This is the Short Tips Page. If you want to contribute to this page add your tips,tricks,strategies,whatever from the link below. If you have something really big,send it zipped at civ2@gamestats.com and I will put it in the Hints&Tips Page.
Add your tip!
go on to the top menu where it says file then go across to cheats click on cheats and it says click yes if you want to use cheats but it will affect your game score then a cheats menu will come up,then choose your cheats there are infiite money all men and all buliding etc
rain and nick <rain@rmccafferty.freeserve.com>
stoke-on-trent, england - Wednesday, August 09, 2000 at 14:25:17 (EDT)
look do the expansion thing tell u run out of places like that other one says but build 1 military unit in every city and then in your citys only build librarys,timple,acadut,barracks,and granery all of these have an up keep of 1 then when u can build the world wonder ademsmiths tranding it plays for all upkeeps that cost 1 then build factorys when u can after u have factorys chnage the production to the coperation and get lots of money and make NO ALLIANCES the only reasion they sign alliances is to get on your land then they declare war on u.
the master <hotstick02@hotmail.com>
USA - Monday, July 24, 2000 at 13:44:55 (EDT)
Easy this,just Do science for the early part of the game then once youre far haed in technologys Change to fundamentalism And youve good as 1!
David Mckenna(snipeon) <mckenna@excite.co.uk>
Glasgow, Scotland - Saturday, January 22, 2000 at 11:16:10 (EST)
People, use the MATH! It's really simple to apply basics of the math to this game. I'm playing this game third time, it's 1996, I did not send my spaceship(100%ready) yet. I've got 671% rating. One other point: if you are playing anything but the diety, your rating counter will reset itself into NEGATIVE values after reaching ~300%(not sure about exact value)
Ilia Ichetovkin <ichetov@imb.imb.ac.ru>
Moscow, Russia - Tuesday, May 25, 1999 at 15:57:51 (EDT)
EXPAND LIKE HELL! Start by building settlers. Use them to found new cities. After building one defensive unit in each new city, build a settlers in it. Repeat ad infinitum, or until you run out of places to put the cities.
Mark von Wagner <rengaw03@geocities.com>
- Monday, May 03, 1999 at 23:40:31 (EDT)
On Deity the only sensible govt type is Fundamentalist The amount of extra resources you get in each city almost makes up for the loss to science, also it means that you can sky rocket your populations, and with the amount of money that comes flooding in you can buy out all the other civs. Best advances to go for are Democracy and build Statue of Lib, Lieracy and build Great Libary, then ignore science and rake in the money and steal techs from other civs.
Grier
Sheffield, England - Friday, April 30, 1999 at 09:15:58 (EDT)
Even if you're a peace loving tree hugger who would never deream of using a nuke, build at least one of them anyway for the leverage in deplomacy. AI's will be that much less threatening. . . which will certainly help if you're playing the pacifist route. Wuss.
John Becks <beckemej@hotmail.com>
Houston, Albania - Friday, April 30, 1999 at 00:08:05 (EDT)
Spaceship: 39 structurals, 16 components (8 propulsion and 8 fuel) and 12 modules (4 habitation, life support, and solar panels). The game wouldn't let me build more than that.
Tim Macejak
Anamosa, IA, USA - Tuesday, April 27, 1999 at 18:58:04 (EDT)
I'm looking for the perfect spaceship?????? Any suggestions????
Sammy Da B
- Thursday, April 22, 1999 at 13:18:33 (EDT)
The best way to defand your empire in the beginning of the game is to commit only one city to building military units. This way only one barracks is built and time and production is saved. Thus commiting other cities to building wonders and settlers to expand and advance your empire. Also those veteran units can be moved into other friendly cities and then supported from that city. This gives you a strong defensive force from barbarians and rival civilizations with out commiting all your cities to building units. Tip 2, have you ever fought a war with no military? Spys can be the most valuable unit to a powerfull democacy that can't afford to commit military because of the citizens' opposition. In one turn a city of twelve can be reduced to a four with one transport full of spies. Not to mention the destruction of libraries, temples, banks, and other such improvemants that can severely slow the economy of a rival civilization. always remember to investigate the city before you actually commit to the espionage. See if the unhappy citizens are closely numbered to the happy citizens. If this is so and there is a temple, colleseum, and cathedral: destroy these improvemants and you can send this city into chaos. If their gov't is democracy then it could cause a revolution or the disbanding or recall of troops supported by that city. Poisoning the water can also be very usefull in not only desroying cities from the inside out, but imparing your enemies' military machine. What if that city of twelve supported 10 units and now only has 4 production because you reduced it to a four. Some of your enemies troops may magically disapear from your territory. These a perfect stratagies for the player who favors democracy. But remember counter-espionage!! Use it, always fortify spys in your cities, and desroy spies in production in enemy cities.
Sammy Da B
Bellefonte, USA - Thursday, April 22, 1999 at 09:46:28 (EDT)
The thing that will defeat the AI every time, wether you play on Deity or Chieftan is TACTICS. The strongest civilisations tend to be expansionists. It is easy to gain a foothold in a foreign continent by capturing some of the weaker outlying cities of a large empire. Do not just charge in, send reconnisance missions, and play carefully with what you are going to do, what type of units best suit the terrain, and how you are going to do it. Never underestimate the AI's ability to strike deep into your empire whilst the bulk of your forces are away at war, so keep a sizeable army at home to defend your crown there :)
Peggy <guyhowell@hotmail.com>
London, UK - Wednesday, April 21, 1999 at 09:33:27 (EDT)
Most people don't like nukes because they cause pollution. Pah! Nukes can be used quite effectively without this problem, simply load a couple of subs with nukes and cruise the oceans. The AI always seems to clump their naval units together, and a well placed nuke can take out up to eight tiles worth of ships with no pollution. You can even manage to take out some of your "friend's" ships 'cuz, hey, collateral damage is a fact of war. The best part is, the AI never, so far as I know, use tactical nukes. As always, make sure your cities have SDI. Duh.
Darth Spoot <ndb408@aol.com>
- Sunday, April 18, 1999 at 10:12:28 (EDT)
One way to expand your borders without fighting is to slowly creep up on your enemies cities. Put a unit on an enemie's city. He will then ask you to leave, but before you leave, you "use" the square that your unit is on. You move your unit and, whala!, you have more territory, free. As far as I'm concerned, diplomacy should be better utilized than most it often is. One way to cleverly take over an enemie's empire is to first instigate a war between him and another player of the same size. If he governed under a democracy or republic, it will certainly fall. Once his empire has plunged into anarchy, use as many spies as possible to subvert his cities at a very low cost. Another clever trick to use to destroy an enemy is to break up his alliances and ruin his reputation and discredit him. You can do this by paying one ally to attack a good friend or ally of his closest ally. This will make the other ally angry and both allies will likely break up and go to war with each other. You can also destroy him internally by capturing his capitol city and breaking up his empire if possible.
Lenin
USA - Saturday, April 17, 1999 at 03:41:01 (EDT)
These bombs keep me awake at night. Its also hard to play civ. Never the less I find the time. I have some tips to share. If you are very far ahead of the computer in techs and you have mich's (obviously) switch to fundamentalism. The gold will start pooring in. If you have 100 cities from mich's alone you will get 300 gold PER TURN. That money can be used to buy key enemy cities. And a few units never hurts.
Caesar <Caesar1202@aol.com>
Belgrade, Yugoslavia - Tuesday, April 13, 1999 at 15:51:27 (EDT)
-in the early game never build warriors, wait for archers -best wonders: leonardo's wrkshop, great library, great wall, adams trade comp. -best government: communism, good science, good money, great army, great corruption and pollution what more could you want? - helicoptors are grat at finishing off those small pesky out of the way enemies - face it mareines alway get to the action just when the war is over: they suck - alpine troops simply rock - little trick: consult your counsel during anarchy. - remember!!!: after that renisance message comes up you get a free tech CHOOSE WISELY - worst wonder- copernicus's observatory= a library and a university - in the begining build a motherload of cities !!remember!! 2 settlers THEN the archers or muskets. -rails kick ass!! - if you are playing the ww2 sscenario be russia ally with nazis and allies and kill the rest. - armors are awesome too
dnaman <drt3@juno.com>
woodf, usa - Monday, April 12, 1999 at 22:01:59 (EDT)
-in the early game never build warriors, wait for archers -best wonders: leonardo's wrkshop, great library, great wall, adams trade comp. -best government- communism, good science, good money, great army, great corruption and pollution what more could you want? - helicoptors are grat at finishing off those small pesky out of the way enemies - face it mareines alway get to the action just when the war is over: they suck - alpine troops simply rock - little trick: consult your counsel during anarchy. - remember!!!: after that renisance message comes up you get a free tech CHOOSE WISELY - worst wonder- copernicus's observatory= a library and a university - in the begining build a motherload of cities !!remember!! 2 settlers THEN the archers or muskets. -rails kick ass!! - if you are playing the ww2 sscenario be russia ally with nazis and allies and kill the rest. - armors are awesome too
dnaman <drt3@juno.com>
woodf, usa - Monday, April 12, 1999 at 22:00:45 (EDT)
It was a big surprise to me when I discoved Horsemen are very useful early in the game; cheap and move 2 spaces. Build a few quickly and then attack every barbarian village you see. More often than not, this will give something good. It can help to build up a "free" army. Works great on "raging hordes" and big land mass.
DC <dc3@mindspring.com>
Los Angeles, USA - Monday, April 12, 1999 at 02:29:35 (EDT)
Good hints for begginers: 1. Build Great Wall, Leonardeo's Workshop, and the United Nations. 2. Don't fight early on unless you're oppenent only has a few cities lacking military strength. 3. Work on getting science up and keeping it up. Get the following governments as follows; Monarchy, Republic, Democracy. 4. Once you have more advanced military units than your openent, then switch to Fundy and destroy all you want. If a civ is kicking your butt, get peace and switch back to Democracy to get more knowledge. I recommend waiting untill you have almost all the advances then attack. Keep your funds up too, money is important. If the game is about to end (year 2018 or something in the range) make peace and allies then switch to Democracy, and put lux tax at 100%.
Pat Weber <patweber@usa.net>
- Monday, April 12, 1999 at 01:34:57 (EDT)
You should go through these tips and get rid of some. Get long tips out of the SHORT TIPS section and kill the useless tips.
Shane Lawrence <shanepl@mnsu.net>
Windsor, Canada - Saturday, April 10, 1999 at 10:47:43 (EDT)
THIS HELPED ME WIN DEITY. 1. customize world, make land WET, and 3 billion years old. This gives better land. 2. build settlers fast as hell, spread them close as possible(without infringing) untill about 25 cities. 3.Get Great Library, Trade(to pump full of caravans), Leonardo's workshop, and then all wonders that make people happy. 4. meanwhile jam every square of each city with irrigation, road, rail, farmland. Trade routes and powerplants get your cities into the 30's. Sneaky tactics such as sending spy into big enemy city to nuke it then sending tank can be effective. When launching offensive, get every city to build scud missiles-see what happens! Email me for any querries!
