Beat SID on Standard map!!!

[WillSen]

I've just started using artillary alot and it has been a huge success. I've also built 60 bombers which work fantastically alongside cavalry because you can bomb down to 1 hp or less and then get accross the 2 squares to the city all in one turn!

 

[Sullla]

Curious thought for those who have been playing Sid - it sounds like everyone is playing archipelago maps. Is anyone beating Sid on pangea maps? Archipelago maps cancel out many of the AI civs' biggest advantages, such as 1) their rapid expansion by cutting down on the total land area 2) their trading networks by keeping them isolated from one another 3) their ability to retaliate effectively i.e. punish the player in wars. Starting alone on your own island and contacting all the other civs with curraghs/galleys while they all stay isolated from each other seems to be the usual strat from what I'm seeing. Am I missing something here, or is it true that something like 95% of Sid games are archipelago ones? Just wondering.

 

[The Great Apple]

3. When the war begin, fortifed key position and wait for them to come. Use cannon to blast them away. Unless their units sitting duck on the open with 1HP, do not finishing them off. Have mercy on them! Just let them to gracefully withdraw from battle (they will be back, but that's ok). Just sit back and wait for their main SOD which consists mostly of obsolete units such as archers and spears. We may not have enough cannon to reduce them all to 1 HP during the first few turns, but once their wounded retrieve, their SOD will get smaller as they go. Of course, once they completely healed, they will be back. When they are back, they would end up with multiple smaller stacks every where along the main battlefield. Note: don't underestimate those spearmans; if they are not all down to 1HP, do not attack them. Also don't forget to leave an easy target near by as bait. Usually, their SOD just bypass your stack of defenders all together and head for one of your undefended city. That's it! With the enemy stack of 1HP archers and spears everywhere, your troops should be able to generate at least a few leader out of them without much of a problem. Isn't that fun or what?

I've always considered this one slightly cheating. I know I can do it, but I try not to, as I don't find I get any satisfaction out of beating the AI because it was really stupid. There are a number of other bugs that I also steer clear of, such as pilliaging armies. It'll be great when we can take all the bugs like this out in Civ4! I also like to have all the victory conditions on, and a completely random map.

I've yet to beat Sid, though I usually beat diety.

Congratulations

 

[WackenOpenAir]

Curious thought for those who have been playing Sid - it sounds like everyone is playing archipelago maps. Is anyone beating Sid on pangea maps? Archipelago maps cancel out many of the AI civs' biggest advantages, such as 1) their rapid expansion by cutting down on the total land area 2) their trading networks by keeping them isolated from one another 3) their ability to retaliate effectively i.e. punish the player in wars. Starting alone on your own island and contacting all the other civs with curraghs/galleys while they all stay isolated from each other seems to be the usual strat from what I'm seeing. Am I missing something here, or is it true that something like 95% of Sid games are archipelago ones? Just wondering.

It is hard enough on pangea. It really is pretty insane, by now way comparable to deity.

I think a tiny world pangea with one or 2 opponents would be possible though. (on archipelago, noone is afraid of another civ starting on his island eitheri)

 

[Moonsinger]

I've always considered this one slightly cheating. I know I can do it, but I try not to, as I don't find I get any satisfaction out of beating the AI because it was really stupid. There are a number of other bugs that I also steer clear of, such as pilliaging armies. It'll be great when we can take all the bugs like this out in Civ4! I also like to have all the victory conditions on, and a completely random map.

Yes, it may feel like cheating; however, since the AIs are usually 10 times stronger and they can rebuild units lighting fast, so it's a fair game. Beside, they do often overrun my position. In the spirit of the Alamo, it was a glorious battle to finally withstand those mindless stampedes.

 

[Fr8Train]

Curious thought for those who have been playing Sid - it sounds like everyone is playing archipelago maps. Is anyone beating Sid on pangea maps?

I beat mine on Continents, hence why I was stuck with the Babylonians - Yes Pangea is harder.

Maybe I'll try Pangea sometime soon.

 

[vmxa]

The first good Sid game I thought I was going to win with Mayans, but lost to cultural as well.

