I bought Civ 3 yesterday.

I feel a bit cheated. It is obvious that Civ 3, as-is, ins't what it is supposed to be.

So many good features that where present in Civ 2 are gone in Civ3!!!!!

No scenarios, no fixed starting places for civilisations, no useful editor (there is nothing to be edited in "editor"), etc, etc...

How am I supposed to win, say, WWII - when there is no such a scenario? What is purpose as starting like German - in Africa?

Anyway, I have decided to play Civ 3 on all-the-hardest settings and then I am content until Civ 4.

As far I have seen, AI isn't much smarter, it only has even greather production and combat bonuses over human player.

I played both Civ 1 and Civ 2 with all the toughest options (Diety level, raging barbarians, max no of civs, big map) and I developed winning strategies to that exstent that it had became sure-thing that I will prevail on the end.

But Civ 3 will be much harder nut to crack (I am just speaking about diety level, that is the only thing I am interested in). Settlers take 2 populations out, workers take 1. This will make very hard to keep expanding. Tex revenues spent to combat unhappines on diety level causes virtual standstill in science research, that takes for ever, anyway (around 20-30 turns per advacement on the beggining).

There is no fundamentalism (unhappiens eliminating) goverment. Computer players are demanding unresonable things in diplomacy (2-3 to 1 ratio of worth in deals) so dealing with them can hardly be much beneficial.

I played only one game; I seemed to be doing quite fine, as game allows it at all. However, I just can't keep the pace (and that isn't much surprising).

I have decided to start another game, but before that I would like to hear any real ideas/experiences about diety level and Civ3.

I have idea to just try to conquer as much land I can, while beeing very humble to computer opponents so that they leave me alone, survive until I somwhow reach relativelly modern state (obtain modern technology) and then build effective offensive military and then start taking them out one-by-one, starting with weakest neighbor (that is about what I used to do in Civ2).

I am sure that winning strategy for diety level in Civ3 must have same basic idea, since I do not see how you can build enough large army to take anyone out early on (diety level, at least).

Also, on diety level you need huge cvalitative/cvantitative supperiority for effective invasion (I haven't invalded anyone jet, but I would say 3-4 to 1 ratio, maybe even more judging by the posts here).

Also, does taking enemy capital cause split of the empire and civil war (like in Civ2)?

By the way, when I say "win" I mean "military victory" - I am not interested in any other ways of "winning".

The first problem with your strategy is already apparent to me. I am currently playing a game on emperor, and I tried to expand and be humble, the problem is the computer wont let you. They perceive aggressive expansion as a threat, and have allied together against me. Now they are attacking my cities, even though I have been humble. Also, what must be a bug in the game, my spearman with defense 2 seems unable to defend a city w/ walls against a puny warrior(both with neglible veteran status). Until a bug like this is eradicated, I find it nearly impossible to play at all. My credentials are the same as yours civ1 and civ2 mastered on deity, though I never played cmdl. Good luck finding a strat with the game in its current state. Im waiting for a gd patch.

I am not aware of any particular bugs in game. I tought that there where some, but they turend out to be intended game features.:D

Well, of course, they will not be happy to see you winning - if they would, they might as well join your civilisation.

Still, the main point is (deity level) - stay alive and in good relationships with your neighbors as much as you can - war is camming, just let it came as late in game as possible.

Also, I do not think that we have any option else except to pursure maximum territorial expansion possible - there is no way how civilisation of 3 cities can be formidable oponent in 1500AD.

I am quite sure that principle is right, just we (Civ1/2 expert) have to work out details.

Here are few things quite obvious - any winning strategy must incorporate them:

Say, how to keep citizens content without fundamentalism?
- Luxuries now came in the play most definitivelly - build road network.

How to keep corruption in check?
- Build cities close by, do not undertake far away settlements.

How to survive in peace to late age?
- Maybe making alliance with the strongest neighbor (computer player that obviously has an edge over the others) as early as possible makes sense.

Etc. First who wins on diety level let make others aware or his strategies.

Why not sight a mutual aggresion pact with the largest civ against the smallest civ early on? That may earn you an ally later in the game.

I think your civ2 reliance on fundamentalism will be your weakness in civ3. There were many ways to keep people happy without fundamentalism. I'd suspect (I still don't have the game :( ) that in civ3 these other avenues will fill in the gaps you seek to fill in your strategy. If it really is an improvement, you may need to consider that the other elements of citizen happiness will be a necessary addition to your approach. Keep us posted as to how you progress!

Not that I play on diety level, but in CIV III you can certainly trade off your extra luxury resources...I'd think that most civs would find it distasteful to declare war on their only source of incense and gems that keeps their people content. Also once you start a trade agreement like this with someone it supposedly helps their opinion of you in the long run, perhaps getting harbors and roads going early and trading immediately with those around you will at least help you survive to the Modern Era...

Winning on Deity? Hell, I can't help you there. :)

Since computer opponents have owerhemling superiority, there is not much hope of you building more than ONE wonder on diety level, and that one could prove impossible.

However, I pays to try to put all your resources to build GREAT LIBARARY. With it, you can get for FREE (0% scince) all the advancements up to Education (middle of middle ages). Also, you get new goverments (Monarchy and Republic) like 3rd civilisation in game, which looks very good (especially if there are 15 others).

Great Library is thus a key of don't falling to far back...

But how to keep science pace after it obsoletes?

Unless there is huge amount of progress in Monarchy or Republic... you will be crawling.