Paul D <yambo@hotmail.com>
Melbourne, Australia - Friday, April 09, 1999 at 09:39:15 (EDT)
I don't know why everyone thinks fundamentalism is so bad. I am NOT a militarist, but I think fund. is so much better than democracy, especially earlier in the game when you don't have many happy improvements. And i don't think science is a problem IF you trade technologies, steal techs, build heaps of libraries etc. Try getting advances that the other civs don't have, so you have a better chance of being able to trade. (Even if u only have 1 new tech, you can trade that, trade the one you traded with another civ, trade THAT, etc.) Personally, I can't stand democracy.
Zach M. <zachm@starnet.com.au>
Melbourne, Australia - Wednesday, April 07, 1999 at 04:02:16 (EDT)
This might be common sense but it still kicks ass. Stack a Battleship and an AEGIS... plus whatever you want to protect. You wont losem as long as you are halfway smart about moving them. AEGIS, Battleship, Carrier, and a loaded Sub are unstoppable.
Mike Yurich <ballz1998@mindspring.com>
Salem, USA - Sunday, April 04, 1999 at 17:58:59 (EDT)
How to get high scores 1. Sending out all quick unit .. Save/Load 2. Got Trade, build Macopolo's Embassy 3.Talk with other civs, got money 4. Find a perfect place (Paris/Europe map) and build all the wonders of science there: Colossus Coperius Observ.. Issac Newton.. Shakespiya.... SETI Program.. 5. The Republic/Democray 6. Trade/Food supply 7. Sewer system 8. RailRoad/Explosive 9. Howizters and conquest anyone who want to discuss with me, please mail me to newmyh2@yahoo.com
Rivers J. Wood <newmyh2@hotmail.com>
ShangHai, China - Thursday, April 01, 1999 at 01:45:36 (EST)
This strategy help me beat king. First build 20 cities before 0 AD. You can build more that is the minimum. During this time you should add roads to every grassland sheild. Also you should get philosophy with that get monarchy. Go directly to monotheism. While you do this get the pyramids and great library. You can get others but they are not really necessary. When you get to monotheism build michs chapel. Once you have this done build barracks in your two highest production cities. Get Magnetism and build about 4 transports (sorry forgot the name) and fill them in with veteran crusaders. Go conquer two or three civs. Then go directly for Space flight. Get plastics and superconductor and build a spaceship. While you are doing all this you might want to swicth to democracy (if your crusaders are dead) this will help you get techs faster but once you start your spaceship you should have democracy. Before automobile you should already have leo's and adam smith. Once you have electronics build hoover (absoulutly essetial) Then the turn before the spaceship lands swith luxuries to 100%. This works well because if you have killed 3 civs only 3 are in the space race (much easier than 6) This combination of conquering early and spaceship is working well for emporer yet I have not beaten it yet. Another way to do this is instead of spaceships is to use spies to bribe the world. Finally the last way is to build about 100 nukes and 200 enginneers and 50 paratroopers under fundamentalism. Then you go blow up cities conquer them with paratroopers and clean up with engineers (just remember you might want to do something about those pesky partisans) I have never tried that exactly because I hate nukes (in the game) but I played mp and someone used it against me and it worked very well for them until I took back all my cities with an army of over 100 partisans backed with a few nukes of my own. Good luck to you all.
The man in the silly hat <Caesar1202@aol.com>
Nowheresville, USA - Wednesday, March 31, 1999 at 12:49:51 (EST)
If you are playing for a big point score, in the last turn of the game (Usually 2019) raise luxuries to 100%. Your final score will increase because of the happy citizens in your population. By doing this, I raised my score from 17620 to 19000 by using this method
Stephen le Busque <food_god@hotmail.com>
Melbourne, Australia - Wednesday, March 31, 1999 at 02:30:18 (EST)
Recently, I sent in a spy into an enemy city and destroyed the city walls. Instead of attacking that turn, I waited. The next turn, I had a spy investigate the city, and discovered the AI had dispanded 3 of its units to build city walls again - except, of course, that the walls wouldn't really be there until the following turn. So instead of a garrison of 5 units without city walls, there was now a garrison of 2 units without city walls. Only have tried it once, but waiting a turn after destroying city walls might not be a bad idea.
Tim Macejak <tmace@uswest.net>
Anamosa, Iowa - Tuesday, March 30, 1999 at 19:42:08 (EST)
OK, heres what you do, this may sound a little cheesy, use the large world map, and set starting location realilisticly (pardon the spelling), then choose the Japanese, you start out on your little island so you have enough time to build up an empire and you will be safe from attck for a while, as soon as posible, load a boat up with settlers and spread on the the mainland, if the Chinese are there ally with them and you will be some what safe from attack, with your little empire build lots of units and try to conquor the world!!!!! Please, resond with KIND CRITICISM!
None <Truffl7020@aol.com>
None, None - Sunday, March 28, 1999 at 21:55:30 (EST)
If you have the ability to build nukes and paratroopers conquesring the world is way too easy. To do it, just get a nuke and paratrooper within 10 spaces of an emeny city, then use a nuke and invade with a paratrooper to take over the city. If you do it right you can do this in one turn before they have a chance to put more units in the city.
Pat Weber <patweber@usa.net>
- Sunday, March 28, 1999 at 17:34:13 (EST)
If you have a city that is done building improvements and had nothing to do, have it build attacking units or any kind, then send the units to cities that are building things, and finally have these units get support from the city and then disband them. All of their sheilds will be added to whatever is being built and since you're on the same turn, no production shields will be wasted on the unit.
Pat Weber <patweber@usa.net>
- Sunday, March 28, 1999 at 17:25:51 (EST)
I have found that an interesting scenario when you don't have much time to play is to only build one city and see how long you can survive.
Michi <red@aol.com>
Tokyo, Japan - Friday, March 26, 1999 at 03:59:14 (EST)
play with naked women it is fun
bbb <asdf@aol>
fort wayne , usa - Monday, March 22, 1999 at 10:27:29 (EST)
Switch to Alpha Centauri. There is a smarter AI there. Civilization II has been hashed in and out. There seems to be no more useful tips.
Majed Anani <anani@flash.net>
Albuquerque, USA - Saturday, March 20, 1999 at 22:29:55 (EST)
If you can, fill a transport with spys. Then fill another with any attacking units. Take them to a large civ that you have peace withs capital. Then, when there, save game. Steal all possible tech. Then destroy city walls if they have them. Then poison water until it is a 2 or 3. Save after each one escapes. If one doesn't, restart. Then wait a turn and they will have to disband some defenders because of low production. Then attack. You will conquor the city and the civ will split into two (smaller) civs. Have Fun!
Steven Conrad
Grass Valley, U.S.A - Friday, March 19, 1999 at 23:43:01 (EST)
In the begining build as many citys as you can. If a civilization finds you make peace. Also, build the Great Library A.S.A.P. and get Philosophy first. Then build Mike's Chapel or your hole civ will go to hell! then do what ever you want from there but just keep building citys. Good luck!
Moo, Moo, the Flying Pig
La,La Land, America - Friday, March 19, 1999 at 23:19:49 (EST)
A quick way to build wonders early in the game, before you have trade, is to use warriors and disband them in the city building the wonder. Also, I try to keep one city building a previously built wonder at an extremely low level (one or two shields) until I have the tech to build a new wonder and then ramp up the shield production and finish the wonder.
Kenneth M. Hinds
- Monday, March 15, 1999 at 23:20:29 (EST)
This tip is for Apolyton: please edit these tips. Way too many idiots are wasting space and my time. It took me twice as long to read all of them as it did to download the patch ;). About half of the tips seem to go something like this. "you be building all wonders imeedately. dint let combuter bild them. thats bad." Build all the wonders is a good goal, but a truly useful tip would be a way to ACTUALLY DO THAT! Also, please eliminate the "tips" which extoll the virtues of one or two units, i.e. "ardillry adn tanks is all yuo neeed to win. just bild dem only not ohter oonids." Are these people just skipping the first 3000 years of the game or what? Just leave our cities undefended until then? Sheesh! Thanks for letting me gripe, even more thanks if you follow my suggestion. P.S. a tip for the real leaders of our real country: lower our research rate and raise the luxury rate. The billions we spend on education are apparently having little affect, so we might as well enjoy ourselves. To paraphrase a great American poet and philosopher:"I don't know about the rest of you, but I just want to get my kicks before this whole shithouse goes up in flames."
Nick Otto
USA - Sunday, March 14, 1999 at 18:06:57 (EST)
Around the Industral Revoution, when there is a mid-game lull, switch to communism and produce spies, spies, spies and (you guesses it) more spies, then changed back to your prefered government and you will have an army of veteran spies (very useful from time to time)
Linds <linds@hunterlink.net.au>
Maitland, Australia - Tuesday, March 09, 1999 at 20:52:58 (EST)
I have played on the Diety level since a couple of months after Civ II came out. Although I have not mastered the level, I do quite well. All you need is Fundamentalism, Espionage, Mobile Warfare, and Nukes. Go straight to Leadership early. Only strength will keep the others off of you. You must get Leonardo's Workshoop. Very hard to win without it. The great wall is very usefuul early to keep the others off of you. Don't worry too much about science and shield production. Be agressive, steal the science as you conquer, as you conquer other civ's, they will have the shield producing cities to support the effort. Hard to conquer in modern times without nukes. Use spy's to set them off. Don't need SDI. Keep only 2 defender's in a city and the others won't nuke you. Must stay on offensive or at peace or else others will be all over you. they only respect strength. United Nations is always helpful to keep them from counter attacking until your turn when you can break the treaty. Be ruthless, aggressive, plan well. Keep pressure up. Mass attach with spy's (Nukes) five or six biggest cities. Take them and your home free with that civ. My highest score on diety is 217%. I haven't -layed the other levels for years.
Daddyus (Game Name) <Minerroots@AOL.com>
Dryden, NY, USA - Monday, March 08, 1999 at 19:47:28 (EST)
Whatever people say, don't get Fundamentalism early on. It does not produce any science! Also, get explosives (engineers) and Railroad (railroad) early on. Build HUGE rail lines along the map to enemy empires. Put cities and/or manned fortresses along the way so the enemy can't use it. Then, when your ready, send 25-100 howitzers along the line and KABOOM!! Don't send nukes though, its NOT worth it.
Calum <calum_f@hotmail.com>
Aberdeen, UK - Friday, March 05, 1999 at 14:53:30 (EST)
Ok listen i have only beat the level on prince. KING is too hard for me. But I know some tips which helped me do really well in diety. This is my plan. Build a city then 1 phalanx. Then one settler. Build 1 road then go build a city. Repeat for at least 50 cities before 1000A.D. Get bronze working then philosophy. With philosophy get monarchy(if you already have lots of city get republic). Then get democracy and get the techs rolling in. Once you reach a relavitly high tech level (rocketry) then switch to fundamentalism. Have 20% taxes and 80% science. Build only good wonders (great library, hoover dam, MICHELANGELOS CHAPEL, adam smith's trading company) you can build others but this is diety. Once in fundamentalism build spies and some cruise missles and marines or tanks. Buy all cities then use cruise missles and marines to destroy capitols or cities the missles don't reach. If anyone reads this can you email me some tips for king, those anoying computers always get ahead of me in techs!!!! email is Caesar1202@aol.com
NEWBIE <Caesar1202@aol.com>
NYC, US - Monday, March 01, 1999 at 21:30:04 (EST)
Thanks for several useful tips, Lee... My comment for all -- there is more than one way to skin a cat, so make sure you are proficient at more than one. All tips that say you "MUST" have something-or-other should be taken with a large grain of salt. I don't know if that was that profound, but if it wasn't, please pardon me...I am on my third Michelob.
