Are my strategies correct?

[Cornflake]

Hello to everyone. I have started playing Civilization III last thursday and I like it.

So, on to my problem.
In the start of the game I have a normal sized kingdom with an army "....stronger than the others". But as the game progresses the enemy builds more and more and more.
Like, once I took 3 knights to battle and I got totally mutilated by 3 spearmen and 2 archers. I learned that in this game quantity beats quality.

I think that the problem might be that whenever I build a city, I always build a temple in it, then a courthouse, a marketplace, a barracks if needed and so on.
I would like to point out that my culture is always the highest, I have hundreds more gold than my opponents and I am a few techs ahead of everyone else on my continent.

Since the Americans and Iroquis on the other continent are fisihing wonders before me (that has never happened before, I have always been the wonder leader of all my other games) but I havent seen them yet since I can't travel overseas yet.

I would appreciate any and all help.

Also, what are culture flips?

 

[USC]

Hi Cornflake,

Hard to say PRECISELY why the 3 spearmen and 2 archers beat your Knights, but here are some factors that may not be apparent at first:

- hitpoints of the attacking/defending units
- defensive terrain and fortification (for example, a fortified spearman on a hill has a 75% defensive bonus, making the odds 4:3.5 per sub-battle -- quite reasonable chance of the spearman squeaking through)
- city walls or City status (both give a 50% bonus)
- promotions (increased unit quality and an immediate gain of a free hitpoint) after spearman victories
- dumb luck

By the way, quality counts too -- but Knight have an attack of 4, which is good, but not overwhelming, even against the 2.67 defense level of a fortified spearman on grassland (the most common case).

Your build order does seem to need some work. Remember that speed counts -- you want to get the most benefit in the least time, especially in the beginning. A very simple, but hopefully illustrative example:

- opening with warrior, warrior, warrior, settler, then the Great Pyramids: you get the benefits of three explorers/military police and a second city for dozens of turns, then the Great Pyramids
- opening with the Great Pyramids, then warrior, warrior, warrior, settler: you get no benefits for dozens of turns, then the benefits of the Great Pyramids, then the benefits of the warriors/settlers in quick succession but very, very late.

Note that neither of the above can be recommended in practice, precisely because the GP are "so darn big."

In other words, start with the cheap-but-powerful things (units for use as military police, WORKERS, settlers, perhaps granaries, temples if Religious) and only then work your way to the more expensive, more powerful things.

Also, be sure to specialize your cities whenever possible -- above all, settler/worker pumps (high-food cities with granaries) and unit pumps (high-production cities with barracks).

USC

edit: now with less crack intake!

 

[Cornflake]

So my cities would grow without temples and all of those other buildings?

If so, I tought that the more different things you had in the city the faster it would produce new builidngs and units.

....you learn something new everyday with Civilization.

 

[Moonsinger]

Originally posted by Cornflake
If so, I tought that the more different things you had in the city the faster it would produce new builidngs and units.

Different building has different purpose. For example, a granary would help speed up your population growth. The temple would add culture points to your civ in every turn; plus it make 1 unhappy citizen in the city content. Other than that, the temple do not increase your shield production; therefore, it doesn't increase the speed of producing new buildings and units. However, the more population you have in the your city, the more shield it will produce; therefore, in a way, the granary indirectly increase your shield production (assuming that the number of happy citizens are equal or more than the unhappy one). Of course, the temple would also indirectly contribute too because it helps to expand your city limit plus help make one citizen content which mean that 1 extra citizen would get up and go to work everyday which mean he/she would pay tax or whatever which would eventually help your kingdom, etc.

 

[Cornflake]

I have another question. One of my cities is revolting. It has six citizens. Three are unhappy and the rest are content. When I click on the unhappy people the reason always is that "It is way too crowded".

What can I do to make them peacful again?

Don't tell me to get more luxries because none of my opponents have any.
And I already have like 10 or something. 5 gems, 4 wines and one spices.

 

[Deatvert]

for the lux you only benifit form 1 of each kind you could increase the lux tax

 

[Moonsinger]

Originally posted by Cornflake
I have another question. One of my cities is revolting. It has six citizens. Three are unhappy and the rest are content. When I click on the unhappy people the reason always is that "It is way too crowded".

What can I do to make them peacful again?

Don't tell me to get more luxries because none of my opponents have any.
And I already have like 10 or something. 5 gems, 4 wines and one spices.

As I have mentioned in my previous post, as long as the number of happy citizens are equal or more than the number of unhappy citizens in a city, that city won't revolt. For example, if you have a city of size 8 with 2 happy, 3 unhappy, and 3 content, the solution for this case is very easy; just make 1 unhappy citizen into an entertainer and this city won't revolt.

Note: To make an entertainer, just click on his/her smiley face (in this case, unhappy smiley face).

