Unable to Win a Game on Moderate - Advice Needed

[FireWall]

I'm relatively new to Rise of Nations, and as the title of this thread explains, I'm unable to win a game on moderate.

Every time I play I am defeated by an enemy army. Lately I have been able to fend off one or two invasions, but they usually overcome me on the third try. I am quite skilled at Civilization II and III, but I tend to play poorly when I try real time strategies. Is there some jist to this game that I am not getting?

I always start off by researching Science 1, and then either Civic 1 or Military 1 depending on whether I decide to rush or not. When I rush I tend to do a little better, as I always manage to kill many enemy civilians and slow him down. However, it isn't long before he begins sending armies and crushing me. If I concentrate on building military units throughout the game, he always pulls ahead of me in technology and sends a more advanced army to defeat me.

I usually play as either the Inca or Mongols. I only pick Mongols if I decide to rush ahead of time. I normally only begin building an army in late Medieval, because I concentrate on building cities and not letting the enemy possess more territory than I do. I always build one tower in every city, and make sure I get attrition early. It's certainly safe to say that I concentrate on infrastructure more than I do building military units. Perhaps this is the mistake I am making. Should I be building military units from the beginning of the game, and if so what units do you suggest I build? When I build an army, I tend to do it all at once. Should I be building it up gradually as the game progresses?

I can win on Easy every time with no trouble at all, so it seems silly to me that I am being defeated so early and frequently on Moderate.

If anyone can provide me with suggestions as to how I can improve my game, and suggest a general approach to winning, I would be greatly indebted to you.

[Signa]

Try posting some match replays so we can watch you at work then critique you.

[FireWall]

OK, sure I'll do that shortly. I'm surprised anyone is willing to watch me play.

[Skanky Burns]

I normally get the economic tech second - that way I can boost my resource collection rates and build a bigger army than the enemy. And basically focus on getting my resource rates as high as possible. I don't build an army until late either.

[solo]

If your AI opponent is doing better, why not look at replays of your own games?

Compare what you do to what the AI is doing during different stages of the game. They are scripted to play efficient and effective openings, so there may be something to learn by watching.

[Tatran]

I hope this is usefull.

Why rush so early in the game?
This is maybe necessary on a small map,
surely not on a Big Huge map.Use the
resources to expand.

Early wars.
If you're playing a diplomacy game,
stop the wars you don't want.The
AI declares war on you most of the time
early in the game.It's not hard to make
peace.Sometimes they want nothing or
they want a small bribe to make peace.

Research.
Depends on your early situation,but it
doens't really make much difference.
Your economy is the most important task
early in the game.(Probably through the
whole game).And playing the Inca's,with
all that gold,there should be no problem to
build up your civ very fast.(But not too fast!!!)

DON'T CLAIM THE TOP POSITION SCORE SPOT.
Just like civ2,civ3,alpha centauri,AoK make sure
you don't have the most points.All the AI will
hate you and soon will declare war on you.
On a regular game it's not necessary to have
the highest score to win it.(I'm sounding like
a coward here,but the difference being No.1
or No.2 is a BIG one.)

Have fun.

[iamlod]

I remember the first few games I ever played were on tough mode. I would get rushed a few minutes into the games which would seriously set me back (as I didn't build many military buildings until I was ready to attack, a vice which I have since remedied.) or I would get swamped by multiple waves of the AI's armies. After a few frustrating games which would end in me "cheat nuke"ing everthying in sight, I began to play on easy mode so that I could get familiar with the game. My findings:

I like the British b/c of the +25% commerce cap and the highlander/Black Watch units (They work very nicely with Terra Cotta)
The Bantu are also nice b/c of the pop. cap and the amazing rate at which you can cover the map with cities and squeeze your enemy.

I start by researching science, followed by civics, commerce, and finally military.
I try to keep the citizens coming, the mines/farms/woodcutters filled and the income lvl near the caps.

If playing a water map, it is essential to advance to the industrial and modern age ASAP b/c the longer you have powerful ships and your opponent does not, the easier your life will be. (Send ~4 heavy ships to reduce his costal cities and follow up with an invasion froce of Terra Cotta units for some quick wins)

Once the AI and I have reached the late game I usually bring my units back in defensive positions and slap down a few cheep wonders. (I have trouble creating and coordinating an effective modern age assult on an equal opponent. I just can't get enough of the right kind of unit to counter the ones me enemy has and I botch even the simplest of flanking manuevers.)

So, if you want a military win, do it quick and clean. If you wait for your opponent to get too large and too advanced the battles will be long, involved, and taxing.

Just my opinion, hope it helps

-Lod

[Weltraum Amy]

I use some kind of counter-attacking tactic.
First, I build two or three towers in each town, garrison them (that's why I play the Mayans) and wait for an enemy to attack my cities. While four or five cavalry units take out their artillery (and the towers take care of the rest), my army marches into the enemy territory and attacks.
It usually works pretty well, either the AI will withdraw his attacking units from my city to defend their own or I take one of its cities with minimal losses, ready to march to its capital.

[doolally]

-nm, it was answered.

-good luck!

[MattH]

2 or 3 towers? In each town ? Cripes, that must cost a lot.

My research path usually is Sci 1 >> Civics 1 >> Econmy 1 (while paused at the beginning of the game). Then I wait til 25 food and start cranking out workers. The first two usually go on wood camps, and the next on food. Next, one goes out and founds another city. While that is being built, I add the last farm and start on a market+temple (then commerce 2+mil 1, after the new city is larger).

Don't be afraid to lag behind in age research, as long as you're ahead in the other techs. Try to build a tower early and hit the attrition upgrade. Most armies on medium don't have supply wagons at the beginning, and you can just watch them attacking a city and dying.

[Grossadmiral]

You also need fat for Vitamin D. That and the sun. And your kidneys.



Cool. My first post and i am smartassing around. But i couldnt resist. Forgive me.

[ded_man_walkin]

play with cooperative ai on toughest, then copy whatever the comp is doing. Thats how ive learned!

[trickey]

Originally posted by ded_man_walkin
play with cooperative ai on toughest, then copy whatever the comp is doing. Thats how ive learned!

That might not be too bad of a strategy to try...*thinks*