Tim Macejak <macejak@msn.com>
Anamosa, IA, USA - Sunday, February 28, 1999 at 19:27:46 (EST)
Build CITIES!! When you start, just build a settler from your capital city. From that settler, you can irrigate and put roads around the city whence it can from...when you're all done improving around the city, build another one. In the new city that you built, start producing a new settler right away as your first unit. That settler will go on to make a new city which will produce another settler, which will therefore make your civilization huge in a hurry...although defense may be a problem if enemies are around, and you're producing a settler instead of a war unit. In the long run, a big civilization, who's govt. is Democracy, will produce a lot of money and science.
Brandon <jimmypzoso@aol.com>
anytown, USA - Friday, February 26, 1999 at 20:54:35 (EST)
When I get into a tight space ship race in Diety level and I am the first to discover the superconductor I'll phone up all the other Civ's and give it to them plus anything else they need to build their ship (plastics). Make's me look like a real hero. I get peace (UN) and even on Diety level the AI is so stupid they shoot their spaceship off as soon as the "launch" comes on. So their ships head out with ETA's of 15-65 years. I now know exactly when I need to send my 5.7 spaceship out to win. Holding out on the superconductor just gives them more time to build components and structural plus discover Nuclear Fission.
Lee Halvorson <lhalvorson@yukon.net>
Whitehorse, Canada - Thursday, February 25, 1999 at 12:01:34 (EST)
Get your cities cranking out the shield production. I will try to share a special resource like Oil, Buffalo, Iron or Coal between two of my cities. I switch to the citie that is currently needing the shields the most. Get them both building a WOW. Once the first one is built switch the special resource to the other city to help with their production. Slap a city in a mass of hills even though they have no food. Once you get airbases put them on all your mines and it gives you 3 food, 4 shields. Love the King/President days help out too. I had a city with 3 coal, 1 Buffalo, 3 plains and 13 more mines cranking out 195 shields per year.
Lee Halvorson <lhalvorson@yukon.net>
Whitehorse, Canada - Thursday, February 25, 1999 at 07:53:35 (EST)
If you don't care about your reputation and you need gold this is the ultimate trick. When a rival civ offers a peace tready, accept it cause this will get them off your back while your busy with other matters. After you accept it demanad tribute, the chance are they will give you gold. If the civ aproaches you about exchanging knowledge, deny him and demand tribute again. Most likely he will give you the knowledge that he was willing to trade.
Dan Dean <Mac_423@hotmail.com>
saginaw, america - Wednesday, February 24, 1999 at 18:36:12 (EST)
doing 5 things will make you win every time: 1.expand at the beginning a lot. Keep doing this for thoasands of years(past 1 A.D.) then irrigation, roads, etc. 2.trade once you have expanded, works in real life, works in the game. 3.Wonders, don't fall behind, 2 good ones pyrimids(granery in every city means major growth) and colossus(build in city with rivers in it and watch the money come in).if a other civ has rocketry don't get Manhatten Project untill most cities have SDI defense. 4.techs, reasearch bronze working then any ones needed for philosophy which will give you an extra boost over the other civs. 5. dispite what everybody says, democracy is the best gov, good cash, good science. get U.N. and use air power to destroy your enemys.
Ruler of the World
Kansas City area, USA - Sunday, February 21, 1999 at 11:44:31 (EST)
Fundamentalism + Temples = $$$$$$$$ The quick way to build your civ and armies: BUY THEM!!!
Jeff D. Allen <allen@cs.dal.ca>
Halifax, Canada - Friday, February 19, 1999 at 14:12:35 (EST)
INFANTRY CAN ATTACK CITIES USEFULLY!!! despite what everything thinks, infantry units after gunpowder can be used to attack cities succesfully. Always have them attack in large numbers BEFORE your calvary or artillery or whatever, but save some for occupation. Sure they will get slaughtered, but they will weaken their defensive units enough so that your valuable expensive attack units will fight against weakened units or weaker units and live to fight again another day. This is VERY useful for blitzkreig campaigns and civs with high shield production.
STALIN <no >
la, usa - Thursday, February 18, 1999 at 22:49:47 (EST)
For those of you who are new to civilization, the key to win a game in chieftain level (which most novice player tend to play) is simply one word: Science, science and more science. Research technologies lightningly will put you in the lead. Although your rival civs will be afraid of you, and treat you as an enemy, they will constantly threaten you to offer them knowledge or else they will crush you, those "pathetic" AI's, giggles...
Dark_Falcon <N/A>
N/A, N/A - Wednesday, February 17, 1999 at 19:44:42 (EST)
Once another nation starts getting big enough to compete, break the "cold war" by allying with a weaker Civ they attack. This allows you to start whittling them down while fostering good relations with other nations. Also, once one Civ gets a powerful tech you already had (such as Conscription) consider giving it to other weaker nations. They're going to get it soon enough through trade and alliances anyway, so you might as well be the good guy by giving it to them.
Jophiel <edamoth@inil.com>
Naperville, IL, USA - Friday, February 12, 1999 at 20:23:33 (EST)
Cities on small islands may not grow fast but they can often bring you a advantage in a land based war. DONT EVER FORGET THIS!!!
Xerxes <grtxerxes@yahoo.com>
Miami, USA - Thursday, February 11, 1999 at 15:32:31 (EST)
A comment to Warlord's tip: I prefer to use my spies to buy the enemy cities. That way your empire can grow to an enormous size without any bloodbath. Also, your neighboring civs will still love you which gives you the opportunity to send out your armies of engineers to conquer the planet uninterrupted! :)
Patrik
Umeå, Sweden - Wednesday, February 03, 1999 at 14:47:15 (EST)
Get the statue of liberty. Switch to comunism. Build spies. Build more spies and a moderate amount attacking units and a small number of defensive units for occupation. Then send the spies in mass waves to sabotage everything in enemy cities until the city walls come down. This weakens the defense allowing your calvary/armor/what ever to slaughter the defending units and take the city. Move in the occupation armies and fortify the city with a spy or two to stop the computer from doing this to you. Repeat.
Warlord VB
- Sunday, January 31, 1999 at 22:37:12 (EST)
The trick to winning wars is not nukes or spies it is armor and superior technoligy. If you have armor and they are researching leadership you have a superior advantage. What I do is put in happiness improvements and science improvements and the rest is history
A. Gorilla <rugas@earthlnk.net>
Bettendorf, USA - Sunday, January 31, 1999 at 13:07:13 (EST)
Early in the game, keep building settlers. DO NOT build other units (except explorers and triremes). Get democracy and statue of Liberty as fast as possible, then change government to fundamentalism/communism and start declaring war on other civs.
KL
USA - Saturday, January 30, 1999 at 01:01:41 (EST)
I've seen people build 4 or 5 defensive units in every city. There is a better way: Build the best defense unit of the time (Legion, Alpine Troops, etc.), and then City Walls in EVERY CITY. These have low maintenance and last forever, so you don't have to build zillions of defensive units. PS: use Fundamentalism!
Josh <josh@longlivethemac.com>
nashville, US - Friday, January 29, 1999 at 15:05:02 (EST)
1. Go up to viwe and grid, this can help you to not overlap you cities, just make sure the white squares (represent production squares for city) never overlap. 2. GET THE GREAT LIBRARY FIRST! If you do this you won't have to even worry about science at all for awhile, you will get everything you enemies are getting, so you will always be atleast even with them on technology, that way you can build over wonders and military advances. 3. Later on in the game get King Richards Crusades, it will make all of your navy have 2x movement, if your already playing a game with 2x movement imagine what you could do with your navy! 4. Obviously you want to irrigate/farm & road/railroad every square in a city production range, this will help your city, especially if you built close together. 5. Kill the Aztecs! I hate 'em. 6. Don't ever just stay on an island, at first you should discover your surrondings, if you are on an island then you want to get seafaring anf navigation FAST! If you just stay on that island forever obviously your civ isn't going anywhere. 7. Put 2 settlers/engineers, your highest level of defense and your highest level of attack on 1 or more ship(s). Then go and build a city right next to your enemy, after you have fortified go explore your enemy with your attacking unit and go build roads to THEIR cities so you can get to them faster with your units! (By the way they will also be able to get to you faster, so make sure you bring those defenders), this is a really good way to start a war is you aren't already at war with someone.
Lord of All <tbwg2@earthlink.net>
Kansas City, USA - Wednesday, January 27, 1999 at 18:26:13 (EST)
Play with 7 civ's and get the Great Library as soon as possible. That way, you can set your luxury and tax rates higher than usual because everybody else will be discovering for you. Then with your taxes you can buy units and improvements and wonders to destroy some civ's. PLus, if you are in a Republic or Democracy, the high luxuries will cause the cities to grow a lot, increasing your score.
LeftySully <leftysully@writeme.com>
Somewhere, Some state Some Country - Wednesday, January 27, 1999 at 18:18:12 (EST)
Cannon and engineers are a deadly combination. When combined with railroad takking cities is a breeeeeze.
Conqure De Victory <prominister@yahoo.com>
Puyallup, USA - Monday, January 25, 1999 at 20:26:45 (EST)
It's simply amazing how the AI will always offer peace after you conquer a city and then be easily provoced into declaring war. So, attack take a city sign peace then next turn attack take city sign peace THE AI WON'T ATTACK YOU unless they do a sneak attack. This brings war casulties WAY down. It's especially fun with the UN and if you don't care about your reputation.
Boshko <boshko@acadia.net>
SW Harbor, USA - Monday, January 25, 1999 at 15:04:14 (EST)
Build Michaelangelo and JS Bach and go nuts building cities, crank out dozens of settlers. Then, as soon as possible, switch to Fundamentalism. In a size one city with a temple you will be getting 8 gold even without any trade. You can get a couple thousand a turn. Then use your money to build up an enourmous army of cavalry and spies and you should be able to mangle your enemies without any difficulty whatsoever. This works great on Diety!!!
