Multiplayer Strategy Guide

[Nimrod]

Good point Gav, I used to play internet games about a year and a half ago and I use my experience from knowing what my opponent may be doing to help me figure out what I am going to do. By watching the PG I can I can tell how fast my opponents are biulding. In the begining of a game when their power drops usually means they built a city

Anyone have micromanagement tips or air unit stratagies?

[blackice]

Micromanagement tips for the day

Always drop your science when the new tech is at one, until it hits two then back up a notch to one. The gold gained by this move is amazing and well worth the time.

Always build mines, generally I have my settings fixed after Theo. Workday maxed gold 73, 74 happiness whatever I can get away with and food one notch back. Pw on 10 from the onset and I just build mines period. I look for areas that cities can share mines at first and preferably on diamonds etc.

The only time I build food boosters is when I get large fisheries the rest is a waste. Use the mines to speed settlers and granaries in the cities. When granaries are built go back to food and wait until size three city then back to the mine to speed things along. Before theo put your workers on goods to speed science I do not change my settings unless I drop wages back one to speed early science. Once at theo you generally do not need the workers on goods unless it is a river tile of course but do not go out of your way food and monos are the key at this point. Early science for me averages a tech per 3-4 turns until the mono is complete then 2-3 per turn for the rest of the time until mills.

Constantly monitor your cities at first for size, production and gold advantage ie: at two find a mine or other gold to put workers on it speeds up early science, granaries and settlers that is critical.

Look for monos when you find them use your gold and mines to rush buy markets and banks for the mono city so plan ahead. I do not rush buy anything until factories. That is critical factories rush bought can save the day. Usually with this strategy I have 12 to 18 thousand dollars by factories with starting gold at 5000. Factories are always build in major cities before turn 100...So that is an average of 9000 gold saved...

When I have nothing more to build in cities I go for caravans until infra then change ALL to infrastructure for a few turns then back to caravans for quick mill building I will turn pw to 20 at this time and back when building mills to 10. Again just build mines, once past mills if you have island game build all ships if land all troops. At this point you are building science in few cities infra in others, you should have extra caravans. Basically the one third rule but that changes with your immediate needs. Berxpert points out the science factor at latter stages of the game it is the dedication to at least two science cities that make your science stable and monos of course.

This is for a war game and mostly online as Gav had said the difference between PBEM and online is huge. I actually had my online gaming distorted by having to change strategies for PBEM. The big advantage to PBEM is learning to play different terrains the friendships gained and the stories told.

Thank you Boney and Merry Christmas to everyone and all your families. May it be safe and happy for all you and yours

[Gavrushka]

Excellent Post Blackice

Merry Christmas to all have a great one

[Flandrien]

Originally posted by blackice
Always drop your science when the new tech is at one, until it hits two then back up a notch to one. The gold gained by this move is amazing and well worth the time.

Doesn't your next tech take longer to research then ?

[blackice]

Sorry maestro I am not the best at thoughts to page

On the following tech you increase science to max unless of course it is not needed.

I have seen the next tech at 1 turn science at 10. This takes a lot of attention but the gains are well worth the management.

As paulino1 pointed out too many times he has mega gold this mines, monos and raising gold in a large city or two in the factories stage of the game are the way to do it.

I have also if I have the time put all cities on raising gold before building factories. Obviously this can create a mega boost in gold and has saved my a$$ in a few games with Quinns. I was able to buy troops whatever to knock him back more than one offensive.

I will correct something else I said... I build markets and banks by buying them outright and then I buy nothing else until Factories.

So all cities caravans and then infrastructure and then all gold one or two turns produces lots especially if you do it when your tech is at one turn to go. Crank the pw, crank the gold all maxed in all cities for one turn. Try it...

[blackice]

Thank you gav the very best to you and yours

This year will be different I suspect

[Nimrod]

Thank you Blackice, as I understand your supposed to be a wiz at micromanagement somthing which I have never boasted about

Anyone know a good air power tactic?

[faded glory]

Mobile Sam's and interceptors. Interceptors practically obselete the need for massive Navies....as Swissy has found out in monkey


There really is no air-superiority in CTP. None that I know of......just lay back and shoot down what you can. having about 12 x 15 interceptors is a good idea. They are multi-role...so they work well for ground/whatever else.

