Recent content by BillChin

A new book entry has been added: Four Basic Starting Strategies

It is difficult to be a warmonger when you are accustomed to building. A series of training games may be a good way to go. For these games, start with a goal of early war and stop after the first war is over. Quit building settlers well before the available land is filled. Instead build...

My favorite strategy is Swordsmen Conquest. Works best on Regent, Monarch and Emperor on small and standard size maps. Basic outline: 1) Research Iron Working early. Turn down research to save gold. 2) Build 4 to 6 cities. Claim Iron but do not hook it up. 3) Build barracks and many...

Repeating the info about Optimal Number of Cities by Map Size Tiny = 12 Small = 14 Standard = 16 Large = 24 Huge = 32 A player can double that number with a well-centered Forbidden Palace. This is one key to the game. If a player is a pure builder, building the FP near the capital...

Re: Do Cavalry Armies Suck? I use leaders to build several Cavalry armies in my quest for Domination. Like ALL armies they are better at defense than offense. Calvary against rifles requires overwhelming numerical superiority. I wait for at least a dozen fresh units before attacking a city...

Civ 1.29f, Open Overall comments: an interesting map, a fun game. I go for a domination victory and the late game turns take about 30 minutes with all the units to move. At one point I have over 350 calvary and seven armies (all from leaders). I never get as far as Industrialization...

Civ 1.29f Open Practice sessions that I played on the Emperor level GOTM 19 start paid off. First time I have the Pyramids by 1000 BC (actually several turns earlier). Notes: It took a long time to make ANY contacts as a granary was my early priority. First contact at 2470 BC with...

ICS (Infinite City Sprawl) is a popular technique that involves jamming cities in as close as possible. Some players will only average seven working tiles per city! The benefits are a huge boost in early research and production. The drawbacks are that the growth curve starts to flatten out by...

A lot depends on how strong the enemy is. Many posters are building huge navies, and while that may be fun and historically accurate, it is not necessary. Two or three escorts (even ironclads will usually suffice) and maybe an aircraft carrier with fighters (if the enemy has bombers) are...

That may be true, but it is far from easy pickings. Take a hypothetical example of one infantry plus four warriors. Unless the enemy has a stack of five fast units that can reach the city in one turn the city is "safe," or at least for that turn. Reinforcements can be rolled in if slow...

Move them to the front lines in war time to deal with resisters. If the city flips, all you have lost are some near worthless units. The number of units, not their attack/defense value seems to be the determinant in number of resisters put down each turn. Pile in a bunch of obsolete units...

1) How I felt during each age: * Ancient Age, wow look at all that good land and luxuries! Wow, look mom, no barbs! What a relief! Boy those AIs are expanding slow. Luxuries are a higher priority. * Medieval Age, those Ottomans are really leaping ahead, claiming almost every wonder. I...

Civ 1.29f Open I haven't been posting to each spoiler thread because my game view is in terms of each war, as opposed to each tech age. 710 BC to 210 BC French war with Ottoman ally (getting them to ally is a mistake, really, as they are super powerful and become more so) 360 AD to 830...

Unfortunately, the answer is that YOU DO! It is not fair, but if a nation is defeated while the alliance is active, the human player takes a reputation hit as "peace" is made. As for the second part of what I quoted, 380 AD might be okay on Regent difficulty for Horsemen and Swordsmen...

Joke: A man named Jose moves from Mexico to New York City. On his first day in town he wants to go to Yankee Stadium. Jose goes up to the ticket window and gets the bad news that the game is sold out. Jose begs "Please, I am here all the way from Mexico, and the Yankees are my favorite team...