Boshko <boshko@acadia.net>
SW Harbor, USA - Monday, January 25, 1999 at 14:40:11 (EST)
simple but effective strategy: get all the wonders in any game as soon and often as possible. by mid-game you will have such a ridiculous advantage over anyone that any other activity is ultimately fruitless in comparison. the easiest way i've found to rack up all wonders is to simply a) have lots of cities as soon as possible--usually by building, b) *not* building any city improvements other than a barracks (makes it easy to build a large, effective armed force fast, if necessary) but rather only alternating between settlers and wonders over and over until you have a large stable of cities producing (sometimes old, unavailable) wonders; so that you can c) have lots of cities ready to cash in shield numbers well into the 000's as soon as any new wonder becomes available. by mid game you should have a list of 20 wonders or so that will make your civilization more powrful than any number of city improvements you could have produced by then, and more importantly, you will be able to produce all those improvements very quickly having won the long list of wonders that give you such advantages. also, i've found that using this strategy against a democracy - so long as you avoid tangling with the democracy (which may not be avoidable) - will enable you to remain a monorchy and generally keep pace with democracy in terms of advancements. i find this let's me consider absorbing other civ's and building temples & such due to oracle or hanging gardens being rendered useless. perhaps this strategy requires you to take a monarchy/fundamentalist approach.
bob
CA, USA - Sunday, January 24, 1999 at 21:29:28 (EST)
BUILD NUKES! KILL ALL!!!
Tagu Swag <mrbobman>
Baghdad, Iraq - Sunday, January 24, 1999 at 02:41:58 (EST)
One sifft, large invation should criple the computer from reinforcing their cities and sending an counter attack.
Sean Fitzgerald
Hilo, Hawaii, U.S. - Thursday, January 21, 1999 at 23:28:41 (EST)
Kill everyone quick when they only have one city
Vin
San fransissco, U.S - Thursday, January 21, 1999 at 23:11:58 (EST)
(*Disclaimer* You must understand that warfare before Armor and Paratroops is poitless! You simply cannot cover the neccessary ground for your master 'lightning offensive' to work. Unless of course you want to get in a slugging match.......) Expansion is good. Those defensive players who dig in at 1 A.D. will get killed. Build up a physically massive empire, and keep expanding as neccessary. It all doesn't have to be perfect. Once you are a reasonably civilized and advanced society, swtch from your rich and decadent Democacy,(You were on Democracy, right?), to Communism.(gasp!) While not the 'ultimate war gov'., it alows a reasonable campaign to progress without giving away all the comforts of more advanced govt's. START gearing up towards war, don't start breaking treatise right then and there. Get some Partisans and scout around their empire, judjing the local centers of opposition, venues of attack, key railways, peaks, etc. Now, with a firm grasp off your opponents situation,( A copy of the State of the Union address would be nice....), begin building up troops on the border, improving roadways and defenses on the war front, and deteriorating the diplomatic situation. If, after a few turns, they don't break the treaty, break it youself. After the war, their opinion of you wont matter much. The partisans should destroy railways, engineers, mines, etc. Drop paratroops to block their reinforcements and take out one city at a time. Repeat. Don't negotiate with them, and continue until either their dead, or your war machine is totally shot.
Alex <IVBellum@aol.com>
Guthrie, U.S.A. - Wednesday, January 20, 1999 at 00:03:10 (EST)
On the early levs to win most wars fortafy a strong defencive unit in a enemy city and then change the terrain to mountin. continue until the city has no food. Run away. City will die off and then it is easy to take. Do not do this on hard diff as the computer will kill the engineer unless you have a heap of units protecting him.
Rojo <Forgotten_1_@hotmail.com>
That place, Australia - Sunday, January 17, 1999 at 06:50:45 (EST)
If in combat with a non-democracy AI who has railroaded his cities together, switch to democracy, set tax to 100%, set most cities to capitalism, build spies and then simply buy all his cities. This way you get them with all improvements intact.
Primogneitor <primogneitor@hotmail.com>
- Friday, January 15, 1999 at 14:19:43 (EST)
Build Michaelangelo's Chapel as soon as you get it. If another civ has it, try to get it from them by either trading or stealing. Send caravans in to the city which is building it and have them help. When it is finished, you can easily be a democracy or republic and not have to worry about unhappiness. And if you are at war with another civ, send in spies to poisen the water supply. In one turn, it is possible to take a size 30 city down to 10 or below. This will hurt the enemy a lot, especially if it is his main military production city. Or, if he is on a separate continent, capture all of his coastal cities so he cannot attack you.
Nathan
Canton, USA - Wednesday, January 13, 1999 at 17:30:57 (EST)
How I always win is I advance immediately to Philosiphy then Gunpowder then Automobile then Electricity and you can't lose!
Joe Cool <cool_dudez@yahoo.com>
usa - Wednesday, January 13, 1999 at 11:05:24 (EST)
Never build riflemen, often I've noticed that they often can be destoyed by musketeers. always fortify cities with Alpine troops, there expensive but rarely can be destroyed (even by modern units.)
Chris Valencia <sclean@westol.com>
West Newton, USA - Monday, January 11, 1999 at 21:16:42 (EST)
Use bombers and paratroopers for gonquering the world. It is really easy if opponents don't have samsites. If they have samsites, then destroy samsites with spies.
QPA
- Monday, January 11, 1999 at 03:24:19 (EST)
Use lot of airplanes for fighting and patrolling your cities, then you don't get surprise attacks.
Gyfa
- Monday, January 11, 1999 at 03:20:42 (EST)
This is a big one, I have only recently figure this out. In republic or democracy, set your luxuries to 50% or so... this will cause all of your cities to go into "we love the king day". Once this happens, EVERY single turn ALL of your cities will increase in population by one. After each turn, build aquaducts + sewer systems where needed, and move the resources around each city to maximize food + trade. Do this for about 5 turns, every so often - ENORMOUS growth. I used to think fundamentalism was good for growth because of no unhappiness - but NOTHING beats this method.
Mike <tansymic@home.com>
East Lansing, USA - Friday, January 08, 1999 at 12:07:58 (EST)
Heres something I like to do when Im just goofing off. Play as the Egyptians. Build Settlers like crazy. Take your settlers and have them build a fortress on every square on the coast. Then place the most defensive unit you can. Works great. WARNING...Takes alot of time.
XerXes <Civ2Maniac>
Provo, USA - Thursday, January 07, 1999 at 15:23:28 (EST)
I have found that with cavalry, I have always very firm control of the world without ever having to build a howitzer. Also the Statue of Liberty is a great wonder to build because you can switch to fascism (if you have the fascist patch) before you actually discover it, and I'm telling you, Fascism is a government of war plain and simple.
Travis Weaver <tweaver1@rr.maine.com>
Cumberland, United States - Thursday, January 07, 1999 at 07:17:57 (EST)
You can create a "Panama Canal" to help you move about your world. If a ithsmus is big enough for a city, yet too big to allow ships to cross it, just build a city on it. then, ships can enter the city on one side, then leave from the other.
Azrael <msmith1@meta3.net>
U.S. - Monday, January 04, 1999 at 15:03:56 (EST)
Artie's tips suck, never follow them
Russ N
- Sunday, January 03, 1999 at 10:57:57 (EST)
Try to build your cities on places which produce lots of trade such as gems, silk, gold, etc. If your cities aren't producing enough food for the people living within them, then build granaries and harbors. Another great way to get money is to make contact with distant civilizations and send caravans to make trade routes with their biggest cities. Building a Marco Polo's Embassy will help for sciences because by using the foreign advisor you can trade with civilizations that you haven't even seen before. Another great thing to build for sciences is the Great Library that lets you get technologies that were discovered by 2 other civilizations.
Al Choholic
- Sunday, January 03, 1999 at 08:33:41 (EST)
Don't waste your time trying to get all of the governments from thecnologies. Get Democracy as fast as you can and build the Statue of Liberty in one of your cities. If you are building something else you really need, finish its production and then start on the statue. Try to build it in the city that has the highest sheild production.
Artie Nizamov
- Sunday, January 03, 1999 at 08:18:26 (EST)
Howitzers are the key to victory
Simeon Mann <themanns@net-tech.com.au>
Maffra, Australia - Friday, January 01, 1999 at 21:21:22 (EST)
Use Cheats!!! It is Simple.
julius <julius@shadow.sk>
- Friday, January 01, 1999 at 09:41:20 (EST)
When you have a city that reaches 8 or 12 and don't have the appropriate improvement for it to grow further, change the tiles being utilized to maintain production and trade while sacrificing only the extra food for growth. You should now have a few entertainers you can change to scientists and tax collectors until the city can grow further. This can speed up research (especially earlier on) and can free up researchers in other cities which can be dedicated to growth.
Brad <hemps@widomaker.com>
Williamsburg, USA - Monday, December 28, 1998 at 20:46:00 (EST)
If you want a wonder but you cant by it you can by a city improvement and then you switch to a wonder. Bingo you're almost complete of a wonder. I've gotten tons of wonders this way.
jake
USA - Thursday, December 24, 1998 at 17:28:31 (EST)
Always try to build Copernicus's Observatory and Isaac Newtons College in the same city be sure to include a Library, University, Research Lab, and throw in a few scientists and you have a science capital. Let other nations build the wonders that expire you can always conquer the city that built it later, focus on the wonders that do not expire (with the exception of Leonardo's Workshop)you will benefit more from them.
Mad Hatter <teknologica@hotmail.com>
Skagway, US - Wednesday, December 23, 1998 at 22:14:04 (EST)
Bridge cities are some of the most useful in the game. Build cities on the 1 or 2 squares seperating continents, keep them defensively strong, and maintain a decent navy (5 or 6 ships scattered over your civ to react to enemies). Then build a harbour and Colossus. This will give you a great city. Make sure you have tech buildings (try to avoid placing all the wonders in one of theses cities) and a courthouse. This allows your civ to develop rapidly and stably. Example: Istnbul. Was standing after centuries of warfare, a center of knowledge and power, and it allowed westren civilization to develop from barbarian villages to renisance universities.
Ian McLennon
- Saturday, December 19, 1998 at 19:00:12 (EST)
Building Great Fortress Cities Build cities between movement reducing terrains (on plains between mountains, grassland between swamps, etc.). Build at least 3 good defensive units, fortify them, then build a couple of your best seige units and put them on sleep. The city will probably recieve a lot of attack, so multiple defensive units (and hopefully walls too) are neccesary. In the case of a city between mountains or hills, the siege weapons are woken up as soon as an enemy comes within kicking distance. Normal units are, for the most part, ineffectual, but siege weapons will destroy most all opponents. Fortresses within two or three squares in mountains filled with one of your strongest units make incredibly difficult sentinels. If your entire empire is trashed, you'll still never die if you move your throne to one of these babies.
Ian McLennon
- Saturday, December 19, 1998 at 18:48:42 (EST)
At the start of a game,build 1 settlers in your first city ,togo off and found a new city.Then build either a market or library,and then another settlers unit to'perfect' that cty ie build irrigation and roads .repeat this with all new cities until you modernize.
James Robinson
UK - Saturday, December 19, 1998 at 09:48:20 (EST)
This is for all of you still playing the demo. # easy steps to a high score. 1) build build build. send out tons of settlers to build tons of cities. don't worry about being wiped out. make friend w/ all the civilizations you can. pay them if you have to. 2)set your taxes as high as science will go. don't worry about money you won't need it 3) after about ten cities focus all of your inner cities time to wonders. and you inner(but close to outer cities) on caravans. have them go to the inner cities and:HELP BUILD WONDER. email me any comments you have.
