JJ01-Moving up to Monarch

J

jeejeep

qwertyuiop
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Messages
920
Location
Washington, DC
I easily worked the way up the difficulty ladder from warlord to noble to prince, but I can't seem to get a win on monarch. I decided to start my first SG to help me and other players with this difficulty. It would also be nice to have one or two experienced players as mentors.

Settings:
Monarch
Continents
Standard Size
Normal Speed
Asoka or Mao
Climate?
Sea Level?

Roster:
Jeejeep
rddc05
TomPW
Kikinit
Mutineer
Bigfoot
 
I'm about 50/50 on Monarch, so add me if that meets your criteria. I find that games at Epic speed are a bit easier to get a win, so you might consider that as a game setting.
 
i'm interested (take a look at my signature :)), but i'll wait for the discussions mainly in relation to time because it will be hard to fit another commitment in my schedule
 
@rddc05: You're in :D

@autocon: It would be nice to have you and I would be happy to stay flexible in regards to time, so if you want to you are in
 
Hi guys! I'd love to be a part of this. Also getting the turns played quickly won't be a problem for me. I've won on Prince but not on Monarch, and I haven't played a SG yet. I'm itching to try it though, and if you'll have me - I'm in! I understand that you might be looking for some more experienced players though - and I won't take offense if you say no.

Tom
 
Tom: I would be happy to have you. You seem very enthusiastic,which is great. I wouln't say I am very experienced either, so that is not a factor.
 
I'm already in three SGs, but what the heck. Prince is starting to bore me and I've never tried monarch.

Reporting for duty.

If you'll have me, that is.
 
I think I will volontire for this succession game. It would be fouth for me, probably a bit to mach.

I can win on Monarch level 100% of the time from any starting position and any civ. I would only ask one thin, when I suggest something do not dismiss my advice out of hand, even if it is sound unuseal for you.

One more think, I would suggest standert continent game (Ifound them the most fun) and normal speed. (I found other to be to slow and if other speed would be choisen I will disvolontire myself.) Really, I hate slow speed.
 
Seems you've got the right number, but I will put my hand up anyway. I am also at this stage of trying to get Monarch wins. I seem to do it easy in Prince and then have trouble with that next step.

Missed getting my spaceship launched by 2 turns in my last game in a twisted axis game on Monarch.

If you've got no places left then I will lurk and see if I can learn something anyway.
 
On second thought, my wife just reminded me of another commitment I have coming up. I'll have to bow out, guys.
 
Kikinit: You're in
Rex: Sorry, it would have been nice to have you
Mutineer: I'm OK with normal, I usually play on it. However, I have to ask the rest of the team for feedback on this subject.

So, what do we want for settings? Please state your game speed preference first, so Mutineer will know if he wants to join.
 
I'm OK with normal game speed, just sayin' Epic is a bit easier for those of us still a little shaky on Monarch. I really don't have a preference as far as any of the other settings go. Archipelago maps are usually a hoot, but any map/settings are fine with me.
 
As three out of five are okaywith normal game speed, I would like to welcome Mutineer on board.
Personally I would like standard continents, with no particular leader preference. Archipelago maps seem kind of extreme to me sometimes, and it would not be good if we got a terrible/isolated starting position for this game. However, I am okay with whatever the team decides.
 
Eeek.. please not archipeligo.. I have played two SG's and they were both on archipeligo and both the Japanese to boot. Of course, mine is only one voice so the group must decide.

On epic... Is it easier to win on Monarch this way? I may have to do this in my SP games then maybe I can finally crack it.

I have no preference on Epic or standard speed. But to keep an experienced player (multineer) on the roster, then I will choose standard. But please no huge maps as that becomes very difficult to do the turn reporting and will kill some peoples PC's in the late game.
 
I'm fine with standard and continents, as they are my favourite kind of game. I'd like to make a shout for Asoka if I could though - quite underplayed, you always see people playing as Ghandi, but Asoka is quite a different matter. The fast worker unit would be valueable to us throughout the game, - not just in one era like other UUs. Add to that the organised trait, which really starts to show its value on higher difficulty levels as the civics costs are exagerrated and we're onto a winner.

Spiritual is always a fun trait and it gives us a good shot at nabbing an early religion. For those of us used to playing on Prince, this would be great to ofset the happiness hit we get from Monarch level.

Just my thoughts on the leader, what does everyone else thing?
 
TomPW's comments have got me thinking about what we are up against with the change in level.

I have done some searching trying to find what changes occur between Prince & Monarch and have come up with the following (abbreviated) list:

  • Higher animal attack probability
  • Less free units support
  • Higher unit cost
  • Larger distance maintenance
  • Higher civic upkeep
  • Higher Inflation
  • More barbarians and they come earlier
In addition, the AI starts with a free defense unit (archer I presume), 1 worker and a free tech (Archery).

Health & Happiness seem to be the same as prince difficulty level. Goody huts also seem to be about the same with a slightly lower chance of gold and a higher chance of encountering strong barbarians (15%!).

Most of this information is from here.

Now what does this all mean to us? I guess it means we are behind the 8-ball as soon as we even start. We need to get our research going as soon as possible and as fast as possible as we are already chasing.

We are going to have to concentrate on getting health and happy bonuses to allow our cities to grow. And we need a worker fast to get them connected up.

