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Hi there,
Since some other players use chess names for their strategies, I thought I would do the same. This strategy is for playing on Emperor with roaming barbs and absolutely random settings. Standard map size. I play every starting position therefore I know that my strategy works. Sometimes things are difficult but there are ways to play.
This strategy works best with the Babylonians. You need cheap temples and libraries very much. I tried other races but no one is as good as they. Aside from the fact that you get a free tech in every era and you have no anarchy when you change goverments, the cheap and therefore early temples/libraries will make you the absolute cultural leader.
I call it orthodox because at the beggining you play normally building warrior, warrior till you are ready for your first settler. Then you build temple. In your new cities you build temples first, then barracks etc. Also, you research alphabet/writing and you aim at literature; the sooner the better. Then you build libraries. The idea is to have superior culture. If you look at the culture screen (F5) some thousand years later you will get an idea of the owesome culture value of early temples (and libraries).
There are some things that you can do with a superior culture that would be impossible otherwise. Suppose there is a luxury on the borderline. Unfortunately someone else got there first. Don't worry, build a settler and found a city one tile away. Usually luxuries exist on several adjacent tiles therefore you will find a way to put the city in such a way that you will control some of them. Even one will do. Build a temple a.s.a.p. and then a library and there are good chances that the enemy town will defect. In any case case your town won't defect and you will have the "luxury".
Another thing you can do when you have a superior culture; when at war you have the luxury of keeping every city you capture. You don't have to raze it as you would otherwise. This is of great benefit.
One problem is that for some time you will be very weak militarily. This is simple mathematics, you built temples/libraries where others have built military units. During this period it is important to avoid war at all costs. I know that some people get pissed off with the AI demanding tribute etc. I on the other hand am quite glad when they ask me to give them something, because the way it's programmed when you give tribute you get another 20 turns of peace with that particular civilization. I even go so far as to give them tribute without asking. The worst thing that can happen to you is a surprise attack. So, don't be completely unprepared. Build some barracks at least and some military units.
Now- Important- If you somehow manage to build more than 12 good cities you don't need to go to war. Twelve cities are enough to win a space race victory on a standard map. Plus you will win a couple of cities by your superior culture. Just keep building cities one tile away from enemy ones and some of them will surely defect.
If on the other hand you have no space for more than say 5-6 then you have to start building temporary cities. Temporary cities are the ones you make with no intention of keeping once the war is over. You just build a barracks and possibly a temple and then you use then for building (rushbuilding) military units.
When you will start the war depends on many things, what is the enemy's special unit, how many units you need to be considered ready, technologies you need to build the units you want to and of course what kind of resourses you and the enemy have. I played a game as the Persians where I had neither iron nor horses. Needless to say I didn't attack. I played peacefully throughout the game till the discovery of tanks. I got no less than 5 cities from the Zulu though, by my superior culture.
When you actually start the war one very simple thing you can do is to buy an ally. Usually you will be on a continent with more than one other civ. Ask some other comp. player to attack your enemy. If they ask for money, give them.
Another simple thing is to have settlers ready. Sometimes your ally will raze cities. Be ready to fill the space with a city of your own. I once had the Persians and the Zulu fighting each other and razing cities while I was building cities on the now free land.
Use defensive units on the battlefield. Form a wall with spearmen or pikemen and the AI will try to go around your units. In other words you can lead the opponent's troops where you want by using defensive units. In some situations you can completely encircle an enemy stack with defensive units. Ideally you can encircle a stack of cavalry/infantry with your own infantries. It can be done with pikemen against horsemen, impies and even knights. The knight's attack is better than the pikeman's defense of course but, first your pikemen will be fortified and second the pikemen are a lot cheaper. Ok, this can be done in certain situations only. Just have it in mind.
The future of the game depends very much on the outcome of the war. I have to say here that I don't like this very much... Anyway, if you win a major victory and you manage to get space enough for 20 cities, then the game is over. You will play builder from then on and you will surely win the space race. Don't forget the Theory of evolution wonder
Also, the trick of selling technologies to the second best civilization. In my last game I completed the spaceship while all others haven't built a single spaceship part yet.