I do not see them as a good civ for Sid, unless you are on an island. I say that because if you are forced to use the JT, you will trigger an early GA. Their traits are good, but commerce is better.

With commerce you start with alpha and have a good shot at being first to Philosophy and the free tech. Even if you miss, you can get Lit first and still make the GL. You also get that OCN boost and of course gold.

You also have curraghs to get out early for contacts. I do not use the palace prebuild as I have found it is not required and a few turns head start is usually enough. Just get the the city up to size 12 asap and rely on the AI, not being in any hurry to build the GL.

Iroq are good as they have that early UU that you need to beat the barbs down with. On sid barbs will kill most ancient units. No more sending in horses to whack barbs with impunity, I even have had swords get killed.

The only non alpha civ I have used to win at sid is Carthage. You do not have to have alpha first to get the GL, as I said the AI often takes Map and is slow to get to Lit.

I have never been able to beat civs on my land mass without an army, but if you have neighbors, armies are easy to get.

Anyway good job.

 

[vmxa]

Curious thought for those who have been playing Sid - it sounds like everyone is playing archipelago maps. Is anyone beating Sid on pangea maps? Archipelago maps cancel out many of the AI civs' biggest advantages, such as 1) their rapid expansion by cutting down on the total land area 2) their trading networks by keeping them isolated from one another 3) their ability to retaliate effectively i.e. punish the player in wars. Starting alone on your own island and contacting all the other civs with curraghs/galleys while they all stay isolated from each other seems to be the usual strat from what I'm seeing. Am I missing something here, or is it true that something like 95% of Sid games are archipelago ones? Just wondering.

All true, except you left out the slowing down of research aspect. I have won on island and contients, but not pangea. I have only tried it twice, but it would be very very hard.

The AI will fill the land so fast and have contacts, so the ancient age would fly by and you would have no chance at any wonders for most of the game.

They would soon be demanding from you and then attacking. I doubt that even a huge land mass would help. You would probably need to be on an island to survive, but if a true killer broke out, you could not stop a cultural win and probably not a launch. Contients is plenty hard enough.

 

[akots]

... Is anyone beating Sid on pangea maps? ...

LKendter and Co. are insane enough to try in SG forum. It is still going and does not look very good atm, but we are still alive.

 

[TrailblazingScot]

LKendter and Co. are insane enough to try in SG forum. It is still going and does not look very good atm, but we are still alive.

I've certainly tried...the difficulty is that I don't restart for land and have not been getting any sort of bottlenecks to work with so that when the dogpile comes I've been eventually flattened. It is just very depressing to watch the A.I steam ahead in tech and build all the wonders...better to play at Emperor and have fun

At least in that succession game they've got a bottleneck of sorts to work with and that could make all the difference in the long run.

The first people to do it will be:

1. Good at the game - obviously.
2. Have geography on their side to allow them a large enough empire from which to engage the opposition A.Is later on in the game. Not only that, having enough cities to support 1 or more GL armies is vital IMHO!

Hell in Bz9 - Ad Astra Per Sid they did 11 restarts before saying yeah, the land is good enough to play with...jeez!

 

[akots]

If you start in tundra, there might be a problem winning even on Demi-God and above. Emperor might still be fine though.

But in LK74 it was the first start and not very excellent IMHO.

 

[HamaticBabylon]

Well done, dude.
Congratu-ma-fraking-lations!

 

[HamaticBabylon]

Is anyone beating Sid on pangea maps?

If you play on huge Pangea with 60% water, with 7 civilizations then it is very possible that you can beat the A.I civs.

 

[sabo]

Curious thought for those who have been playing Sid - it sounds like everyone is playing archipelago maps. Is anyone beating Sid on pangea maps?

I just beat it on an archipelago, standard map, SID difficulty, as the Mayans, but I went with the middle choice as far as land area. Besides everything Fr8train mentioned, turning off SGL's is a must on SID level, and yes Sulla, next I'm going to try in on continents, then pangea. I've beaten it on Deity with continents fairly easy so with a little luck I shouldn't have a problem on Sid.