[blackice]

Thank you Blackice, as I understand your supposed to be a wiz at micromanagement somthing which I have never boasted about

Nor have I but if you would like to show me I am available

[Nimrod]

Can intercepter/mobile sams be used for nuke defense where SDI unavailable?

So I guess the next step would be to take space and land units right by their biggest cities.

[Gavrushka]

YES BUT.......... All active air defence unloads on the first unit... SO if you sent a Fighter to the city you wanted to Nuke first, all active air defence would have fired, the Nuke would get through..... Bye BYe City.....

WHENEVER you attack with air power never move a stack to a city (in case of active air defence) ALWAYS move a single expendable unit first to unspring the defence.... Never send Bombers without a fighter escort - a Single fighter will shoot down a nine stack of Bombers.... ALWAYS Maintain a few Flights of Space Fighters in Space as a Rapid Reaction force....... they can attack about anywhere on the map the same turn....BUT Just operating Space Fighters causes ENORMOUS Pollution - It could revolt your whole Civ - REMEMBER THAT...

With a mass of Space fighters and a Dozen Space planes with Units in... Storm Marines, Marines are good.... You can wipe out your enemy in a single turn....Space Fighters attack and empty city, space plane descends and unloads into city... Swarm better still - they can descend from space straight into an unoccupied city..... Then move (space fighters have a single square move left after space descend/attack) the Space fighters into cities you captured to bolster defence..

I am NEVER playing Nimrod after this..... He now has the very best strategy has to offer...........I wanna see you top PBEM and Internet charts within the month......

[TheBirdMan]

And one important thing more - specially when the game gets old.

Never-never be lazy

I simply can't remember the number of turns I "dropped" by not having a clear strategi for building/improving tiles in the US-game.

From the moment Spain (Swissy) was no more a real enemy and until I saw the "light" when Canada (Don) lost everything in revolt, I more-or-less just moved and builded for fun - making small fightings with the babarians.

Surely Maestro would have been in more trouble now, if I have had a stronger morale and a more clear goal for my turns. But I was simply lazy and unconcentrated for too many turns. And soon that game will be over for me too. A great number 2 - but who can use that?

I will not repeat that mistake again .

[Gavrushka]

Good point Bird There comes a point in every game where you lose direction..... If you are waiting for an advance and are not engaged in Military activities focus yourself by upgrading military, upping infrastructure, and replacing tired old farms and mines and fisheries with the best you can, switch workers to Scientists, micromanage.... KEEP FOCUSED.

One thing many people forget is this is a WAR GAME... Diplomacy is nothing more than posturing to improve your Civs position - NO ONE ever won this game by defending (IF you let a game get to the point of Alien Life thingy, it is different... But no game I am in will ever get to that stage NEVER EVER EVER NEVER) So you must attack.... IN PBEM attacks seem to be very different... wierd since it is the same game....But an attack is not sending units capturing a city and relaxing... it is building constant military pushing your front line ALL the time, peaceful times favour defenders, so keep pushing all the way, but not to the exclusion of all else... AND when under attack do not go into defence at all costs...you WILL LOSE THE GAME..... You must counter... Many attackers will do just that attack, and forget all else... watch the science... has the enemy discover something that will mean they can attack a different way...... later in the game do not let your opponent establish sea or space cities.... A sea city fully operational (they grow in but a few turns) will churn out 13000 prod, a space city with a nanite factory will drop a space fighter every turn for 2250 gold, or a Space Bomber for 7500 Gold.....

Another thing I did in a recent game..... Spotted a nine stack of mounted units close to a city of mine... I disbanded the city and moved it to a mountain top... then goaded opponent into attacking..... they won then lost the entire nine stack as the city was destroyed.... turn every defeat into a victory.... If you are gonna lose a city, sell the best happiness improvement, or Production Improvement, set city to infrastructure... Or the enemy will carry on prod where you had left off.... No point in making it easier for them... It is a pretty good felling capturing a city, switching prod to Oil Ref to find it is ready next turn.... Thank you Mr Enemy!

[Flandrien]

Originally posted by TheBirdMan
I will not repeat that mistake again .

Ah, isn't that the sweet smell of a grudge match coming up ?

By the way, the problem is not always lazyness.
Sometimes you just don't have the time to spend a full hour plotting and planning a full late-game turn.

[Gavrushka]

*BUMP*

Does anyone have anything new to add? It seems a shame to let this thread slip into oblivion??