Overcoming Parity in the Medival Age

[Jaybe]

Yahweh, on Large/Huge (well, ANY size) maps, I usually designate 1-2 civs as NONE in the startup. Gives me a little more breathing room to get started.

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Originally posted by Jaybe
Yahweh, on Large/Huge (well, ANY size) maps, I usually designate 1-2 civs as NONE in the startup. Gives me a little more breathing room to get started.

Not me. I like the whole damn game to be hard.

That's why civs that don't have a good mounted UU, or the industrious trait, can be a real hassle on a huge world... because you need to get your lebensraum (please excuse the term) early in the game, and then, to become a superpower, you need to expand in the medival era... and then, to match any other superpowers that might emerge, you need to expand in the industrial era as well!

That's why I keep cultural victory ON... because, come the modern era, if I've MADE it that far, I know I can achieve some sort of victory, and it would just be a time-consuming process to wait around for Space, or Domination, etc.

Of course, I only play regent level. On Monarch or higher, 1 of the 15 other civs always manages to outclass me in some way... but I'm working on it.

[Jaybe]

I know what you mean. I'm a Regent-only player, myself. A habit/rut I got into from Civ2 days.

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Originally posted by Jaybe
I know what you mean. I'm a Regent-only player, myself. A habit/rut I got into from Civ2 days.

On Civ2, it was a deity win everytime!

But there's no caravans in Civ3, and no fundamentalism either...

[badams52]

Originally posted by Mad Bomber

#1) I'm not a big fan of MM either but if you have some cities that need improvements then disbanding is preferable to putting a city on wealth (and I often forget to take the city off of wealth when new improvements become available)
#2) The best way to add to your science is to rush projects in your corrupt cities (courthouses, factories, and Police Stations first, followed by Currency improvements, happiness improvements, then science improvements)
#3) I rarely have a big enough army I'm always looking to expand it (Then I disband obsolete units that don't upgrade)

I do see your point, but the other reason I do build wealth is that coming into the industrial age, if I've had the UP game going, my gold is in the 7000-13,000 range (standard map) and so I have plenty to use on rushing projects. (If I don't have UP it means I didn't war enough early). So I'd rather up my science rate easily with the slider to take it down from 5 turns/tech to 4 turns/tech by having enough wealth cities. Call me lazy, but at that point, the advantage I will get from disbanding is moot.

I have done it your way before and it's too much MM for my tastes.

[Edit after reading Arrian's wealth post] I agree completely with Arrian and MZ. Even in my non-up games, I usually have a large enough lead over the next civ and an army that will repel any attack, so it's wealth and head for the SS.

[badams52]

Originally posted by Yahweh Sabaoth
WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS "UP"?!?

I thought you were asking "What in God's name is up (with all the acronyms)?"

[Mountain Sage]

YS,

As promised, here is my file. Check it against my goals and let me know. I won't call it 'perfect' UP game by far, but then it's only my 3rd game on Emperor.
I'm sure Arrian will appreciate my military...

[Mountain Sage]

Nope, file is too big. Now, how do I paste my file from the upload service?
Many thanks and

[nbarclay]

Originally posted by Mad Bomber

#2) The best way to add to your science is to rush projects in your corrupt cities (courthouses, factories, and Police Stations first, followed by Currency improvements, happiness improvements, then science improvements)

The payoff on that isn't immediate. If you have enough improvements under construction that you'll get your tech rate up where you want it after a while, but you're just short of having enough gold to do four-turn research now, building wealth in cities with nothing clearly better to do could make sense. But unless the need is both immediate and merely temporary, I agree that building and disbanding units to help build corruption-reducing or wealth-enhancing improvements in corrupt cities can give a better return on investment (if you're willing to tolerate the micromanagement).

Nathan

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Originally posted by Mountain Sage
YS,

As promised, here is my file. Check it against my goals and let me know. I won't call it 'perfect' UP game by far, but then it's only my 3rd game on Emperor.
I'm sure Arrian will appreciate my military...

You could just add a few screenshots...?

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Re: disbanding to rush improvements

Unless someone can prove to me, mathematically, that this is more efficient than wealth (all the time... I know it is often), then I'll keep with the wealth. Sure, to create "the basics," temples, libraries, etc., in newly conquered cities, this is a fine technique, but to build banks and cathedrals, etc.? Isn't the additional money from Wealth a better bargain? (I'm talking after Economics here)

[Mountain Sage]

My military screenshot:

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Ah, I see you're going for a "Blurry Victory".

[Mountain Sage]

Not very clear, I'll learn...
This is the whole military from 950 BC to AD 990.
Why did I keep this 3 units? Well...
The first Spearman is the 14 July parade unit (even years)
The 2nd Spearman is 14 July parade unit (odd years)
The Caravel is Joan's fishing boat (shark, marlin, kraken etc.)
Why no updated units?
Modern fleet: 'Iron is better around some body barts that on a swimming coffin' Joan said
Airplanes: 'What goes up must come down' Joan said.

Who I am to argue? ...

P.S. how can I recover and past a save in Poly 'upload files' directory?

[Mountain Sage]

Is that a 'Clearer Victory'?