PS: If you have massive number of unhappy citizens in your empire, use the luxury slider first, then fine tune each city as I just mentioned in this post.

 

[Cornflake]

Originally posted by Deatvert
for the lux you only benifit form 1 of each kind you could increase the lux tax

So it doesn't matter if I have a billions wines because they all qount as one?

 

[Moonsinger]

Originally posted by Cornflake
So it doesn't matter if I have a billions wines because they all qount as one?

That's correct! However, there are other benefit if you have more than one source of wines.

 

[Trev]

The problem may be roads, the unhappy city must be connected by road to 1 of each of the 3 luxuries you have, if it is it the luxuries will show up in your city screen, if not build the roads, as 3 luxuries, plus temple, plus militay units will keep city contented, if on monarchy or depotism, also on republic on all easier levels they should also be content with the 3 luxuries

 

[Trev]

The fact that you claim to have 3 content citizens and no happy citizens strongly suggests this unhappy city is not connected by road (road/harbour combination) to any luxuries, as the presence of luxuries would immediately create happy citizens.

 

[ssvensson]

Remember under despotism/monarchy u can put military units in the revolting city to make them content.

 

[Cornflake]

I have like 10-15 units in those cities who are frequently revolting.
All my cities are connected with roads.

It is still strange that I have only like 5 cities that constantly revolt. The others have never been ina state of chaos. Just those five. I have tried anything, more roads, more irrigation/ mining.

This time I made two entertainers in that city and it cooled it. I am pretty pissed since one of those cities is my main great wonder city and when in chaos it obviusli doesn't build so that way I have lost many wonders to my opponents.

 

[ssvensson]

Originally posted by Cornflake
I have like 10-15 units in those cities who are frequently revolting.
All my cities are connected with roads.

It is still strange that I have only like 5 cities that constantly revolt. The others have never been ina state of chaos. Just those five. I have tried anything, more roads, more irrigation/ mining.

This time I made two entertainers in that city and it cooled it. I am pretty pissed since one of those cities is my main great wonder city and when in chaos it obviusli doesn't build so that way I have lost many wonders to my opponents.

Only 2 mil. units pr. city in despotism (3 in monarchy) above that is unnecessary (regarding happiness!).

If u have roads to 3 different lux then be sure to build marketplaces - untill then u just have to have entertainers.

 

[kb2tvl]

Stalin had quipped that quantity has its own quality.

 

[planetfall]

Originally posted by Cornflake
I have like 10-15 units in those cities who are frequently revolting.
All my cities are connected with roads.

It is still strange that I have only like 5 cities that constantly revolt. The others have never been ina state of chaos. Just those five. I have tried anything, more roads, more irrigation/ mining.

This time I made two entertainers in that city and it cooled it. I am pretty pissed since one of those cities is my main great wonder city and when in chaos it obviusli doesn't build so that way I have lost many wonders to my opponents.

Only 5 cities? Were these captured cities? It sounds like some of the citizens might not be natives, that will slow down happiness.

It takes time to learn, but you have learn to watch the city name label carefully in the early game and EACH turn review EACH city that will grow in ONE turn. It's a pain, but in a close game you can't afford to lose 1 or 2 turns to disorder. Unfortunately the F1 screen will not tell you when they will grow. As long as happy citizens are equal to or greater than unhappy on NEXT turn you will be ok. Remember to assume new citizen will be unhappy if you already have at least one unhappy citizen and you should be able to plan well.

-- PF

 

[USC]

Planetfall,

Aren't you mixing up Civ 2 and Civ 3? Cities in Civ 3 get a one-turn (or maybe "3/4 turn") grace period upon growth before they experience civil disorder. Thus in Civ 3 you no longer (THANK GOD) need to check cities that are merely about to grow. A quick glance at the F1 screen is enough... that is, once you have one of the uber-cool Easy-to-Read Smiley Faces mods.

USC

 

[Kubannus]

Dear Cornflake, let me ask one question. Do you have a manual ?
1/ If YES have you already read it? YES? Try it again!
2/ If NO There are lots of articles here on Civ Fanatics.

Good Luck!

 

[planetfall]

Originally posted by USC
Planetfall,

Aren't you mixing up Civ 2 and Civ 3? Cities in Civ 3 get a one-turn (or maybe "3/4 turn") grace period upon growth before they experience civil disorder. Thus in Civ 3 you no longer (THANK GOD) need to check cities that are merely about to grow. A quick glance at the F1 screen is enough... that is, once you have one of the uber-cool Easy-to-Read Smiley Faces mods.

USC

Never played C2.

Maybe it's either C3C or PTW, or just me. I thought it was happening in one turn but it could have been 2 turns and opps. I will double check in a game where this happens often.

-- PF

PS Cornflake, forget the manual or hard cover strategy guide. Look at War Academy stuff here .