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Godstar
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District of Columbia
Aug 2004
time: 05:36
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Having problems learning civ, and here are my problems.
Seems like I'm perpetually in debt. I try to build buildings in my cities, but in doing so, it seems to ramp up my maintenance costs so much that I simply end up going into debt trying.
I cannot upgrade my units. I've tried moving them in and out of my city, hitting the upgrade button, but nothing. Doesn't seem to work. I'm not sure if this is because I've always been in debt.
Stacks don't seem to move all the units. I hit the stack button, and when I attempt to move the stack, only 1 seems to move and attack instead of all of them.
AI seems to like "gang banging". It seems that if I attack 1 computer, or 1 computer declares war, they all declare war on me. It seems the only way I can prevent this is by meeting their rediculous trade demands, like giving them basically my high tech for nothing (maps or some crap like that). Not sure how to prevent this. I'd like to have a more diplomatic approach to dealing with neighbors but I can't seem to do anything with diplomacy (doesn't seem to work or I can't get anything to do with another nation going (like treaties, co-ops, trade agreements and stuff like that).
If someone can offer advice on making money, buildings and simple, general strategies you can use at beginning, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks for your time!
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Dominae
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quote:
Originally posted by Godstar
Seems like I'm perpetually in debt. I try to build buildings in my cities, but in doing so, it seems to ramp up my maintenance costs so much that I simply end up going into debt trying.
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Put a Road on every tile your cities are working, in addition to the standard Mine or Irrigation. Roads increase the Commerce output of a tile by 1. Thus if each laborer is working a roaded tile, the Commerce output of each of your cities will at least be equal to its population.
quote:
I cannot upgrade my units. I've tried moving them in and out of my city, hitting the upgrade button, but nothing. Doesn't seem to work. I'm not sure if this is because I've always been in debt.
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Upgrading units costs Gold. If your treasury is low, you will not be able to upgrade. A unit also needs to be in a city with a Barracks to upgrade. If only one or neither of these conditions is met, the upgrade button (a lightning bolt) will not appear on the screen.
quote:
Stacks don't seem to move all the units. I hit the stack button, and when I attempt to move the stack, only 1 seems to move and attack instead of all of them.
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You can only move a stack, not attack with it; units always attack seperately (unless you have an Army but that's a different story).
quote:
AI seems to like "gang banging". It seems that if I attack 1 computer, or 1 computer declares war, they all declare war on me. It seems the only way I can prevent this is by meeting their rediculous trade demands, like giving them basically my high tech for nothing (maps or some crap like that). Not sure how to prevent this. I'd like to have a more diplomatic approach to dealing with neighbors but I can't seem to do anything with diplomacy (doesn't seem to work or I can't get anything to do with another nation going (like treaties, co-ops, trade agreements and stuff like that).
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There are two ways of making sure the AI does not abuse you diplomatically: be strong economically, or be strong militarily. The latter is simplest: just make sure you have enough military units so that the AI does not think you're a pushover, and it will declare war on you much less frequently. You know that you're not weak compared to the AIs because the military advisor (the F3 screen) tells you so. Being strong economically comes with practice. Basically if you've got a lot of techs, Gold, Luxuries, etc. you can manipulate the AIs into doing what you want, instead of the other way around. Again, you need to play a lot to get good at this.
quote:
If someone can offer advice on making money, buildings and simple, general strategies you can use at beginning, I'd appreciate it.
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Anything else you need to know, just ask. 
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Godstar
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District of Columbia
Aug 2004
time: 05:36
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Well I finally finished the game, took me a couple days and here is what happened. Note that I had to restart again, due to some problems I got locked into with a previous game (I had no resources in my area and was getting smoked by stronger units).
This game I:
-- Played Germans (don't know why, I just picked one).
--I figured out how to upgrade.
-- I tried scouting out as far as I could and building as close to the neighbors civs as I could, expanding as many cities as possible every turn (some cities grew faster than others and made for good pumps for new cities).
--Was able to maintain positive cash in treasury the entire game.
--Made it to the near end of the Modern Age, but didn't get all the upgrades.
--Was at 70 percent tech most the time.
-- I had a good number of cities, but got trapped between two semi-large cultures (Russians and French)and was able to stunt one early one that was a close neighbor (English).
-- Was able to use diplomacy, plant spies, plant embassy, etc., though I did not try to techsteal at that point.
-- I had as equal, or better armies than who I was fighting, until the end when I was getting beaten down due to lack of steal and lack of anyone who would trade it.
Problems I had:
Massive waves of Knights. Seemed that even though I would have calvary, or even for that matter infantry/rifleman, the knights would just roll in by droves, and take out cities with stacks of infantry (2), and calvary (4-5) that I had pulled back after they invaded. It really seemed that these early units were capable of hurting/killing off many stronger units, or units I would have thought were stronger. The Russians seemed to employ this moreso than the others did.
