A self-confessed noob takes on Regent

[tupaclives]

Hey so far all I've managed to win on has been on Chieftain, which I've now done repeatedly so I’ve decided to bypass warlord and go straight for Regent... lets see how I get on. Hopefully people here will be able to give me some advice along the way...

I'm running original Civ3 1.16 and I'm playing the World Map (huge) as I know it back to front so it should give me a bit of an advantage.

I'm playing as Rome with 12 random civs and all victory conditions enabled.

4000Bc - good starting spot a river and cows and a few shield grasslands nearby but no coast anywhere to be seen... I think I'm in Brazil. Rome founded and build order is warrior warrior settler warrior settler warrior worker settler.

4000bc-2500bc not a whole lot happens my warriors discover Babylonians to the south and we trade alphabet for bronze working, ceremonial burial and 10 gold I also find the Egyptians further south and trade bronze working for masonry. Found Veii and Antium. Making a beeline for Iron working, hoping to get legios as soon as possible.

2500bc-1500bc I have about 7 cities and Rome adds a temple and then pyramids onto the build queue, get iron working and find iron near Pisae to the SW of Rome. Hoping to hook it up and get an early rush.

1500bc-250bc Continue peaceful expansion just need construction and currency to be out of ancient age, my warrior scouts have found the Zulu, Greeks and Persians in North America and my cities have blockaded central America making sure I have unfettered access to South America. Babylon look out! I have 20 Legios trained and they begin their assault on the Babylonian cities. Ur, Nineveh and Babylon all fall in the first turn of war. Unfortunately here is where I made a crucial error. I accidentally declared war on the Egyptians as well... Damn!! Well I guess I'll just have to slaughter them as well.

The war goes relatively well although after capturing the last of the Babylonian cities they respawn in Alaska... looks like they'll be safe for now. The Egyptians are proving very stubborn their war chariots are running rings around my Legionaries and a number of captured cities have reverted back to Egyptian control. Caesar is not pleased! A number of my cities revolt, I think I'm wasting my golden age luckily I land the pyramids in Rome although the Great Library is finished in Athens the Great Lighthouse in Washington (must be over in Eurasia somewhere), the Colossus in Thebes (excellent it will soon be mine!) and the Oracle in Tenotchitlan.

Eventually I wipe out the Egyptians and begin the long process of repairing the damage and building up culture. I strengthen the blockades in Central America... I don’t want any disturbances from the nations there. I change my government to a Republic and look to begin heavy research. The Hanging gardens are finished in Rome in 10AD and I enter the MA around 100 years later. I receive word that the Great Wall has been finished in Moscow... damn you Russians I was building that!
I notice corruption is a significant problem and in a rare stroke of brilliance I offer peace with Babylon in exchange to their 1 newly constructed city and 3 gold (it was all they had!). I rename this city 'New Palace Town' and send the leader generated by my Egyptian campaign up there to rush a palace, I think I'll build the Forbidden Palace in Rome.

Around 400AD my first Galley's finally reach Eurasia and discover the Iroquois in the extreme east. I trade my world map and a couple of techs (I'm ahead!) for contact with all Eurasian and African nations as well as their world map and engineering. I notice I am the largest nation so far... maybe regent isn’t as hard as I expected.

The game got boring here and I spent a long time building up my Empire at home using a 'self-strengthening policy' and I bring my military more up to date adding knights.

Then in 1200 AD Rome declares war on the Zulu who occupy the lands just north of Mexico. In a brutal campaign my legionaries overwhelm their Impi and Pikemen seizing 5 cities in quick succession before they sue for peace. Hahn fools! I take 3 more cities, Printing Press and 200 gold in exchange for peace. I'm just planning to attack them again in a few turns anyway!
I finally finish the Forbidden palace in Rome (my empire had basically ground to a complete halt with my palace in Alaska and the rest of my empire in Southern and central America but now I can take advantage of the rank corruption trick in the war academy... WOW!!! My research speed and gpt more than doubled!!! What a fantastic trick! Sorry there have been no pictures so far, that because I've been working from memory as I started the story after I reached 1330AD and came up short of ideas for what to do next.
I have finally taken the Zulu capital and now occupy all of Southern and central America as well as the areas of North America directly north of Mexico. I have just researched chemistry and am metallurgy and physics and am wondering whether to go for Cavalry or to go straight for the Industrial Age and Railroads... (ahhhh I love railroads ). I'm planning to finish off the Zulu as quickly as possible and then maybe take on the Greeks (even though they are the 2nd largest nation in the world) because they have no iron or saltpetre and a lot of luxuries. Persia has both and is close to me in Tech so I might leave them alone for now.