Mrdo <mrdooooooo@aol.com>
- Friday, December 18, 1998 at 00:18:19 (EST)
Only build cruise missiles because they can take out any unit with one missle!
John <none>
schofield, USA - Wednesday, December 16, 1998 at 09:17:40 (EST)
After about 1900, when you should hopefully of researched all technologies. Set the tax rate to about 60%. If you have enough trade you should be able to make a thousand gold each turn. Then if your enemy is a diplomacy, piss him off enough to declare war on you, this will colapse hiss government. (This can usually be done by planting a few units outside one of his cities) Then with a few spies go and Incite Revolts in as many cities as possible. True it costs quite a bit, but with 20,000 gold you can practically buy an entire civilization. Much easier then smashing the hell out of a city and then having to defend it. As you get everything inside it with no damage. HAVE FUN!!
Jon <jonathanb@btinternet.com>
England - Monday, December 14, 1998 at 13:33:12 (EST)
1. When in doubt, build settlers. 2. If you've reached a point where some of your cities have built all the improvements they can, stock up on diplomats. 3. Fortify or build a city at bottlenecks, even if they are between areas you completely control. 4. Try to have mobile units within reach of cities liable to be attacked by barbarians, so you can easily run down and capture the leader. 5. When fighting an enemy on a relatively narrow patch of land, sea-transport or airdrop units to isolate the front from reinforcement. This is especially handy if you can he was dumb enough to leave an empty fortification astride his only railway. 6. The Great Library is very important, because it allows you to push on ahead toward a research goal, knowing that you'll pick up the earlier technologies before EVERYBODY else has them too. 7. Cavalry and Armor are GAMEBREAKERS. Prepare to go on the offensive WHILE you are researching them. Don't have a bunch of tanks sitting idle because you couldn't be bothered to build transports. 8. Accompany your mobile spearheads with diplomatic units so you can negate zones of controls. 9. If you intend to win the game by getting into space, pound the Babylonians, Chinese, Egyptions, Indians, and any other similar early and often. 10. Steal technology every chance you get. 11. Diplomatic units stacked together cannot be expelled. 12. The ONE CITY you don't build SDI in WILL GET NUKED. Doesn't matter where it is. 13. The computer LOVES cruise missiles. If you are fixing to move up and attack a coastal city, end the turn with the attacking force at the edge of its movement radius from the target city. 14. The only thing that forts adjacent to a city are good for is to give a sieging force a staging area. In other words, DON'T build forts next to your cities.
AmphibTiger <jeremy.lehmann@mailexcite.com>
Ceiba, Puerto Rico, USA - Wednesday, December 09, 1998 at 22:41:12 (EST)
Build your cities about 3 squares apart to maximize space. This will cause overlapping but that is what you want (trust me). For your cities be your one defensive (in the beginning), then if you have 2 food being produced build a settler (about 80% of your cities should be able to do this). As soon as you can build a marketplace for shields (after the defensive unit and settler). Keep building settlers, before you know it you will have 20 cities and massive wealth. With the settlers, go in a circlar pattern to develop the land around the city, this will make the citiy grow fast, while doing this have about half of the settlers moving out to make more cities, but always develop land as you go including roads/railroads. For tech go for Bridge Building first, then Railroads, and last Engineers. Remember you will want Pryamids, Leo's Workshop and Great Wall for your wonders, they are top priority (well the wall is not but it helps). Try to get all of the wonders you can, for the ones you don't capture them for the computer. Make sure all of your cities are connected by roads/railroad. Connect the computer cities with roads/railroads. When you run out of space for cities start using spies to capture new cities. Last thing, a turn or two before end of game, use of of you remaining settlers/engineers to make cities and put your luxuries to 100% and disband most of your military units (leave the ones that are closest to the computer that are in cities). This plan will maximize your points and will keep you far ahead of the computer in Tech. You will need to build a few few buildings as you go, but will not need them all. Also because you wil have so many cities and enigeers, put many of them on auto build/development to save time for yourself. I have be able to coloinize the whole world leave the computer with one city each using this method. (even the smallest islands.)
Thyfur <thyfur@hotmail.com>
USA - Wednesday, December 09, 1998 at 04:55:23 (EST)
Win the spacerace by launching just after building Apollo Program ! Let as many cities as possible build WOW´s that are already built and advance to Fusion Power before you finally build the Apollo Program. Now change the cities production from WOW to SS-Structurals, SS-Components and SS-Modules and all shields(even at deity) can be used to speedbuild your spaceship. With good economics you should be able to launch it at once, if not: buy the missing parts (sell everything you don´t need anymore for your victory and score; disband useless units in these cities and of course you can boost the fake WOW-Production by using caravans !). Always keep in mind that your flight-time should be a minimum !
Sebastian <emailme@teleweb.at>
Vienna, Austria - Monday, December 07, 1998 at 14:02:03 (EST)
I only have one tip. Howitzers. Thank you, thank you very much.
Smart Guy
USA - Sunday, December 06, 1998 at 18:03:00 (EST)
To avoid barbarians when exploring the little huts WITHOUT CHEATING, explore them with 9 (!) Explorers : put 8 around the hut while the 9th get in. As all the cells surounding the hut have a unit, there can't be a barbarian appearing in it. Slower, but cheaper : explore with 5 offending units, with movement remaining. 4 of them will be around the hut while the 5th enters it. The 4 units around will then attack the appearing barbarians.
Laurent Sam-Giao <laurent.sam-giao@usa.net>
Paris, France - Friday, December 04, 1998 at 14:36:59 (EST)
Winning on deity level is easy. All you have to do is wait until all the enemy civs have all their cities connected by railroads. Then all you need is a MASSIVE force of Stealth Fighters and Howitsers (the only units worth having in the game). All you do is capture one enemy city, move the whole load in and you have captured the continent. Do this for every civ/continent and the world is yours. Using this tactic you can capture the entire planet in a single turn!
Ste <stevenjbrown@hotmail.com>
Middlesbrough, UK - Tuesday, December 01, 1998 at 12:30:48 (EST)
If you have to break through a particulary Hard defence along the coast attack it with helicopters leaving the helicoplters in an ocean square. place AEGIS cruisers in the squar and you can destroy coastline fortifications with minimal collatoral damage
Dennis Scott <OneCoolCustomer@Hotmail.com>
Bunrlington, Canada - Monday, November 30, 1998 at 19:56:50 (EST)
Play isolationist- to a point. If you use a world map, put forts at what would be Suez, Panama, any other bottleneck you see fit. This works well for Africa. Do democracy and send out LOTS of caravans. Never let anyone on your shores! Bribe any unit. Keep yourself a mystery. Beat the shit out of the others in tech, get up a huge treasury, and buy the world. Or, plant nukes with spies (so what if everyone declares war on you? You're most powerful!). Another tip if you do a random map is automatic islands. Build some cities, set them to automatic, have a couple of engineers improve land. Set a couple military units sentry outside cities, to notify you on trouble.. Just don't worry about them, it'll be population, taxes, and science that's no worry. Expendable cities! Just don't do that on mainland.
Claire Greiner <esbita@hotmail.com>
Michigan, US - Monday, November 30, 1998 at 12:29:18 (EST)
If you ever find any "wondering nomads" NEVER EVER build a city with them. Since they are from NONE they are free, so when global warming sets in, making your cities have hunger, you have a free settler/enginner that won't die to hunger!
Socko
Canada - Saturday, November 28, 1998 at 18:38:37 (EST)
One time I tried to conquer an enemy capital because he was ahead of me in the space race. I brought a sub full of missiles and a transport full of howitzers. I landed the howitzers near the capital and the sub was nearby. Since the sub was in the capitol's city limits they told me to withdraw my troops or fight. When I refused, they took me out. The stradegy I used next was to keep the sub at about a 10-square distance so they did not know it was there. The city had both SDI defense and air defense so I used some of the howitzers to take out the mech units and then used the missiles to take out the rest, then moved in with the rest of the howitzers.
Stockmeister <ssaaron@pcola.gulf.net>
Pensacola, United States - Saturday, November 28, 1998 at 12:04:40 (EST)
if you take a look in the map editor for civ2 you can see the resouce seeds. i usually place my cities to get 3 or 4 special recources at one time. the only downfall is i allways lose because by 20AD i only have 2 or 3 citys that are too far apart! so what i have found that woorks, build citys so the border of the city radii touch, not overlap, (and corruption is also cut down) it will also help your science rate. and if anyone can give me some reely good "BC" tips i would be very happy.
Jesse <Wario413@aol.com>
brunswick, usa - Friday, November 27, 1998 at 08:41:13 (EST)
there are a few ways to win.one,you dont worry about other countrys,army,ect.build as many citys as poissible.then once you can go no further or something bad occurs,build your big army.two,build a few citys,wait till you get better tech.(like stealth bombers)and build howitzers and stealth bombers and/or cruise missils.about 20 of each,for cruise missils build 30 or more and make a suprise attack at the biggist country.it will work every time.it will only take about 5-10 turns to take them out.15 at m aximum.TRUST ME.when you try it e-mail me.tell me how it turned out.if it didnt i could tell you what went wrong.
salamipour
- Wednesday, November 25, 1998 at 20:19:57 (EST)
First, build Leo's workshop. Then, go near enemy units (preferably early types such as warriors, phalax, etc.) with a diplomat/spy. *Make sure that an enemy city is closer to that unit than one of your cities.* Now, bribe the unit nice and cheap (the l ess advanced the unit the cheaper it is). On your next science discovery, that unit will become updated with the most up to date one available! Also, that unit will have NO support. *extra tip - the units are even less expensive the farther away from the enemy capitol.
Eric <janbiv@earthlink.net>
-, USA - Wednesday, November 25, 1998 at 18:21:00 (EST)
Science in military use is nice! With three tanks, I conquered an entire continent heavily populated by musketeers! :) And another thing: If you build the science wonders in a city with a lot of trade and food AND trade routes you can easily make it produce more than 500 beakers each turn!
Patrik Wahlberg <patrik.wahlberg@medchem.umu.se>
Umea, Sweden - Sunday, November 22, 1998 at 18:56:52 (EST)
A good tip, if playing with large land masses, is to avoid building ANY BUILDINGS WHATSOEVER for as long as humanly possible. Build lots of settlers, a huge mobile army and conquer the world! Before now, I've not constructed a single building until 2 0 A.D. and once I conquered the world (on Emperor level) having constructed just 2 temples!
Sparky
- Thursday, November 19, 1998 at 09:49:37 (EST)
If you are being attacked by a more powerfull enemy whose main source of power is on a seperate island, try and build a city on that island, and heavily defend it at all costs. The computer AI will concentrate all on the nearest threat, leaving you so me time to build up for the counter attack!
Sparky
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire - Thursday, November 19, 1998 at 09:45:03 (EST)
If a weak civilization offers you money to make war with another civ, do it. Then offer a cease fire. Either way the adversary will likely not come after you. But you'll have money in the bank!