I wasn't able to tech as fast as I would have liked, and had a few problems with unhappiness in my cities. It seemed that whenever I would go into war, things would get nasty, people would start rioting, and my cities would get trashed by my own people. Either that or they would starve due to people not working, and being turned to entertainers. This was almost a perpetual problem, since almost always, one of my neighbors was : invading me, smack talking (give me x or die), intruding on my lands, or I was declaring war on them simply because I didn't want them growing into me.
The tech problem got me in the end since the Russians had happened to get lucky and had every resource, which allowed them to build tanks, which ended up crushing me in the end. I also noticed that calvary/knights were still usefull for land tile harassmant, even in the late stages. Masses of these roaming over the lands destroying improvements and then amassing for assaults on cities was nearly godly and unstoppable. Really not sure how to defend against that strategy vs. mass horseman rushes.
Needless to say I lost due to the time limit (didn't even know I had one). It was one of my best games, but at least I didn't end up as Bismark the pathetic, and was simply, Bismark the Weak or Sucky (whatever the second/third to the last title was).
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vmxa1
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Oviedo, Fl
Nov 2001
time: 21:36
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Originally posted by Godstar
"Well I finally finished the game, took me a couple days and here is what happened. Note that I had to restart again, due to some problems I got locked into with a previous game (I had no resources in my area and was getting smoked by stronger units).
This game I:
-- Played Germans (don't know why, I just picked one).
--I figured out how to upgrade.
-- I tried scouting out as far as I could and building as close to the neighbors civs as I could, expanding as many cities as possible every turn (some cities grew faster than others and made for good pumps for new cities).
--Was able to maintain positive cash in treasury the entire game.
--Made it to the near end of the Modern Age, but didn't get all the upgrades.
--Was at 70 percent tech most the time.
-- I had a good number of cities, but got trapped between two semi-large cultures (Russians and French)and was able to stunt one early one that was a close neighbor (English).
-- Was able to use diplomacy, plant spies, plant embassy, etc., though I did not try to techsteal at that point.
-- I had as equal, or better armies than who I was fighting, until the end when I was getting beaten down due to lack of steal and lack of anyone who would trade it."
That is nice start, well done.
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vmxa1
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Oviedo, Fl
Nov 2001
time: 21:36
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Originally posted by Godstar
"Problems I had:
Massive waves of Knights. Seemed that even though I would have calvary, or even for that matter infantry/rifleman, the knights would just roll in by droves, and take out cities with stacks of infantry (2), and calvary (4-5) that I had pulled back after they invaded. It really seemed that these early units were capable of hurting/killing off many stronger units, or units I would have thought were stronger. The Russians seemed to employ this moreso than the others did."
You don't say what massive means exactly, but surely 2 infantry is not enough to feel safe. In a map where you share the land with a developed civ, you should have bombardment units to back up the troops.
In frontline cities, you want as many defenders as it takes to fend off the numbers and type of invaders you expect. This can be hard to know, but you should have some clues.
Have mobile units in range to come to the aid (knights/calv) of the city. If you know you are going to have civs nearby, think about spacing cities closer together, so they can support each other.
What was the city size? If less than 7, build a wall or try to grow it. Place cities with defense in mind if you share the land. This may mean hills or next to a river, leaving forrest in the path of invaders.
Slowing them down and letting you ping them with cats/cannon or what ever you have. Get archer/longbow or other bombardment units in the city.
After that, you do not know what the RNG will do. I think T posted a mention of the unbreakable spearmen, that stopped many units. Things sometimes get ugly.
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The pirate
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getting to the modern era before getting beat is better going than my first games, and I thought i knew what i was doing, having played civ 2.
turns out i had to forget all about that and start again.
And youve found the right place, Ive learnt all I know about civ3 here, including the bit above.
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vmxa1
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Oviedo, Fl
Nov 2001
time: 21:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Godstar
I wasn't able to tech as fast as I would have liked, and had a few problems with unhappiness in my cities. It seemed that whenever I would go into war, things would get nasty, people would start rioting, and my cities would get trashed by my own people. Either that or they would starve due to people not working, and being turned to entertainers. This was almost a perpetual problem, since almost always, one of my neighbors was : invading me, smack talking (give me x or die), intruding on my lands, or I was declaring war on them simply because I didn't want them growing into me.
The tech problem got me in the end since the Russians had happened to get lucky and had every resource, which allowed them to build tanks, which ended up crushing me in the end. I also noticed that calvary/knights were still usefull for land tile harassmant, even in the late stages. Masses of these roaming over the lands destroying improvements and then amassing for assaults on cities was nearly godly and unstoppable. Really not sure how to defend against that strategy vs. mass horseman rushes.
Needless to say I lost due to the time limit (didn't even know I had one). It was one of my best games, but at least I didn't end up as Bismark the pathetic, and was simply, Bismark the Weak or Sucky (whatever the second/third to the last title was). |
Last one first, as you now know the game end at 2050, but you can play on, if you want.
Research is a function of empire strength and the government you are in at the time.
So if in Monarchy or Despotism you will do less well as compared to Republic.
After that you need to get you cities growing and citizens working prime tiles, that are improved with roads and mines.
Not much can be done about poor terrain or lack of resources, other than get them from someone else anyway you can.
