you're ready, if possible, start the war by placing Tanks on a threating mountain site, and refuse to leave. But do NOT attack... let her take the free shot at your chin. Then... party time, battalion style.

Re: Germany - Never help Bismarcky. He is the Civ3 equivalent of Hussein or Qaddafi. Shoot on sight. We should all make a pact, and sign in German blood.

[Thrawn05]

I'd say the same as theseus, make some forts, and dot them around where the troops are going back and forth. I would try to surround that english city within your land with defensive land units. This sometimes helps in preventing the AI from making it in or out, however, the AI will eventualy attack one of your units, and could start a war too early for you.

Originally posted by Theseus
Re: Germany - Never help Bismarcky. He is the Civ3 equivalent of Hussein or Qaddafi. Shoot on sight. We should all make a pact, and sign in German blood.

I disagree. I find Germany one of the best allies in the game, only because of their late UU Panzer. Since I play Rome a lot, my time to shine ends by the middle ages. I usualy kiss Bismarck's feet to keep him as an ally.

BTW, you researched tanks? I suggest that you let Bismarck shine a little.