Andy Wink <arwink@mail.viterbo.edu>
La Crosse, WI, U.S.A - Monday, November 16, 1998 at 15:16:19 (EST)
When i play i notice civilization trends. Like the Japanese are easy to kill in the begining but a real pain if you wait. also some civ's never build space ships like the Mongels. Kill all your space compettion early and you will almost get to Alpha centuri first.
Jake Wilmengton <Jmos22aol.com>
pittsburgh, USA - Friday, November 13, 1998 at 22:55:46 (EST)
The tips below work fine for a standard CIV install. I play with a modified version (just new units). I have a attack walker, 16attack 12defense and 4movement. You'll love this unit and live in fear of it. Also, a mobile SAM unit - very cool. Last my cyber marine. All the advantages of the basic marine plus some extras. The computer players build many of these. If you want the modified files e-mail me. I have modified the units.gif and rules.txt file, sound also. no bugs!
Keith Nahin <density@i2k.com>
South Haven, MI, USA - Thursday, November 12, 1998 at 16:23:31 (EST)
Take a settler or engineer and transform the center of your cities to hills. The added defense bonus you get (plus walls, SAM's, costal fortress) will make the city very hard to take. If the city center is plains you will need to transform them into grasslands first - than hills. It can take some time so plan ahead.
Keith Nahin <density@i2k.com>
South Haven, USA - Thursday, November 12, 1998 at 16:16:34 (EST)
I don't think anyone can say they have the key to winning. I do however have the BEST defense money can buy. I say money becasue it is expensive. If you build a fortress on a hill or mountain, place 3 or 4 mech units (or marines - I'll explain in a minute) and keep a bomber over the square nothing can break through. Remember, the only units that can attack a bomber are fighters (really only stealth fighters as early fighters are weak). When a fighter attacks the mech unit will defend as his defense rating will be higher than the bomber (any bomber, stealth or the early type will do). The mech unit, fortified with fortress and good terrain will eat up fighter after fighter! Ground units can not attack because of the air unit in the square. This is a strong defense that is as full proof as you can get. It is costly - you'll need two bombers per square. Try it, you'll leave by it!
Keith Nahin <Density@i2k.com>
South Haven, USA - Thursday, November 12, 1998 at 16:10:44 (EST)
If you build a city with a village somewhere in its radius, this prevents unwanted results ie barbarians, weeds. You always get an advance/unit/settler. This is great in the early stages when you are rapidly setting up your cities and you don't want a ton of barbarians popping up to annoy you. Another good tip is when you have conquered an enemy city, but don't have enough cash or units to take the surrounding cities, sell all the improvements in that city, and fill it with any defensive units you can spare. This has two benefits one, while they attack that city you can build your armies in the other cities that they leave alone, and second, if that city is lost you've cleared out all the improvements and gained a bit of cash too.
Luke Olson
Melbourne, Australia - Tuesday, November 10, 1998 at 23:38:57 (EST)
Steps to wiping out whole civilizations: 1. Lay siege to the capital and have diplomats/spys attack until walls are gone. 2. Take the capital with catapults, artillery etc 3. Have loads of diplomats/spys buy the other cities dirt cheap. It helps if you build up cash before.
Rich <genuinegenius@thelab.freeserve.co.uk>
Crawley, England - Tuesday, November 03, 1998 at 08:28:00 (EST)
4 quick tips: 1) set up a game where you see everything and have the computer play you. Watch what happens, study the AI, learn. 2) The AI is surprisingly quick to abandon WoWs. If you're being beaten to the punch on something critical, start a war (anything to unballance equilibrium), and he'll likely abandon the project. 3) always mine gems, unless you really need the trade. It converts to pheasant--2 food, 3 prod. i believe. 4) A personal foible here, while I typically eschew helecopters, I f ind them especially useful for clearing up partisans so the rest of my army can steamroll.
John Becks <beckemej@hotmail.com>
Houston , USA - Tuesday, October 27, 1998 at 00:29:38 (EST)
Something I've found interesting is that when you build an airbase on a square(any square)with mining on it, you'll get extra food out of that square(sometimes gets in the way with air units, though. . .).
Jared Koger
Ringgold, GA, USA - Friday, October 23, 1998 at 20:24:00 (EDT)
It's absolutely imperative that you build the Hoover Dam. To me, it is by far the single Wonder I cannot do without. Plus, it keeps the other players from having it. I often build wonders defensively, even if I don't want it, just to keep the ot hers from getting a bonus with them. Also, there's no substitute for an active, aggressive spy corps. Destroy city walls, cathedrals, factories, and universisities in that order. Then go get 'em.
Scott Madere <fightingtiger@rocketmail.com>
Baton Rouge, LA, USA - Thursday, October 22, 1998 at 20:00:32 (EDT)
Try having your spy approach from several directions when bribing an enemy city. You can save hundreds of dollars! Also, save your game before entering. If you lose important structures (cathedrals, airports, etc.), re-load. Veteran Fighters (the kind with propellers) can defeat fortified veteran riflemen behind city walls. (Sometimes two or three!) If you have sufficient movement points left, position them over nearby defensive areas (mountains, forts, etc.) when you seize the town. This will prevent partisans from taking these areas. (Though the AI won't position units based on defense, partisans naturally appear there.)
Brian Harrington <bharring@Mines.EDU>
Golden, CO, USA - Thursday, October 22, 1998 at 18:48:06 (EDT)
It never hurts to have 122 helicopters active at one time
David
- Sunday, October 18, 1998 at 17:25:12 (EDT)
An easy way to increase science production: Build caravans, and send them all to the same city.
Michael Hahn
- Thursday, October 15, 1998 at 22:13:08 (EDT)
I believe the key to victory in the modern times, lies in the navy. There is no way you can win without one (when you are a conqueror of course). If you can manage to grasp control of the seas, no one can stop you...
Steve The Jackal <sduplain@usa.net>
Winnipeg, Canada - Wednesday, October 14, 1998 at 20:51:26 (EDT)
Ships from ironclad onwards are the superweapons of the day if developed early enough. Put loads of research towards steam engine, attack the coastal cities then buy some inland with spies/diplomats. Keep improving the ships. Good Luck!
Rich <genuinegenius@thelab.freeserve.co.uk>
Crawley, W.Sussex - Tuesday, October 13, 1998 at 13:27:43 (EDT)
Good late game tip - howitzers + railroad can NOT be stopped. A few dozen howitzers on rail (with a few engineers to fix the track) can destroy 5 to 10 enemy cities easily. I've taken out China, or India in the WW2 scenario in a single turn this way. Y ou can use a few spies to take the last few cities (cheaply).
Mike <tansymic@home.com>
East Lansing, USA - Monday, October 12, 1998 at 17:28:46 (EDT)
Early research is very important - get philosophy (extra tech) + the republic (VERY important)+ trade (for wonders). 2 very important wonders = pyramids (rapid growth), great library (rapid tech's). The earlier you get these 2 the better. Build as many cities as possible, without overlapping resource squares. If you find the enemy close to your civ very EARLY on... trade all your tech's with them, then destroy them (before the tech's get out to the other civ's). This is especially good if they only have one or two cities. BTW, in the past 6 months, I ONLY play Deity level, and I've NEVER EVER lost. I can't wait to play some "intelligent" players (the enemy AI sucks once you get good).
Mike <tansymic@home.com>
East Lansing, USA - Monday, October 12, 1998 at 17:24:42 (EDT)
To conquer an island stronghold,load a transport with 7 artillery(or preferably howitzers),and an engineer.Go to an edge of the island where there is a railroad track,unload the engineer and build a city.Then move your transport into the city.You now c an attack the enemy city without losing movement points.
Bruce <bruce.mcelhinney2@ns.sympatico.ca>
Canada - Saturday, October 10, 1998 at 20:49:28 (EDT)
I usually play on Deity level (Emperor level if I want to "take it easy"). My advice for winning (with either world conquest or the space ship) is PATIENCE! I have found that the more patient I am, the more meticulous I am about micro-managing all my cities, and the more willing I am to spend the extra amount of time it takes to continue building new cities, the more it pays off. The games where I get impatient and try to rush things, or decide to save effort by not expanding as much as I know I sho uld, are the games where I fall behind and someone else ends up sending a space ship before I can. Patience, grasshopper, patience!!
Jeffrey R. Olson <jeff.r.olson@westgroup.com>
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States - Friday, October 09, 1998 at 15:38:47 (EDT)
When you use a spy to investigate a city, use the rename button and enter some comments ie. 2r0w = 2 Rifle men no walls. Then move on to the next city. Your notes will appear as the city name on the main map. Good hunting, Chris
Chris Roper <caroper@iafrica.com>
Hout Bay, South Africa - Monday, September 28, 1998 at 07:25:32 (EDT)
Take advantage of the computer AI's stupidity - it won't use terrain for defence for example, it'll use its units "dumb" and keep wasting them in hopeless ways - so set traps with good defence on mountains/hills. Especially don't throw your stuff away in the same dumb manner! And go for shields in your cities big time, even if it causes pollution - have some guys permanently on hand to deal with it. (Long live Greenpeace, but perhaps after I've conquered the world!)
Bernie Coates <bcoates@csr.com.au>
Sydney, Australia - Monday, September 28, 1998 at 04:11:26 (EDT)
Develop YOUR OWN strategy and perfectionize it, by using some of the hints and tips you find on the net. There is not one ultimate strategy. About cheaters: we'll meet you on the net.... Also: if you base your strategy on getting something nice out of every goodyhut (restarting all the time) ; good luck on the net to you too. Kuma no Tsumé
Kuma no Tsumé <no_tsume@hotmail.com>
Holland - Friday, September 25, 1998 at 06:29:30 (EDT)
KICK THE COMPUTER OUT EARLY, ALLY WITH THE BEST CIV. KEEP ON His GOOD SIDE. KILL OTHERS GOOD LUCK
George <george@kiko.net>
- Thursday, September 24, 1998 at 19:00:14 (EDT)
A few tips to boost your resources. When you've engineers transform terrain on plains will change that terrain to grasland. The trick is to transform only on those squares where you will have grassland with a shield. If you toggle the "t" you should be able to recognise a pattern in the dis tribution of grasslands with shields and grasslands without them. Following the lines from left to right from bottom to top, you will see two shieldholding graaslands next to each other and the next two will be one row above that and so on. Using the grid will help alot. The next tip is one that I've only recently discovered. It involves the special resources. For example the feasant or coal. These special resources also have a pattern. But they're only two of them connected. Look at a resource, go two rows up and four st eps to the right and you will find your next special resource or in the same pattern the other way. In this way you can transform grasland (the only terrain without special resources) to coalhills or iron mountains. This will boost your productivity.< br> Leo Boeren <leoboeren@hotmail.com>
Rotterdam, Netherlands - Thursday, September 24, 1998 at 09:24:40 (EDT)
Positioning Spys on all good defensive squares in an enemy city's radius just prior to capture (or all squares, period if you've got enough Spys) prevents Partisans from appearing and slowing down your Blizkreig when you walk into the city. They can th en be moved on to the next city.