Then you maybe able to research a tech that is not being researched by the AI and trade it for tech or cash or goods.
At all times you must ensure that your citizen are not unhappy. This means no city has more unhappy citizens, than happy ones. They must be at least equal, better if more happy than unhappy.
So check it at the end of the turn, if you are not sure. After a time you get to know when a city grows or some event affected happiness. (dropped out of war boost for instance)
Use the lux slider to help with war weariness. In order to prevent or slow down threat and demands form the AI, you need to be stronger than them.
Check you F3 advisor to see how you stand and if he says we are weak, you must crank out troops or face the consequences.
As to the russians, you have to trim them back at some point. This is not impossible, but requires you make troops and lots of them.
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Godstar
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District of Columbia
Aug 2004
time: 05:36
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"You don't say what massive means exactly, but surely 2 infantry is not enough to feel safe. In a map where you share the land with a developed civ, you should have bombardment units to back up the troops.
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Well this is what I mean. I would have like stacks of 4-6 troops, sometimes more on each of my frontline cities (thinking this was plenty).
Woah, what's that? 3 stacks of like 8 knights (not sure of the #'s actually, but was a big stack) roll in from the darkness. I retreat all troops onto cities and move reserves from back cities up.
One after the other the stacks pick off units, pull back hurt ones, and then send more in to back the orginal hurt units up. I try to build more units but it's like that many stacks all at once was just too brutal a thing to stop. My cities evenually caved in and were destroyed, causing me to restart again. The only way I was able to stop it was by moving as many calvary out onto the city and hope they wouldn't be able to retreat, or my calvary on my city would be able to kill their wounded.
Some of my non-automated workers get captured. Seems they can see them coming if automated, something I can't do otherwise playing them manually.
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Godstar
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District of Columbia
Aug 2004
time: 05:36
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Use the lux slider to help with war weariness. In order to prevent or slow down threat and demands form the AI, you need to be stronger than them.
Ok what is the lux slider? What menu wsa that on? I didn't mess with any luxuries, and didnt' really know what they were for.
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gunkulator
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Luxury slider determines what % of commerce is used to generate luxuries, which will make your people happy.
Lux slider is on the F1 display near the top. It is right below the science slider.
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vmxa1
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Oviedo, Fl
Nov 2001
time: 21:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Godstar
Well this is what I mean. I would have like stacks of 4-6 troops, sometimes more on each of my frontline cities (thinking this was plenty).
Woah, what's that? 3 stacks of like 8 knights (not sure of the #'s actually, but was a big stack) roll in from the darkness. I retreat all troops onto cities and move reserves from back cities up.
One after the other the stacks pick off units, pull back hurt ones, and then send more in to back the orginal hurt units up. I try to build more units but it's like that many stacks all at once was just too brutal a thing to stop. My cities evenually caved in and were destroyed, causing me to restart again. The only way I was able to stop it was by moving as many calvary out onto the city and hope they wouldn't be able to retreat, or my calvary on my city would be able to kill their wounded.
Some of my non-automated workers get captured. Seems they can see them coming if automated, something I can't do otherwise playing them manually. |
Ok, it is hard to address this in the dark. Mainly you have had contact with the civs near you all along and have some idea of what types of troops they have.
You do nt know the distribution and the amount (unless you have a spy). You probably have seen them move units to wars and such and should have some clues. Nuts like me that play lots of Civ, will have a very good idea of what is to be faced at any point in the game.
So if they sent around 24 knights/calv, you probably could have seen it coming. In any event, you knew they have MT and that means Calvs. This mean three moves and you need to be ready to defend it or else go get them first.
So if you had 6 infantry forted in a town, you woudl kill 15 out of 24. Ten Inf would be about 50/50.
So you have to plan accordingly. I would have archer/cannons to back them and I would like to have an army. Then I will be fine and can go kill injured units.
You do not want to be at war for more than about 20 turns, unless you are in a WW free form of government, such as Monarchy.
Automated workers are a disaster waiting to happen. In times of war they are dead meat. I do not put workers in harms way, they are too useful.
In the early days you could use them as bait, but that was an expoit and has been nuked. So if I must put on near a potential hostile, I will cover them with troops, better if it is an army.
The AI will not attack a healthy army in the field. A useful thing. They are very weird as I dropped 17 armies on the Mongols hil and they did not attack them. I used a settler to found a city and they send wave after wave to their death (80-100 at a turn).
I knew they would do that, so I rushed a barracks and smiled until they spent about 500 units. Then I go out and take down their city, nearly undefended now.
Last edited by vmxa1 on 01-09-2004 at 19:52
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Godstar
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District of Columbia
Aug 2004
time: 05:36
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So you have plan accordingly. I would have archer/cannons to back them and I would like to have an army. Then I will be fine and can go kill injured units.
So do archers get a free attack like cannons/artillery when units attack a city? I've never seen them do that before...
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Godstar
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District of Columbia
Aug 2004
time: 05:36
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So what is the distance from your capitol where corruption starts to take effect?
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28-08-2004 21:32
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