HOF III December Gauntlet
- Thread starter Tone
- Start date
Tried plenty of games (all except this most recent one, actually) with sedentary barbs. Never got one. Then I decided I wanted Portugal in as one of my enemies, so I took barbs out entirely.
AutomatedTeller
Frequent poster
I don't think you can be competitive in this gauntlet without an SGL for pyramids - early expansion is key.
As for a free settler - well, I'd guess that if you were willing to fish for
1) A multi-cow/wheat start
2) and an SGL
3) and a free settler
You'd do well. A free settler would probably be a 4-10 turn advantage for the 3rd city, which isn't nothing.
On the other hand, the surrounding land is reasonably important too - I don't think I'd have the patience to do that.
As for a free settler - well, I'd guess that if you were willing to fish for
1) A multi-cow/wheat start
2) and an SGL
3) and a free settler
You'd do well. A free settler would probably be a 4-10 turn advantage for the 3rd city, which isn't nothing.
On the other hand, the surrounding land is reasonably important too - I don't think I'd have the patience to do that.
del62
Deity
The problem with huts is that you will have a lot of settlers and workers walking around unguarded and unless you are expansioist you will almost certainly pop some barbs.
Not if you don't build any military at all and pop them with a worker!
(notsureifserious.jpg) (but I might try it sometime)
AutomatedTeller
Frequent poster
that is true - you cannot pop a barb if you have no military.
of course, someone else will.
Honestly, though, a few barbs aren't all that big a deal in a game like this. You'll lose some money - no worries.
of course, someone else will.
Honestly, though, a few barbs aren't all that big a deal in a game like this. You'll lose some money - no worries.
del62
Deity
its the unescorted settlers and workers not the money, if you have no military the ai will attack
Turn down the aggression level.
del62
Deity
Ah but what about the spanish in Spoonwoods 5cc attempt.
RFHolloway
Analyst in the UK
I tend to keep going for a bit longer - my research path is masonry, alpha, writing, COL, Phil, Rep and then restart if no SGL.
Pacioli
Prince
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2009
- Messages
- 418
I've managed to get two early SGL's but still do not have a game to submit. In one game there was a huge amount of jungle surrounding a decent start location. In the other game, I made some very poor game play decisions early on which would have made for a sub-par submission.
Brainiac18
Warlord
Tried to run a game using Spoonwood's technique and I failed, but I want to know why! 
Started to make cities like crazy and very close to each other, built GL and Oracle. I was building Temple in every new city and tried to keep up with Library's and everything seem to be fine, build Sistine and Knights Templar.Turned to Feudalism as soon as I could and started to hurry productions, almost didn't had military too. When GL ended, started to learn techs but when learning Democracy, things got bad - I became bankrupt! Even with 0% on everything I had pretty bad minus in gold. Then tried playing between republic-feudalism, to be able to hurry cathedrals and universities with citizens, but I could barely exist out there! Reached 80k only in 1818AD, that's not even in top 10
Here's year 1595
Started to make cities like crazy and very close to each other, built GL and Oracle. I was building Temple in every new city and tried to keep up with Library's and everything seem to be fine, build Sistine and Knights Templar.Turned to Feudalism as soon as I could and started to hurry productions, almost didn't had military too. When GL ended, started to learn techs but when learning Democracy, things got bad - I became bankrupt! Even with 0% on everything I had pretty bad minus in gold. Then tried playing between republic-feudalism, to be able to hurry cathedrals and universities with citizens, but I could barely exist out there! Reached 80k only in 1818AD, that's not even in top 10
Here's year 1595
Spoiler :
Tried to run a game using Spoonwood's technique and I failed, but I want to know why!
Started to make cities like crazy and very close to each other, built GL and Oracle.
Why, and why? Especially the Great Library. For the same shield price, you'd have the Pyramids, which is pretty much a must-have in this game. With Pyramids you effectively double your population growth, which in turn doubles your ability to whip out those pesky cultural buildings. (In fact it's even slightly better than that, because you whip off the lower-food spaces first, thereby sometimes accelerating growth even more.)
Also, I'm completely certain I'd recommend a Pangaea for these games -- it's harder to expand when you run into pesky oceans.
del62
Deity
On top of what DWetzel says:
1. Build Temple of Artemis and do not research Education
not only does it give you a free temple in each city, but you pay no temple upkeep.
2. Apart from core cities space them as tight as you can i.e cxc
3. With pangea you want 60% water
AutomatedTeller
Frequent poster
Need to go pangea.
Don't bother with democracy - republic (or maybe monarchy) and then fuedalism. Actually, in a game like this, fuedalism can be better than republic, since you basically have no unit costs.
You have to have Pyramids. ToA is very useful in a game like this. A reasonable strategy is to build ToA, research to Fuedalism and Theocracy and then turn off research completely.
Expand to 100-130 cities, killing AI as you need space, then poprush libraries, cathedrals and colloseums.
Turning off research is pretty important, because the money you save will help in paying for all your culture. Also, after you build culture, switch to wealth and make a bunch of taxmen.
Don't bother with democracy - republic (or maybe monarchy) and then fuedalism. Actually, in a game like this, fuedalism can be better than republic, since you basically have no unit costs.
You have to have Pyramids. ToA is very useful in a game like this. A reasonable strategy is to build ToA, research to Fuedalism and Theocracy and then turn off research completely.
Expand to 100-130 cities, killing AI as you need space, then poprush libraries, cathedrals and colloseums.
Turning off research is pretty important, because the money you save will help in paying for all your culture. Also, after you build culture, switch to wealth and make a bunch of taxmen.
That's a start Brainiac. Thanks for the compliment here on "my technique", but really much of it I've picked up from reading threads around here... especially Nikodemus's game, which I referenced earlier. DWetzel, Del62, and AutomatedTeller basically hit the nail on the head. Oh... it's Theology... Theocracy isn't in civ III.
As already pointed out you definitely want 60% pangea. You also want to get close to, but not exceeding, having 66% of the territory on the map (MapStat, and the "victory screen" can help you figure this out) as soon as possible. 64% of the territory is better than hitting 66% since you don't want to trigger a domination win. You also want to have as many cities as possible. In your screenshot I see 3 places where you can add in cities without disbanding any. You also want the Pyramids, and almost surely, the Temple of Artemis. If you have trouble building either of those (probably not a problem here, but on a higher level without an SGL and possible even with one it might be), go out and capture them. Best of luck, I have a feeling you'll improve a lot.
As already pointed out you definitely want 60% pangea. You also want to get close to, but not exceeding, having 66% of the territory on the map (MapStat, and the "victory screen" can help you figure this out) as soon as possible. 64% of the territory is better than hitting 66% since you don't want to trigger a domination win. You also want to have as many cities as possible. In your screenshot I see 3 places where you can add in cities without disbanding any. You also want the Pyramids, and almost surely, the Temple of Artemis. If you have trouble building either of those (probably not a problem here, but on a higher level without an SGL and possible even with one it might be), go out and capture them. Best of luck, I have a feeling you'll improve a lot.
I've started thinking that Del's idea of building the Oracle and the Hanging Gardens instead of the Sistine Chapel might work out better at this level... possibly even neither of them or only one of them if you get all 8 luxuries up and running right away. I also don't feel like the Statue of Zeus really pays off, as I know I could have gotten to domination limit without building it. You might have less desireable territory, but if you build fewer roads than I did, that might get compensated by earlier developed territory and worker add ins.
