Overcoming Parity in the Medival Age

[BRC]

Originally posted by Catt


Yours is a perfectly valid approach. I just had to speak up and remind folks that there are other potential levers one can pull to control the tempo and direction of the game.



Catt

Catt, the Angel is a bit much!!

I'm sure you'll hammer out a more formal declaration some time, stating what is required (with reference to Theseus' Seven Pillars), for those who have yet to be enlightened.

The more I think about it, the "safer" it seems. This may end up with a stronger following than the Dark Side. I should be able to add to it in a few weeks.

Yahweh: I used to play on huge maps, and those games lasted forever. Standard seems to keep the game as it was meant to be played, without straining the relationship with the gf.

I agree about the strategic resource problem. However, as long as you keep your reputation intact, it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

[Arrian]

I just take pre-emptive revenge. I know they're gonna try to screw me eventually, so I just beat 'em to the punch.

-Arrian

[BRC]

Originally posted by Arrian
I just take pre-emptive revenge. I know they're gonna try to screw me eventually, so I just beat 'em to the punch.

-Arrian

Haha. First UP, now "pre-emptive revenge". Trademarked to Arrian.

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Originally posted by BRC
Yahweh: I used to play on huge maps, and those games lasted forever. Standard seems to keep the game as it was meant to be played, without straining the relationship with the gf.

What in God's name is the GF? The Great Foolishness of playing Civ too much? Que est-ce que c'est?

[BRC]

Yahweh


Girlfriend

brc

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Originally posted by BRC
Yahweh


Girlfriend

brc

Oh.

Too late for that I'm afraid.

[Mountain Sage]

Another way to gain an edge is to give the impression that you do NOT want to gain one, but in reality you are the puppet-master behind the game. Let me explain:

Your're a middle-sized Civ, with a modest military, not much Gold (lets say around 1'000), barely at parity in the Tech race etc... and you still want to win?

Well, then,

- Be a diplomatic charmer: sell them every 2 turns your World map, even for 1 Gold. It makes them happy, they have a bit Gold less and usualy stay 'Polite'. If they're not interested, give it 'graciously' for free.

- Be a tech broker: sell and buy anything you can, your goal is to keep parity with the strongest and fastest, not getting into the lead.

- Build up your treasury, LOTS if Gold, I'll explain later why.

- Do NOT go to war: keep a strong defensive force but forget conquests. You really covet that luxury? Buy it, trade it, bribe it, whatever, but stay home.

- Build every improvement you can afford and makes sense, your building age will soon come to an end.

- if somebody attacks you, use the MAR strategy. MAR= Massive Allied Retaliation. You bribe every other Civ to join your war against your attacker, then just defend. First of all, your attacker will be too busy to bother you much and then it will slow down the tech research for ALL other Civs.

Now you are in the late Industrial Age. I admit, the last centuries were quite boring.
Now you make peace with everybody, buy the latest Techs, crank up the Science slider and go into the 4 turn/Tech. Damn the deficits, this is why you have lots of Gold.
Then you build more Workers (except if you are French).
Then you start a Palace.

As soon as you enter the Modern Age, go for the UN with your pre-build Palace. Then go for a Diplomatic victory.
Conversely, hold off your diplomatic victory and go for a Space Race by putting all your cities to 'Wealth' and Techs/4 turns (it's amazing the deficits you can run then!). Don't trade any Techs and don't worry about pollution (this is why you build all these Workers).

And... welcome Alpha Centauri.

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Hmmm, I must say that I had completely forgotten about the diplomatic victory. I've always been too scared to use it when I build the UN in prior games... I'm always worried my agressive past will come up to haunt me. But as far as spaceflight goes, I guess I'd be worried about getting all the resources I need for it. Not to mention NOT GETTING COAL. That is always a major concern.

[Mountain Sage]

Yahweh,

For your speceship you only need aluminium and uranium. If you don't have some, buy it, with gold or with Techs, but don't let this simple detail waylaid you on your race.

On one game I did not manage to get ANY coal. It's a pain, but you can even win without. Wait till you have rubber and go directly from Galley to Battleship!
Well, not having a railroad network was a pain, though!

Just be careful with the diplomatic victory. A couple of times I thought I was the nice guy (everybody was Polite/Gracious to me) and then I got beaten by ... Ghandi (who was at war with 3 other Civs )

God luck and keep us updated.

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

One day I will overcome my fear and go for a diplomatic victory. I'll save before I opt to hold elections, of course.

[minke19104]

Originally posted by Mountain Sage
On one game I did not manage to get ANY coal. It's a pain, but you can even win without. Wait till you have rubber and go directly from Galley to Battleship!
Well, not having a railroad network was a pain, though!
God luck and keep us updated.

I would've certainly go to war if I had no coal... Managing a huge empire is hard without 0 turn movement. Also considering the huge disadvantage of production that would not be available had I not have railway tiles+mines everywhere around my cities....

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Yes, I too would use all my resources to procure coal. It's happened to me before (no coal), and man, you can go from #1 to the bottom on little time if your enemies start building railroads to and fro, and you don't...

[Mountain Sage]

This is the exact reason why I did NOT go to war. I got coal only later on, at the beginning of the Modern Age, when I Civ got wiped out and a coal became available. Since it was a bit too late to get boosted for a space race (even with my fast French workers!), I opted for a diplomatic one... and I lost it to Ghandi, the guy who sold me the coal.

The gods were really against me ...

[Yahweh Sabaoth]

Hey, serves you right for not getting that coal, man. The community of nations smiles on the strongest, not the coalless.

But back to topic. If all of you all could have ONLY ONE wonder of the medival era, what would it be? Assume you are at parity in every way (tech, military, borders, etc.)

[Arrian]

Only one? Depends.

Are you religious?

Are you planning a large horse -> knight > cavalry upgrade?

If you're religious, and are not relying on a large upgrade, I'd go with the Sistine.

If you're not religious, the argument can certainly be made for Bach over the Sistine.

Clearly, if a massive upgrade is your plan, Leo's has to be the one.

Sun Tzu is nice to have and nice to deny the AI, but it's not a big deal if you lose it.

Adam Smith's is a very powerful wonder - and is more powerful the bigger your empire is. But if I'm restricted to only one ME wonder, I'd go with a happiness enhancer (Sistine/Bach).

Other factors include what AI civ(s) are likely to build the ones you don't get. If you're thinking about conquering a neighbor, it sure would be nice if they built a key wonder, huh?

-Arrian