First, let me start by saying that I think winning with military will be impossible. The AI simply cheats too much...

But if you wanne try, you'd have to use the "diplomatic" aproach to war : have peace with everyone, untill you have absolute technological superiority.

So you have two goals (in this order) :
- peace
- science
You can totally neglect culture, imho.

Build-up will look something like this :
- build capital and make it into a settler-farm (mines + granery)
- explore, make friends, trade for all the contacts
- make more friends, trade for science
- build a ring around your capital, with 8 *big* cities
- fill the ring with 8 other *mega* cities

(this way 1. you don't expand after you build the ring and 2. you keep corruption more under control)

Continue with
- pick 3 cities with the best produce squares your industrial cities
- use the rest of the cities for science
- don't forget that tech is cheaper when you have the past techs
- only build a minimum on "low level" troops for defense

End with conquer by
- using fighters to get air superiority
- using smart-bombers to hit city improvements (real smart bombers, not the US-CNN-smart bombers that bombed the same red-cross depot *twice*) (sorry, had to get that out)
- using artillery for attack
- using 3-4 armies for defense

General :
- whatever they ask for peace, give it. Lick em, humiliate yourself, do whatever it takes to keep the peace
- trade will be an important part : alot of luxuries are a must on diety level, how else are you gonne keep them happy ?

I am also 99.99% sure that military win is impossible (at diety level) by 2050, when the "official" scoring ends. Especially with huge map, with a lot of land, 15 (or whatever is max no) of civilisations... no time, no way.

But, even so, I do not care much about who build United Nations (Is Zambia winner because Kofi Annan is UN secretary general? Give me a break, send him back to jungle, kick out everybody else out of UN building and auction it off, stop paying UN dues) or does anything else - except firing the last bullet (rather, lunching last nuke) on the planet.

So, I would be happy to play past 2050 in order to achieve military extinction of my enemies. Just I have to survive before I can extinct anyone.

Yes, i see what ypu mean with that UN comparison, nice thinking :)

Anyway, it should be do-able. What is your tactic ?

obviously some civs have better advantage (different units) over others. in order for a military victory, my guess is that you will have to find the civ with the best military capability early in the game. i haven't looked thru all units yet but seen some like 'warrior jaguar' that can move 2 instead of 1 (like a reg.warrior). use these special units early in the game and as patton says, 'attack,attack,attack' from the very begging will probably be the only way if you are planning for just a military victory. also, as they say on green acres, 'spread far and wide.'




"Trying is the first step towards failure."-Homer Simpson

mmm, I think attack early is the wrong strategy. While you are busy attacking your neigbours, someone else is getting waaaay ahead of you. So when you are taking an enemy city with your canon, all of a sudden you get nuked or something...

No, I think you need to get ahead of the crowd and stay ahead...

They only reason to go into battle early is to get a leader or two-three to rush-build your wonders, but that's all.

At least that's how I'm trying.
Failing miserably, I must confess, but with early war I probably won't get anywhere. We're talking deity-level here...

if you successfully attack these cities, you can capture their techs AND cities thereby keeping up with the rest.

d e i t y = god

d i e t y = what fat people need

:) ok?

uhm, nope, you don't get any tech anymore from taking a city...

Plus I always found that strategy difficult, because that means you need to attack civilizations that are more advances then yours.

O, and about my name, I know it's deity, but that name is already taken :-( Plus I need a diet so, it kinda fits me :)

lol!

i could use one too......damn the abundance of leftover halloween chocolate! ;)

You should get deitys name.....he never posts here.

guess i'll have to get in and try myself. i've been playing around with the other victory conditions. didn't know about the 'no tech capture' but at least there's still stealing available. in any case, capturing new cities and having them produce the special units a civ might have still might work.

lol, I tried that for like 3-4 times : spy on a city and when it produces his special unit, take it. Somehow it didn't work...
Let me know if it works, but I'd sure like to use that :)

I'm still trying to "cheat" and get two golden ages. I figured if I'd get a special unit from another civ, and it get promoted, perhaps I'll get a second golden age ;)

although this might be in the manual, i'm at work so can't see. i found this site that pointed out some unique units only certain civs have. these will definitely have an impact early in the game if used correctly (especially if going for military victory in deity):

http://w1.541.telia.com/~u54110048/leadersgallery.html

mmm, thanks for the link (didn't knew that site) but the info is quite old :(

just finished my first game, not on deity though that will be next.

-grovel, grovel, grovel.

-the early game military success strat WILL NOT work. Keep the peace by giving in to ALL demands.

-Early expansion is supremely critical, without an offensive army you cannot expand until late industrial-modern.

-You have to find resources, especially luxuries, and build roads to link your empire to other empires. Trading your extra luxuries will free up entertainment, and allow more science which is your goa.

-culture is very very important. your cities will just revolt and go to another civ if your culture is too low. it will be nearly impossible to get any wonders, so build temples, universies. etc. in every city.

-rush to democracy, the boosts in commerce, allow stockpiling of money and incredible research.

The final thing I have to comment on is that corruption is horrible in this game. I switched to communism late in the game for a military conquest, and I began taking cities, but i couldnt get outside of say a 4 city range of my second capital w/o the corruption in my new cities strangling them. Next time i may just raze every city i take, even though it seems like such a waste to kill a size 26 city. Damn this game.

On another sidenote about culture, if you work on raising your culture (a lot) then if for some reason an A I captures your city then it will often revolt back to you. It's still better just to keep it but at least this way you don't have to worry about conquering it back.