R Browne <rbrowne@clara.net>
Leicester, England - Sunday, September 20, 1998 at 07:54:30 (EDT)
The Best way to be a winner is to make your way in the ennemy country and buy many of is units with spy. War is just a thing of money. If the victim is in democracy, destroy any cathredral and colosseum. Good luck!
Raphael Gélinas
Trois-Rivières, Québec - Tuesday, September 15, 1998 at 09:19:35 (EDT)
The second your power is classified as Supreme, every computer players' attitude to you gets a lot lower. When you hit the roof of the Powergraph, enemy pacts are signed.
T. J. Allen <DWH.Allen@btinternet.com>
Southampton, UK - Sunday, September 13, 1998 at 08:59:17 (EDT)
This is a really simple tip, and I'm surprised that I've never seen it anywhere. Do not abandon any wonders of the world, if at all possible. If you are building a wonder, and someone else beats you to it, even if there's no wonders you can switch to, keep up with that wonder. That way, you keep adding shields to it. Once you discover a technology that gives you a wonder, start building that. This gives you rapid wonders. I've had instant wonders before, because I'd accumulated so many shields that I had enough for the wonder.
Nik <fortytwo@ufl.edu>
- Thursday, September 10, 1998 at 23:15:35 (EDT)
Have you ever traded maps with another civilization and been baffled at how many cities they have? It provides them with a strategic advantage against you. What yu should do is create as many cities as possible. Even though they won't be quite as per fect as you would like them to be you have a great advantage when the space race begins.
Max <regniweol@aol.com>
- Tuesday, September 08, 1998 at 14:28:44 (EDT)
Some wonders are excedingly important to your civilization: Leonardo's Work Shop, Adam Smiths Trading Co., Appolo Program (even to just to see the map). Some wonders are should only be built for the points because they become obsolete very fast: Oracl e, Lighthouse, Sun Tzu's Acadamy. During the middle ages of your civilization, wonders that boost the number of happy citzens are quite important. It is very stupid to venture into the rehlms of the Manhattan Project. It will get you to a quick global warming and since other countries won't venture in until later you won't be stuck in a nuclear war.
Max <regniweol@aol.com>
Wash. D.C., USA - Tuesday, September 08, 1998 at 14:23:29 (EDT)
I tend to find that the best strategy is to concentrate on building loads of city improvements. This is expensive, but if you have enough space to grow, you can get loads of cities up. As soon as you can get it, go for Adam Smith's Trading Co. This then makes all your improvements free, then you can concentrate on building up a super-army with all the cash you get.
Keith Spragg <eben01@aol.com>
Southampton, UK - Saturday, September 05, 1998 at 19:31:37 (EDT)
An easier way to win on Deity is to build new cities early and attack other computer cities. Build the Pyramids,Great Library, Leonardo Da Vinci Workshop,Michalanglo- Chapel,Sun Tzu's Academy and United Nations do not trade or give your military knowlegde such as Moble Warfare and Gunpowder
James Anderson <JRa30>
Dallas, Texas - Saturday, September 05, 1998 at 16:59:04 (EDT)
To avoid unpleasant surprises when entering native villages, you can do the following: just before you enter the village, save the game. When you don't like the stuff inside (e.g. them bleedin' barbarian buggers or a free unit when you're a democracy), restore the saved game. The next time you enter the village, there may be some other thingee inside. But then again, there may not be. Patience. Try again. And again. And again. And then, give up.
Bert Van Vreckem <we49807@vub.ac.be>
Pamel, Belgium - Friday, September 04, 1998 at 05:35:28 (EDT)
If an advanced game has stagnated on you, try this: build up a huge amount of engineers, perhaps 2 per city, then tip the world irretrievably into global warming through indescriminant rampant nuking of anything and everything. Every single computer p layer will begin starving back, losing maybe 25% of pop. or more and all the production that goes with that pop. Meanwhile, you re-irrigate like mad to mitigate the effects on yourself. It doesn't just tip the scales, it can smash the scales over their head.
John Beckemeier <beckemej@hotmail.com>
Houston, USA - Friday, August 28, 1998 at 00:29:11 (EDT)
Build the Colossus, Newton and Copernicus wonders all in the same city (a coastal city would be better) to increase a lot your sci. And King Richard in a town that is near mines to have a lot of shields on it.
Napoleão <thomaznap@hotmail.com>
São Paulo, Brazil - Wednesday, August 26, 1998 at 22:14:21 (EDT)
Before moving caravan to its destination city, go to caravan's home city. Make all the population work on those trade-laden squares (sea, river, etc). Then move the caravan to enjoy the initial coin and breaker bonus, which gets boosted by the temporar y trade increase. If you control the destination city, you can also apply this technique to it too.
CivSheep <askyeung@asiaonline.net>
Hong Kong - Tuesday, August 25, 1998 at 10:06:35 (EDT)
All computer players hate you when your poweris suprem. And the computer players make pacts when you hit the top of the power graph.
David Tornquist <prominister@yahoo.com>
Puyallup, USA - Monday, August 24, 1998 at 23:49:20 (EDT)
when playing on diety level build the oracle ASAP so you don't have any problems with unhappy people. When you get monotheism build michelangelo's chapel so you don't get messed up when the oracle becomes obsolete.
pasha
atlanta, - Sunday, August 16, 1998 at 16:33:41 (EDT)
In the later parts of the game take out a civ's capital and then incite revolts with your spies. Make sure you are Communist for the good spies.
Deity Killer
USA - Sunday, August 16, 1998 at 16:30:21 (EDT)
Always have an Ally when waging war in democracy. Ask them to declare war on an enemy you wish to continue to fight with untill they are destroyed. Pay what they ask. Whenever your senate signs peace with the enemy, meet your ally and he or she will de mand you declare war on the enemy and vollah, the war continues. If your powerful enough, request a gift from your ally every 3 turn for about 18 turns to get lots of money or technology.
Amin <sabz@axion.net>
Vancouver, Canada - Wednesday, August 12, 1998 at 01:46:50 (EDT)
Build many cities so your civilisation grows faster. If you have a larger civilisation you can build a larger army.
Oscar Kleväng <hotskate@hotmail.com>
Alingsås, Sweden - Tuesday, August 11, 1998 at 04:37:29 (EDT)
If you build a large fleet to invade another civ, there are two ways to protect it from missiles: one is to use AEGIS cruisers to defend ships, but if they use bunches of missles, that can destroy all protected units. Nukes will obliderate your ship an d everything nearby. But a way to prevent missile attacks and nuke attacks is to build a bomber wall. No missile unit can attack bombers, and if you have eight bombers forming a 'V' with the ships inside the V, the missiles have to go around, and if you h ave enough movement points, you can back far enough away to be out of range, but close enough to get there, drop cargo, and do some attack'n.
Sergeant_DjS
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States - Sunday, August 09, 1998 at 21:20:07 (EDT)
The most important buildings to build at the start of the game are barracks and markets. Build them in every city! You could build Sun Tzu's war Academy wonder and save time because it gives you barracks in every city. When you build these in every cit y... Man! The world is yours! Servus! God save Croatia!
H.Antunovich
Zagreb, Croatia - Thursday, August 06, 1998 at 03:54:11 (EET DST)
The key to success in Civ 2 is to build The Great Library(literacy), Learnardos Workshop(invention) and the Pyramids (masonary) as quickly as possible and reserach their prequisite advances before any other. These 3 will probably do more for you early in the game than any other advances. Latter on in the game you must get Michelangelos Chapel and J.S.Bachs Cathedral. At this stage the Statue of Liberty may also turn out to be useful. Be sure to switch to fundamentalism ASAP so that you may get extra taxes from the luxuries. Keeep your grasp on Science strong by sending out lots of spies and diplomats to steal technologies from your rivals. Late in the game build the UN and Manhattan Project first. This will give you the nuclear egde over the rest.
Altan Butt <Shahida.Butt@Unep.org>
Nairobi, Kenya - Tuesday, August 04, 1998 at 11:28:16 (EET DST)
After you build your first city, build ONE warrior and then a settler (if you started with one) and then discover the following; Bronze Working, Masonry, Ceremonial Burial, Alphabet and work your way up to Philosophy so you can get a free technology. Things to build in each city Warrior, Settler, WONDER (good wonders include Pyrimids, Hanging Gardens, King Richard's Crusade, Marco Polo's Embassy . . .) Phalanx, barracks, and other stuff . . .
Jackie Cheung <dingwong@direct.ca>
Vancouver, Canada - Sunday, August 02, 1998 at 04:53:04 (EET DST)
There are lots of different ways to win. You don't need to build any particular wonders, or any at all (though it helps). Just be flexible. For early conquest, use lots of veteran elephants or crusaders unloaded from ships (they'll beat pre-gunpowder units behind city walls most of the time, and can take out musketeers without walls no problem. A few ironclads (maybe supported in your Shakepeare's Theatre city) can be devastating.
Sean D
Greece - Tuesday, July 28, 1998 at 13:55:02 (EET DST)
The most important things to do when playing Civ2: 1. Build lots of settlers in the start of the game. Settlers can be used to build new cities and improve older ones. Always have 1 active settler per city you control. 2. Switch to Monarchy as soon as possible. 3. Always build at least 1 wonder at any time. 4. Put all your science wonders (Copernicus, Newton, SETI) in one designated city with lots of trade. 5. Leonardo's Workshop 6. Switch from Monarchy to Democracy as soon as you built all the 'happiness' wonders (Bach, Shakespeare, Michaelangelo) 7. Switch to Fundamentalism as soon as you don't need any new techs. Then start buying out your opponent's cities with spies.
Andrew Holstein
Overland Park, USA - Monday, July 27, 1998 at 23:27:18 (EET DST)
The Republic Government is a waste of time and money. You should switch to Monarchy then to Fundamentalism ASAP.
Dj Civilization
Greece - Saturday, July 25, 1998 at 20:29:16 (EET DST)
Put a Engineer on a vessel. Activate him. Tell him to TRANSFORM TERRAIN. He will change it to mountains. Then you can have him transform it to hills then plains.
Pit <mrciv2@hotmail.com>
- Saturday, July 25, 1998 at 20:26:16 (EET DST)
I think you should switch to Monarchy as soon as possible because it increases your production and crop yield. Then, when you get UN and Women's Suffrage, switch to Democracy. The UN allows you to go to war half the time while the Suffrage lowers the amount of unhappy people you get from units not in cities. Then, watch the money, science, and happy citizens come pouring in.
