Post Short Single Player Tips Here

[tjs282]

Yes, you could choose Industrialization followed by The Corporation OR Atomic Theory followed by Electronics.

With the latter being possibly the preferable option, since it saves you more beakers and may also let you convert a second prebuild to Hoover Dam, straight after finishing ToE, right?

Or -- if it's still possible to do so at the level you're playing -- time ToE to finish just after you hit the Modern Age, and then take Computers (prebuild SETI) and Miniaturisation (prebuild Internet), and grab free ResLabs in every town on that continent...

 

[vorlon_mi]

I'm very partial to the Atomic Theory -> Electronics path when I build ToE. I love the Hoover Dam and its Hydro Plants to turbo-charge my factories (even the ones I am still planning to build) without the additional pollution of coal plants. Regent-level player, if that matters. I need the boost in shields to pre-build and pump out spaceship parts.

 

[WeirdoJoker]

I'm very partial to the Atomic Theory -> Electronics path when I build ToE.

That makes sense. However, I usually have those already when building ToE. (In fact, I think they are necessary to get out of the industrial age, aren't they?)

 

[EMan]

They are necessary to get out of the Industrial Age.....BUT, you can complete the ToE at any time after you discover Scientific Method. (I.e. In Modern Times).
As soon as you complete the ToE, you will have to select your 2 Tech Advances immediately.

 

[WeirdoJoker]

They are necessary to get out of the Industrial Age.....BUT, you can complete the ToE at any time after you discover Scientific Method. (I.e. In Modern Times).
As soon as you complete the ToE, you will have to select your 2 Tech Advances immediately.

For some reason I was thinking (when I wrote my post) that ToE was Modern Times rather than Industrial Age, even though I know better and that makes no sense. I have not been well this past week. (Physically, that is, though it always spills over.)

 

[Lanzelot]

On lower difficulty levels it is possible to postpone ToE to get two expensive modern techs for free, but on higher difficulty levels this may not be possible, as the AI might beat you to ToE before you reach the modern age. Then it's better to "rather take the sparrow in your hand, than the pigeon on the roof"... (Is there such a saying in English as well?), i.e. build ToE asap and take Atomic Theory & Electronics

 

[justanick]

Is it ever sensible to take different techs than Atomic Theory & Electronics? Those are the 2 most expensive tech of the industrial age. Flight(180 base points) is also on par, but cannot be better than Atomic Theory(200 base points) & Electronics(180 base points) while the later 2 are still not researched.

The default is to let ToE finish upon completion of the needed tech. And then Atomic Theory & Electronics are somewhat of no brainer.

 

[jarred!]

Then it's better to "rather take the sparrow in your hand, than the pigeon on the roof"... (Is there such a saying in English as well?), i.e. build ToE asap and take Atomic Theory & Electronics

Most commonly, "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush."

 

[Lanzelot]

Is it ever sensible to take different techs than Atomic Theory & Electronics?

Yes, in low level space race games, where research was sufficient for 4-turn research in the Industrial Age and the AI backward enough, I have already delayed ToE, finished the IA, gifted the scientifics up to get the first modern techs and then completed ToE to get something like Internet or Apollo. Shaves a few turns off the final victory date.

 

[Dragon1965]

I'll throw out a simple tip: every time you are about to "level up" in tech dial back your research as much as possible and rake in tons of cash. For example, say your country is running at 80% tech, 20 % luxuries, and you are making 3 gold and popping a new tech in 1 turn. Dial back the research as much as possible while still keeping the tech at 1 turn. You might be able to dial it back to 10% research, with all that research deduction going straight to your bank account! Sometimes on large continents late in the game I can crank out an easy 1000g gold with this little trick. Remember to put the research levels back after the tech pops, though, otherwise your tech will drop to a crawl. Also this trick works anytime you are short of cash, so if money is a bigger concern than tech for some reason, you can always cash in for a few turns.

 

[Jivilov]

Right. Sometimes you can even dial it back to zero and still finish by the next turn. That's 'cuz each Town or City provides basic Research even without devoting Commerce to it. As you're probably aware, Civ3 does not save excess Resources and devote them to the next Tech, Build or Citizen; excess Beakers, Shields or Food are lost. Hence the niggling micro-management which consumes so much player time and effort. It's still fun though...