Since some other players use chess names for their strategies, I thought I would do the same. This strategy is for playing on Emperor with roaming barbs and absolutely random settings. Standard map size. I play every starting position therefore I know that my strategy works. Sometimes things are difficult but there are ways to play.
This strategy works best with the Babylonians. You need cheap temples and libraries very much. I tried other races but no one is as good as they. Aside from the fact that you get a free tech in every era and you have no anarchy when you change goverments, the cheap and therefore early temples/libraries will make you the absolute cultural leader.
I call it orthodox because at the beggining you play normally building warrior, warrior till you are ready for your first settler. Then you build temple. In your new cities you build temples first, then barracks etc. Also, you research alphabet/writing and you aim at literature; the sooner the better. Then you build libraries. The idea is to have superior culture. If you look at the culture screen (F5) some thousand years later you will get an idea of the owesome culture value of early temples (and libraries).
There are some things that you can do with a superior culture that would be impossible otherwise. Suppose there is a luxury on the borderline. Unfortunately someone else got there first. Don't worry, build a settler and found a city one tile away. Usually luxuries exist on several adjacent tiles therefore you will find a way to put the city in such a way that you will control some of them. Even one will do. Build a temple a.s.a.p. and then a library and there are good chances that the enemy town will defect. In any case case your town won't defect and you will have the "luxury".
Another thing you can do when you have a superior culture; when at war you have the luxury of keeping every city you capture. You don't have to raze it as you would otherwise. This is of great benefit.
One problem is that for some time you will be very weak militarily. This is simple mathematics, you built temples/libraries where others have built military units. During this period it is important to avoid war at all costs. I know that some people get pissed off with the AI demanding tribute etc. I on the other hand am quite glad when they ask me to give them something, because the way it's programmed when you give tribute you get another 20 turns of peace with that particular civilization. I even go so far as to give them tribute without asking. The worst thing that can happen to you is a surprise attack. So, don't be completely unprepared. Build some barracks at least and some military units.
Now- Important- If you somehow manage to build more than 12 good cities you don't need to go to war. Twelve cities are enough to win a space race victory on a standard map. Plus you will win a couple of cities by your superior culture. Just keep building cities one tile away from enemy ones and some of them will surely defect.
If on the other hand you have no space for more than say 5-6 then you have to start building temporary cities. Temporary cities are the ones you make with no intention of keeping once the war is over. You just build a barracks and possibly a temple and then you use then for building (rushbuilding) military units.
When you will start the war depends on many things, what is the enemy's special unit, how many units you need to be considered ready, technologies you need to build the units you want to and of course what kind of resourses you and the enemy have. I played a game as the Persians where I had neither iron nor horses. Needless to say I didn't attack. I played peacefully throughout the game till the discovery of tanks. I got no less than 5 cities from the Zulu though, by my superior culture.
When you actually start the war one very simple thing you can do is to buy an ally. Usually you will be on a continent with more than one other civ. Ask some other comp. player to attack your enemy. If they ask for money, give them.
Another simple thing is to have settlers ready. Sometimes your ally will raze cities. Be ready to fill the space with a city of your own. I once had the Persians and the Zulu fighting each other and razing cities while I was building cities on the now free land.
Use defensive units on the battlefield. Form a wall with spearmen or pikemen and the AI will try to go around your units. In other words you can lead the opponent's troops where you want by using defensive units. In some situations you can completely encircle an enemy stack with defensive units. Ideally you can encircle a stack of cavalry/infantry with your own infantries. It can be done with pikemen against horsemen, impies and even knights. The knight's attack is better than the pikeman's defense of course but, first your pikemen will be fortified and second the pikemen are a lot cheaper. Ok, this can be done in certain situations only. Just have it in mind.
The future of the game depends very much on the outcome of the war. I have to say here that I don't like this very much... Anyway, if you win a major victory and you manage to get space enough for 20 cities, then the game is over. You will play builder from then on and you will surely win the space race. Don't forget the Theory of evolution wonder
Also, the trick of selling technologies to the second best civilization. In my last game I completed the spaceship while all others haven't built a single spaceship part yet.
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