Sabaybunot
Canada - Sunday, July 12, 1998 at 15:15:09 (EET DST)
It is my belief that paratroopers are misused. The only time I see them used by other players is in two cases: 1)to take over a city just after a nuclear attack, 2)to take over a city after a large air or naval bombardment. Paratroopers can be put to much better use. They are an advanced unit, so by the time they come around, the world should be connected by railroad. If a city you are trying to take has railroads, the computer (or human in a few days) can easily reinforce that city on a single turn from anywhere in their empire. If they have a human blockade, you are forced to fight on the front lines. Here's where paratroopers are usefull. You can paratroop them onto the railroads connected to the city, and pillage them. This will destroy the city's supply lines and thus make it easier for you to capture the city. You can also use paratroopers to catch those elusive barbarian leaders. Since the paratrooper can make a move after he lands, you can place him next to a leader and attack, gaining 150$. A great thing paratroopers are great at is using your allies to do the dirty work. Often one of your allies will bombard an enemy city, but will not have enough units to take it over. On your turn, just pop in a paratrooper. Now you have a city, and your allies will help defend you, and it doesn't cost you a unit. This is especially useful in the World War 2 scenario, when you are the British and need a foothold on the mainland (Athens just doesn't seem to do it).
Matt Bratschitsch <bratsch@mcmaster.ca>
Dundas, Canada - Monday, July 06, 1998 at 00:37:44 (EET DST)
When first starting a game, the first thing you should build is a Barracks, dont' bother with the warriors. By the time you get the Barracks, you should have researched Bronze Working. Build about 2 Phalanx and that should keep the computer off your back. Building the Pyramids, Hanging Gardens, Great Wall, Sun Tzu, and Lighthouses are big mistakes. Practily the only wonder you need is King Richards Crusade. It HEAVILY increases production so you can easily build the other wonders if they're worth buildin g. Also, get Fundamentalism ASAP! You need all the troops you can get, and Fanatics ain't that bad.
Chadd Lord of the Poles <chadd@hotmail.com>
Center Line, Poland - Tuesday, November 11, 1997 at 23:31:49 (EET)
Nuclear tips! Here's some usefull tips to help you survive a nuclear war. Tactical vs. Strategical weapons Defensive : The computer AI allways uses his nukes as strategical weapons, never as a tactical weapon (he attacks cities, but not units). To exploit this, you can place defensive units shoulder to shoulder along your border. Place ships outside costal cities. If the AI doesn't have access to your cities, he doesn't attack. Offensive: Since nuclear missiles and aircraft carriers costs the same to build, it makes sense to nuke the carriers, as it often has some fighters and bombers with it. And since the explosion is over water, it doesn't pollute. SDI Defence Offensive: The SDI's destroys all nuclear missiles within a three square radius (or is that four?). The AI is smart enough to take advantage of this, and it doesn't build an SDI in a city right away if a neighbouring city within three squares has allready built one. To take advantage of this, you wait until the AI places one of his units next to the city without the SDI. If this unit isn't within three squares from the protecting city, you can nuke it. This will destroy all the units inside the city too. Defensive: When you have built SDI's in your cities, the AI somehow sense it, and it doesn't waste nukes trying to attack them. However, if two of your cities are within three squares from eachother, you only need to build an SDI in one of the cities (the AI doesn't use the tip above). I addition to saving some resources, you can laugh at the AI when it tries to nuke your "undefended" city over and over and over again...
Jørgen Skjellevik <jorgen.skjellevik@writeme.com>
Bergen, Norway - Saturday, November 08, 1997 at 17:11:17 (EET)
Fortify at least two good defensive units on the nearest mountains around your borders. Build forts there as well when you can. This will hold off almost anything until the late game, when the enemy has bombers. In this situation, place a few more d efensive units in the forts. The enemy will foolishly throw everything it has at your impenetrable fortress while you develop resources to take him over.
Ken <ttsba@silcom.com>
Santa Barbara, California - Thursday, October 30, 1997 at 03:27:16 (EET)
At first you may lead the world in tech but everybody will pass you sooner or later. Build lots of cities to produce science. To counter everybody gettting ahead of you, build the great library. This is especislly useful for 7 civilizations. Then use c ommunism or fundamentalism and tax everybody to death.
Chris <blackrob@usa.net>
Tampa, USA - Saturday, October 18, 1997 at 18:48:17 (EET DST)
Basically my friends I have one tip, Science ! Science is the key to winning at all levels of this game, if you plough most of your efforts into gaining advances quickly, then when your opponents have cannons, you'll have artillary. Build libraries and universities in all of your cities as soon as possible, but keep your science/tax rate at around 70% / 30%, believe me it'll work !!!!!
M Heyhoe <MARC_H@mail.termlow.co.uk>
Gosport, England - Friday, October 17, 1997 at 00:38:39 (EET DST)
You must get the Pyramids, The Great Library, and Leonardo's Workshop. The other very important wonders to make sure and buy are The Great Wall, The UN, Michael's Cathedral, Darwin's Voyage, SETI, and Sun Tzu. Build as many settlers and new cities as possible early in the game. Switch to Monarchy as soon as possible. Always have cities working on Wonders (even if obsolete; you'll get the next one you want that much faster.) Build factories in largest cities as soon as they are available, then you MUST get Hoover Dam. If you are on a world with lots of water, become lord of the sea. Irrigate before even building roads. Switch to Fundamentalism and build lots of spies to k eep up in Science. Build nuclear defenses in big cities BEFORE someone gets Manhatten project or it will be too late. Don't sacrifice defence to build spaceships.
TennJed
Greece - Wednesday, October 15, 1997 at 22:22:35 (EET DST)
I have been able to achieve Civ ratings of over 300% at Emperor level, and I always use the same basic principles: - My 3 must have wonders: 1)Pyramids, you grow twice as fast. - 2) Hoover Dam, you build 50% faster. 3) UN - as soon as possible no matt er what- it keeps a pesky computer off your back while you build an irresistable army in the midgame. Avoid confilct early on. Spend only the bare minimum on military until mid to late in the game. Play defensive, and expand furiously, devoting as much of your resources to science as possible. Go offensive in the endgame, after you have technological supremacy. Attack where your opponent'swonders are, the computer tends to concentrate them in one or two cities.
Brett May <bmay@nwu.edu>
Evanston, IL, USA - Tuesday, October 07, 1997 at 02:55:20 (EET DST)
Alot of people say that Marco Polo's Embassy is not a good wonder. I'll argue otherwise and say its way better than the Great Library any day. I can trade and pay for more advances, more quickly than the Great Library would ever give. Zeb
Zeb Fisher <zeb@pacbell.net>
San Francisco, USA - Saturday, October 04, 1997 at 06:17:16 (EET DST)
The key to winning a war is to build the Shakespeare's Theater in a port city. Remain a democracy so you can continue to stockpile money and research new advances. Move every military unit (including naval) into the city with Shakespeare and set THAT city as its home(h). In Shakespeare city do everything you can to make it increase production. You can support MANY units that way and not have unhappy people in the cities that ORIGINALLY built them!
C ALLYN FLINCHBAUGH <WICCANPOET@AOL.COM>
ANN ARBOR MI, USA - Thursday, September 04, 1997 at 23:45:58 (EET DST)
Build Colossus and King richards Crusade in the same city, and you must also build the SETI Program as you get the full map.
Tupac Maru
Heron Island, Australia - Monday, July 14, 1997 at 14:26:57 (EET DST)
Always get these wonders: Pyramids, Great Wall(If you are near other civs), Hanging Gardens (optional), Lighthouse (Opt.), Great Library, Magellan's Expadition, Leonardo's Workshop (must!), Michaelangelo's Chapel (saves money and time), Adam Smith's Tr ading Co., (Copernicus's Obserbatory, Isaac Newton's college, and SETI program + all the reaserch buildings in the same city for tons of tech), Statue of Liberty (opt.), Eiffel Tower (opt.), and some I may have missed.
Ares...God Of WAR!
Cypress, USA - Sunday, July 13, 1997 at 07:06:27 (EET DST)
Ever notice that when the computer gets a new tech that they already have some guys that you get from the tech in some cities? Well, I think it cheats so if a civ you are at war with is reasearching rocketry, move all your Battleships and Carriers away from their cities. Just keep them around your cities for water defense.
Ares...God Of WAR!
Cypress, USA - Sunday, July 13, 1997 at 06:58:13 (EET DST)
When you can, switch to democracy to get money and techs. While you do that, be sure to make peace with all the civs. Then, after you get rockets and robotics, switch to fundamentalism and built guys. For one city, try to get it on the same land mass. I would build 2 tanks, 5 howitzers, 4 bombers (2 bomb while two rest), and about 10 cruise missiles to take out the partisans. Or if they contact you, make peace, fortify, build airports and mass up again, simple!!
Ares...God Of WAR!
Cypress, USA - Sunday, July 13, 1997 at 06:54:04 (EET DST)
Put a settler or engineer in a vessel and activate him, tell him to build roads and railroads. food and trade production increases in the square!(can't walk on it)
Hec
USA - Thursday, July 03, 1997 at 04:08:08 (EET DST)
I found that if you build cities as close as you can without overlapping the resourse squares and if you build a city, build a military unit for defense, and then build settlers and then go build another city and repeat the cycle you can build alot of cities and you generate lots of trade. Also have each city contribute at least one offensive unit when it can. Don't trade knowledge that can be used against you. Never give the enemy things they demand. Build all the wonders you can, and, if your the mos t advanced, don't build Manhattan Project until you have The Laser and SDIs built in every city.
Nathan <carlisle@sofnet.com>
Monett, USA - Monday, June 23, 1997 at 23:10:42 (EET DST)
Scripts and Guestbook created by Matt Wright and can be found at Matt's Script Archive
OLDER TIPS
Fairly Simple by Jim Holbrook
This is fairly simple and someone may have thought of it already but here it is.On the last turn prior to the end of the game set luxuries to 100% and everything else to 0%.Because you get more points for happy citizens you will substantially boost your score. Win and Withdraw by Dan Leonard
Capture the city of a nation that is more advanced than you.Keep a diplomat and a powerful attack force nearby say three cannons and the musketeers as escorts.Back off from the city a square or two.Destroy city walls before leaving of course.As soon as they takeit first send in the diplomat to get the advance. Then start attacking unit you win the city and get another advnace.Hopefully the city is big enough to lose many members of its pop.You can do this several times allowing you to catch up with and advanced nation.You might want to build fortresses around the city to help with attacking it as necessary.Only despotism works near as I can tell
Cheating by Something Special
When you first place your capital city name it jsS"k and you will get some things in that city.Also try building four cities next to eachother to get a megalopolus.
(warning:I tried them both but they didnt work.)
Communism vs Statue by Redluvr
Communism is a good thing but here is the trick:Get the Statue of Liberty once you get Democracy.That lets you have any government you want.When you are at
a heavy war with someone use Fundalmentism that way you can have up to 10 units per city without any waste.When you are at peace and learning stuff go with democracy.That has the best taxes and you learn stuff much quicker if you set it+right. One more
thing.They weren't kidding when they said Knowledge is power. I learned everything I could.then with my advanced technology I defeated a civilization who had at least 3 times as many cities as mine around 20 or so. Keep Civvin!
Go to Communism as soon as you can by Ryan Webster
Go to Communism as soon as you can.It destroys all corruption and waste which is VITAL in the early part of the game.After you switch to it use it as a stepping stone to more advanced forms of goverments ie. democracy,fundal.etc. This is my humble
opinion.I have beat the game using comm.on a higher level and on a lower level so I know it is possible.Also keep your cities tight early on the game:lower corruption.
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