Advice on a Prince game

[Betafor]

I'm normally a monarch player but I was bored this morning and didn't want to think.

Anyway, I start out as the celts - continents, HOF mod, standard settings. I get stonehege and oracle in captial(for CoL) - second city is a floodplain-rich science city. Next couple cities are border cities. After scouting, I find i'm semi-isolated by desert in the southern half of the continent.

I have 3 AI on my continent - julius caesar, Ragnar, washington. Julius caesar is my closest neighbor with fairly good land sub-jungle, Washington is backed up against the wall by ragnar and julius' expansion (he started in jungle). Ragnar is on the far north side of the continent and his land is supreme. I'm really worried about him b/c of Financial.

I founded confucianism with oracle and spread to my neighbor Julius because... um... he has iron xD

Now, my question - Do i buckle down for a cultural or see if I can conquer someone. Now obviously in most games the answer is to go kill em - but consider this. I have a teach lead, but its in the religious/alphabet path. I discovered iron working way after everyone else. Every civ has iron (including my brother of the faith neighbor julius) and chariots. I have remote access to Washington but his land is all jungle and about to be destroyed culturally.

Another option I might have is to make a sea invasion on ragnar - that would be new for me.

sorry for the long post - would appreciate your comments/tips - this part of the game has always been trouble for me. I can post a save if someone shows me how ^^.

 

[jafink]

If you have copper (and assuming nobody has macemen, longbows, or crossbows yet) I would make a stack of like 80% axes and 20% spears for protection against chariots, and attack your nearest neighbor. I never really play too loyally so who cares if it is your friend. If you have no copper than I guess you could try for cultural, but I have never won that way so I wouldn't have any advice to give.

 

[Cam_H]

I can post a save if someone shows me how ^^.

If you want to upload a game, you can try the "Upload" button on the horizontal forum menu towards the top of the page.

Otherwise, use the "Go Advanced" feature in the posting area, and then press the "Manage Attachments" button in the 'Additional Options' section.

 

[Betafor]

Ok ty - no one seems to want to help me b/c its a specific game for some reason.

To your comment jafink - yes I have iron, my nearest neighbor is rome with praets and has had iron for a lot longer than me. If it was an easy decision i wouldn't have made it.

My logic is this - I can spend a lot of time and hammers trying to conquer my continent and that will probably last me most of the game - the odds are stacked against me. The cultural victory, however, is pretty much only attainable if you start early on. I'm certain I can pull it off, but the question is when.

Save is attached if anyone cares to humor a poor noob

current HOF mod is on!

 

[Cam_H]

Thanks for posting the game - you'll get better advice that way.

Also, frankly it's a bit curious that a Monarch-level player is seeking community input on a Prince-level game.

 

[Betafor]

lol - well what i meant was that I mainly play monarch, what i forgot to say is that its usually tiny pangea early rush kind of stuff. I'm trying to work my way up to large expansion/maps and continents. I just said that so people knew they could use terminology and i won't be lost.

Part of the problem is i'm an avid MP player. Situations are totally different.

 

[Cam_H]

I think that you're right in that you could comfortably look at a continent sweep or buckling down to a cultural - shame about no Ivory!

I think that you could pull off a totally passive cultural win, although you'd have to live with some pretty junky cities if you're aiming for nine or more. You could look at trying to flip Cumae and Neapolis in time by jamming a city close to their borders and focussing on religious buildings.

War wise - America seems to be the weakest, but distance maintenance and close borders with the Vikings may be problematic. Despite you having Construction, Caesar with Praet's always has me concerned as a war target, and I'd be inclined to keep the friendship and let him bear the brunt of Ragnar's likely attacks.

I might play a shadow going the peaceful cultural path.

 

[Betafor]

Just took a second look, and a problem i'm seeing with cultural is lack of religions - for cathedrals i'm going to have to found at least taoism or maybe even islam. At prince i'm pretty sure I could pull off a cultural before the AI invades or launches the ship, but it would be close.

If I did cultural, I'm debating to do a liberalism 100% culture slider victory or tech to mass media.

I really only have 2 great cities available is another problem - i may actually have to do a quick war to get cultural xD.

My comp isn't cooperating so i'll probably make a decision later tonight (maybe more people will imput) and stick with it. Ty for help