Emperor depotism

[Theseus]

Without being overly self-congratulistic, I think we are some of the best Civ3 players out there... and I laugh that we are STILL figuring things out!

While I am not advocating total warmongering (especially with PTW), let me point out a progression:

* Vel: oscillating war
* Sir Ralph: Archer rushes
*Arrian: Worker buying (no more)
* A bunch of us: Warrior attacks (aka Warrior Bopping)

Now, properly patting myself on the back, I'll say this is all about "Winning Early."

The trick is knowing how to pull off these strats and when... Dominae is right, we've got to spell out the instincts we use, otherwise we'll just screw people up.

[vmxa1]

Aw go ahead and pat yourself on the back.

[Theseus]

You too...

[Arrian]

I will definitely go with an early reg archer if I'm China (industrious worker chopping forest = 1/2 the archer).

I tried this tactic again last night (me Japan). I was trying out a small map. India was to my SE, pretty close, and I had 3 reg warriors milling about. Unfortunately, their 1st settler team went to their SE, away from me. So, instead I simply stole the two workers they had improving terrain by Delhi. For my trouble (which included 2 or 3 dead warriors by the end, damnit), I got the workers, 2 techs and some gold. So it worked again.

Incidentally, I screwed that game up. I made a strategic error, and I KNEW IT at the time... and did it anyway. I have this habit of picking off weaker civs before going in for a tough fight, which is all well and good, but not if it results in too much time lost. I hit India again with swordsmen, and did well, it's just that a fair number of swords were in the far SE when I was forced to initiate my war vs. China in the N. Blah. I really could have used them. China had built the GW, and thus had a GA, and built the GL not to mention some horsemen. My worst nightmare... the AI using horsemen. Anyway, my offensive bogged down, though I did get 1 leader.

Then I was dealt the final blow: I had rushed, VERY optomistically, my FP in the very last Chinese city I took. I saw glory in my mind, as I envisioned my eventual conquest of China and France, with my shiny new FP perfectly centered... and then the city flipped back to China. I nodded, recognizing I had taken a foolish risk, and quit. Beaten like a rented mule.

-Arrian

[Dominae]

Hm, after re-reading my last post this morning, it seems that I got a little more....agitated than I usually like to on a public forum. Thanks Theseus for putting the whole thing into perspective. I guess RL creeps into our 'Poly posts from time to time.

I appear to have missed the entire "China is a great civ for early-warmongering" phase you guys underwent this summer. Sounds like a fine project to get me off recent obsession with OCC...


Dominae

[Arrian]

Agitated? I missed that. I just thought you were trying to make a point.

China is the best civ for an early archer strike. Every time I play them, though, their lack of piety really gets me down. Have fun.

-Arrian

[V.O.C.'02]

we're kinda getting of topic here, It was about emperor-difficulty despotism.

I'm still not agreeing with the government switch.

I'm by far a much better warmonger/ general than I am a builder, My micromanagment mostly concerns my 5/6 best cities. I,m hitting industrial ages now, and bij far the biggest (in size and number of cities) I poprush the hell out of my (new cities) this way they do not flip as easily. And my army is stronger then my foe's. I even outdate some out them.

I might ket into problems when they get riflemen/ infanrty, and when my caverlery needs to be changes in tanks (problem???) But I reakon I can get massive enough to overwhelm them. Time will tell

[Dominae]

Originally posted by V.O.C.'02
I'm still not agreeing with the government switch.

The only reason I can see that you would prefer Despotism over Monarchy is for poprushing. But the ability to poprush for extended periods of time is not very useful (due to unhappiness). If you're intent on being a complete warmonger, Monarchy is the right choice IMO, at least until you reach Communism. Even then, the choice between Communism, Monarchy or Republic for war-time government is not a clear one.


Dominae

[vmxa1]

I just can not image being in despotism in the industrial age. The productivity hit is too big. Pop rushing is counter productive in most cases.

[Arrian]

Yep, staying with despotism is a really bad idea, VOC. Despotism is the worst government in the game, for both warmongers and builders. It has the highest corruption, your food, commerce and shield output are penalized... yuk!

Monarchy, and perhaps (depending on your situation) Communism are the "warmonger" governments. Hell, with Commie (which I think is a poor choice most of the time) you can even poprush.

-Arrian

[V.O.C.'02]

Yeah...I probably be a commie in a couple of turns (just got steam power). So that should makeit a little better, but hap[iness is not a really big problem because my cities/ towns are very small, i Pop rush them and they are size 1 again, then it only takes unit to keep em under control, because my science is zero, i get a good bit of money so I can buy the techs I'm not able to conquer. This way I have been able to upgrade my army up to riflemen and caverly at the moment, I fear the moment tanks and heaps of infantry are taken over the world. I'm building a large army of artllery to break down those defenses.