We also need to get some defenses in place fairly quickly as the barbarians will come earlier and more frequently.

All in all a big challenge. :crazyeye:

EDIT: And here's some discussion of the problem we seem to be having. That is, going from prince to monarch.
-
 
This post by Mutineer in that thread seems particularly helpful. I'll copy it here for reference.

Well, I am now consistently winning on Monarch dificulty no matter what start I got. I mean even on poor shafled start I still manage to win. Even if there no tree around to cut, even if capital does not have mach of good titles. ( I useally playing continents with everything else rundom.)

On monarch you need to start to pay attention to everything.
Exploring on start is important. You need to meat your neybors, find future good city cites and pop this huts. ( they still give you gold, technologies, free units and expirience).

Town development. In many cases first worker is a good idea.

Generally improve best tie + chop + chop let you get this second setler faster and get this jucy city side faster. Well if you have trees, otherwize still improve more ties.

Fog busting. If town still does not have happines problem it is better to have this military unit out on the hill busting fog then sit in a town. in My latest game I probably got low sea level, dry and hot climate. (huge continents with desert all around) and I got stuck in corner with a only desert a long way around me, darn, neglet for busting for a second and lo and behold as 10 barbarians ravage you land (I am not joking, I count. In a space of a few turns 6 acrchers and 4 warrior visit me. The darn pillage everything the can befor got beaten or try to take city.

Next, research. Research should be directed. You can not outresearch ai any longer. So, if you can not use agricalure right now, do not research it.
research only what will be usefull now, absolutly needed.

Next tech trade. Alphavit is vital if you are not alone. Researching it will let you get a lot of trades and cut your research problems. Avoide to trade alphavit if you can, but do trade if it is the only think AI does not know.
Look for tech trade opportunities often.

City specialisation. Again, build only what city need or what is needed for your plan for this city. If city design to crack trops, only this city need baracks, may be heroic epic and only absolutly nessesary other buildings.
GP farm - city with good food ties and I tend to use one of border ones, as cottages tend to get pillaget a lot of times.
Capital, it is a good idea to make your capital a commerce/production center. It is useally deep in your land and cottages have time to grow and does have a lot of good ties. In addition burocracy is a good civic.

GP, learn to use them well. Discovering new technologies most often the best use for them. AI use them to discover COL, Civil service, Theology, Philosofy.

Later game religion is a good way to use early prophet. Some tech you can get from GP may be useless to you, but could be a greate trade matherial. So, some 800 beackers tech can bring you 1300 in trades.

Diplomacy is a powerfull tool all the game. Later in game a technology can buy you a war, stopping 2 rivals making space ship. Resource trade.

Do concider selling your excess resources for money if you can not get anythign else usefull. Generally one of reason why I want to get best resources sites is because trade one resource away and city payes for itself allready.

And the most important. Allways have a plan in all areas of you civilisation
Click to expand...

I also need to know other people's preferences on leader (besides Tom).
 
Kikinit said:
TomPW's comments have got me thinking about what we are up against with the change in level.

I have done some searching trying to find what changes occur between Prince & Monarch and have come up with the following (abbreviated) list:

  • Higher animal attack probability
  • Less free units support
  • Higher unit cost
  • Larger distance maintenance
  • Higher civic upkeep
  • Higher Inflation
  • More barbarians and they come earlier
In addition, the AI starts with a free defense unit (archer I presume), 1 worker and a free tech (Archery).

Health & Happiness seem to be the same as prince difficulty level. Goody huts also seem to be about the same with a slightly lower chance of gold and a higher chance of encountering strong barbarians (15%!).

Most of this information is from here.

Now what does this all mean to us? I guess it means we are behind the 8-ball as soon as we even start. We need to get our research going as soon as possible and as fast as possible as we are already chasing.

We are going to have to concentrate on getting health and happy bonuses to allow our cities to grow. And we need a worker fast to get them connected up.

We also need to get some defenses in place fairly quickly as the barbarians will come earlier and more frequently.

All in all a big challenge. :crazyeye:

EDIT: And here's some discussion of the problem we seem to be having. That is, going from prince to monarch.
-
Click to expand...


First off - just Tom will do fine! The name was already taken. Your research throws up an interesting point - 15% greater chance of popping barbarians out of a hut seems too risky to do without a scout. However if we were to play as Asoka we would begin with a warrior. The problem here is that many of the huts might be snapped up before we had a chance to get a scout out there.

What do other people think about this? If we had to detour to hunting to get a quick scout we would probably lose the race to a religion. However if we can spread our religion around we would have more allies to trade with, and this could be immeasureably helpful in keeping up tech wise.

Tom
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

AcaMetis
Nobles' Club 381: Augustus Caesar of Rome
Replies
8
Views
468
0urBall
0
AcaMetis
Nobles' Club 377: Gandhi of India
2 3 4
Replies
67
Views
5K
Tecumseh1
Tecumseh1
AcaMetis
Nobles' Club 380: Darius of Persia
2
Replies
38
Views
1K
Master_Of_Ideas
M
AcaMetis
Nobles' Club 379: Gilgamesh of Sumeria
2
Replies
22
Views
1K
Jellybug
Jellybug
AcaMetis
Nobles' Club 373: Mao Zedong of China
2 3
Replies
47
Views
3K
jorissimo
jorissimo
Back
Top Bottom