As you can see from the world map below I am the largest civ. I'm also the wealthiest and the most technologically advanced and as far as I can judge from my military advisor... also the most powerful militarily. That I'm beating other civs to wonders suggests the same could be said for my industrial strength. Hopefully the screenshots will give you a fair idea of how I'm progressing and you'll be able to give me some advice. Bear in mind that this is the first time I’ve tried anything other than Chieftain so I know I've made a few mistakes.

My thinking is I would like to be able to take control of the Americas before moving to the (real) Old World... however I know that if I get cities too close to the palace then I am going to get raped by corruption... on the other hand I don’t think I'm capable of launching an effective invasion of the old world at this stage. Thus my dilemma...

The screenshots in order are...

My border to North America
My cbd
My southern colonies
My small territories in Asia
The foregin advisor
The trade advisor
The military advisor

 

[tupaclives]

the rest of the screenshots

 

[tupaclives]

Emperor Caesar surveyed the maps of his territory. It always made him proud to see the vast tracts of land under his rule. Caesar sat in his throne, made of the finest French Ivory, incredibly rare since the French now refused to sell the precious material to the Romans. His mind wandered to what he had been told when he assumed the throne from the last Caesar...

'Samus child...' had said the old Emperor. 'What I am about to tell you is central to the rule of our people... to our future and to our past. I must pass this on to you before I die...'
'Die Caesar?' had said the boy, barely 14 years old. 'Caesar cannot die... Caesar you have lived forever! You have been alive for thousands of years... you have always lead our people! How can you die?'
'No child I have not... I am but one in the line of kings... there was only one true Caesar... and he died more than 5000 years ago... his advisors had feared the people would not accept a new ruler and so Caesar's brother had been disguised as the first king and the kings body secretely destroyed...'
The young boy stood motionless. The weight of what he was hearing flooding over him...
'You see child... whenever a Caesar has passed on he has named his succesor to a select group of his closest advisors, and that man is made to look like me and is taught to speak like me and to act like me... the people never know the difference... there is perhaps less than 10 people in all the world who know of this... I am telling you this Samus because I have chosen you... you are to lead our people when I pass on.'
'But how can I oh Caesar? I am just a boy.'
'Yes that is true but it does not matter, you will be aptly advised by my advisors who are all men of stirling character and great wisdom... it will be difficult but I chose you because I recognise the character that exists within you... the character that will allow you to lead Rome to further glory Samus... Caesar. I am sure you will do a magnificent job...' the old man closed his eyes and rested. Samus stood up and walked from the room his mind reeling with what he had heard...

Caesar was pulled back to reality by the voice of his military commander General Dutarus. 'Caesar, our glorious armies have captured Zimbabwae from the Zulus. We had to defeat a large force there, we believe we may have crippled a significant part of their army.'

Caesar smiled, 'Excellent General that is most pleasing. Order the remaining Legions in Egypt to move to the Northern front. The Zulu will not stand against us much longer.'
'Yes excellency, what shall we do once they are defeated sire? Our people are not impressed by these conquests they have seen this war as sensless, they do not believe the territories captured have been worth the price in blood?'
'And why should they?' answered Caesar. 'These are not fertile lands... they are not lands filled with gold or metals. They are merely lands that will allow us to move onto greater things, but they are necessary nonetheless. I want Zululand conquered within the year.'

'Of course Consul.' answered General Dutarus.

 

[DvD-IT]

Interesting how you describe the... leaders longevity.
Keep it up and--welcome to CivFanatics!
Smash the Zulus as pretty everyone does here.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Nice work. I think that you should wait until the 20 turn peace treaty expires before attacking Shaka.

Good luck on Regent.