 

[Aabraxan]

I can't recall if I've ever posted this one, and it's especially good if you're the tech leader: If another civ builds the Great Library, make sure they learn Education asap. There's nothing quite like knowing you just made its 400-shield investment obsolete on the turn they complete it.

 

[CKS]

Do the same thing to the owner of the Temple of Artemis.

 

[Lanzelot]

That's 'cuz each Town or City provides basic Research even without devoting Commerce to it.

That's not true. You need at least to hire one (or a few) scientists to generate the remaining missing beakers.

 

[Jivilov]

Thanks for the correction!

 

[tjs282]

That's not true. You need at least to hire one (or a few) scientists to generate the remaining missing beakers.

There doesn't even need to be a beaker-deficit!

Very occasionally, if someone you know has beaten you to a monopoly tech by only a couple of turns, your already-gathered beakers may now exceed that tech's reduced cost. The game (and CAII) will then tell you that a project will finish in 1T at zero SCI% and no Geeks.

Don't you believe it! If you switch off all research, you won't get the tech on that interturn! (Yes, this has happened to me)

So you still need at least 1 Geek...

(Or — assuming you're not at war with them — you throw a nominal amount of gold to the AI-Leader who beat you, to buy that tech from them)

 

[WeirdoJoker]

Very occasionally, if someone you know has beaten you to a monopoly tech by only a couple of turns, your already-gathered beakers may now exceed that tech's reduced cost. The game (and CAII) will then tell you that a project will finish in 1T at zero SCI% and no Geeks.

Don't you believe it! If you switch off all research, you won't get the tech on that interturn! (Yes, this has happened to me)

However, immediately after you get ToE, you can move the SCI% to zero, still get the two free techs, then move it back up to whatever level you need for the next one you have to research.

 

[tjs282]

However, immediately after you get ToE, you can move the SCI% to zero, still get the two free techs, then move it back up to whatever level you need for the next one you have to research.

True, but kind of irrelevant to the situation I described.

Also, the build-phase (which finishes ToE, and grants you the 2 techs) happens after commerce has already been collected and converted to gold/beakers/happyfaces per your slider-settings. Moving SCI% to zero at that point (during the same interturn that ToE is finished — if that's what you meant?) therefore gains you nothing, in and of itself.

But even worse — in the situation I described, where you've 'accidentally' invested many more beakers than you 'needed', due to the drop in tech-price — if you didn't finish your current research project on the interturn that ToE is built, then the first of those 2 free-tech choices will be wasted on the tech that you'd already accumulated enough beakers for.

 

[WeirdoJoker]

Also, the build-phase (which finishes ToE, and grants you the 2 techs) happens after commerce has already been collected and converted to gold/beakers/happyfaces per your slider-settings. Moving SCI% to zero at that point (during the same interturn that ToE is finished — if that's what you meant?) therefore gains you nothing, in and of itself.

I move the SCI% to zero before the interturn (assuming I'm paying attention & remember to do it), which seems to work.

But even worse — in the situation I described, where you've 'accidentally' invested many more beakers than you 'needed', due to the drop in tech-price — if you didn't finish your current research project on the interturn that ToE is built, then the first of those 2 free-tech choices will be wasted on the tech that you'd already accumulated enough beakers for.

I know, and it's happened to me when I wasn't paying attention. My current game it went ok, though.

(It is depressing, though - substantial tech lead but few resources, so even as Mayans (one of my favorites) I've been having trouble and am in last place by score. Buying rubber from Egypt or some such, and hoping aluminum & uranium will appear in my territory to make the Ship easier.)[/QUOTE]

 

[EMan]

.....so even as Mayans (one of my favorites) I've been having trouble and am in last place by score.

To get some Tips on how to improve your game skills, check out the Civ 3 Hall Of Fame Table. So, for example, looking at a Score Victory (Histographic) with the Mayans:
http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ3/game_info.php?entryID=3245
2 tips:
1. Click on the Files & Writeup Links and
2. Take a look at the HOF game using the utility program CRpViewer by Dianthus (2003!):
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/crpsuite-playing-aids-and-game-analysis-utils.52902/

(If you're having trouble with 1. and/or 2. above, I'm sure one of the Great Techies out there can help!...I still use CRpViewer.)