Ok, so now for tactics.
This is mainly so I can remember what I did next time I enter this setting, but also for sharing with you all.
First, my list.
This is a list I wrote and continuosly updated for what tech do I reach in what turn (my best times, most from this game), so I'll know what pace I'm in, and what to research next.
These are generally GOALS, so don't neglect other stuff on the way, although I don't do theology, divine right, and some other unnessecary techs.
Underlined are techs I use a Great Scientist to help research!
Alph. : 45
Sailing+Math.+Curr.+Mono. : 90 [Monotheism I usually take from Ghandi]
Civil Service : 125 [through Code Of Laws!]
Metal.+Lit.+Calendar : 154
Construction+Paper+
Educ. : ??
Banking : 211
Drama+Music :223
Gunp.+Optics+Philo.+P.P.+
Astronomy : 239
Chemistry : 248
Corporation : 269
Sci.Meth. : 275
Phisics+
Biology : 280
Electr.+Refregiration : 285 [Refregiration comes from Oracle that turn]
Liberalism+Superconductors : 288 [Superconductors is my free tech]
Steam Power : 308
Steel+Rocketry : 333
Railroad+Combust.+Assemb. : 345
Med.+Genetics : 357
Plastics : 372
Radio : 377
Computers+
Fiber Optics : 383
Fission+
Fusion : 388
Satelites : 392
Composites : 398
Ecology : 403
Now, Let's divide the game :
1. Early on, I try to find at least 1 settler and 1 worker, preferably more
The capital should be with PLENTY of food - corn, wheat or mix with pigs and deers.
It should also have some commerce - mainly for the starting ~150 turns.
I usually place it on a river with 2 fur or a gem as minimum.
I do a warrior while waiting for pottery, then usually settle down with the settler/s and start the grannaries ASAP! That is unless the stone is too far, then I can wait with a settler until currency..
I don't capture any city early on.
I wait for them to tech and after alphabet, trade. Their city is better NOT captured, because it has a palace, which brings commerce
many times I even wait untill currency to rob them before the attack.
At about turn 80-100, I attack the (hopefully) lone warrior with 5 warriors and take a city.
About buildings : all cities start with building a granary. The capital continues straight to Library, but the rest start deal with producing warriors.
When the Library is complete (turn 80-90), I put 2 scientists immediately. After 25 turns, I have a great scientist for the capital's academy.
Producing workers and sometimes a settler (I need 4 cities for Oxford!) is the next big task now, and it is not easier with Organized religion, so the revolution waits.
Some cities even build science at this point. The race for Civil Service is ON.
2. After Discovering Civil Service, I immediately do my 5-turn revolution : 1 turn for religion, 4 for Organized Religion + Slavery + Beurocracy.
Now it is finally worth to cut trees in the capital.
Except for workers, and religious missionaries, all cities now can't wait to start forge.
Many times it is worth to whip the forge.
The strong building cities (or with lots of forests) can do the Pyramids instead of the capital if possible, or even the Maus of Maus (later on), but the capital MUST do the Great Library and heroic epic. This will bring the next great scientists coming. I also usually do stonehenge because it is easy and it could be needed if I get the {Colloseums+Statue of Zues} G.A quest, which is the reason I do construction at that time.
At the momentI have Pyramids, I switch to representation.
This makes your scientists valuable and your cities can grow larger.
After construction, I get Paper. This makes it possible for a great scientist to discover education.
This is a pivotal moment! When education comes, I'll need to build 4 universities for oxford, and any whipping is allowed to accomplish the 4 universities prerequisite.
When I whip the last (of 4) universities, banking has usually recently been discovered.
I no longer need slavery, and I wait silently for Music to bring me the artist to start a GA.
3. After starting this first GA, the first thing to do is to switch to Mercantilism+Caste System.
The second is to try to keep as many scientists in the capital as possible during the GA.
This will be my only source for great scientists until late stages, and I need them fast.
The first will be used for the upcoming Astronomy.
The second and third G.Sci. will be used in the Phisics+Biology+Electricity later.
Other great people are usually kept aside for later G.As, except perhaps the first priest.
I usually do the hanging garden somewhen at this point.
I always hope for an extra GA from a quest, so that's why I do gunpowder a bit earlier than needed.
Research, research, research until Sci.Method.
4. After Scientific Method, the race is on towards Cereal Mills (from refregiration) and Research Institutes (from superconductors).
It is a short race, since I have 2 great scientists and Phisics gives another.
So Phisics, Biology and Electricity are done quite fast.
In the last turns of Electricity, I build the Oracle in my capital to be completed on the same turn electricity is, and pop out refregiration on that turn, which means Cereal Meals is created.
5. After Superconductors, Expand Cereal Mills and build research institutes everywhere.
This makes the empire a very strong one, but we should take the extra food for a good cause -
We can make very big cities with great science, but they won't be able to build the spaceship at the end.. so I take my workers on a farm-killing-spree : I destroy all farms (except those on corn or wheat) and turn them into workshops. Now the cities can build.
On happiness.. This is also about the time to do Notre Dam to help with happiness, and I prefer helping with theatre and colloseum, not temples. Theatre and colloseum give 6-7happy faces when 20% of commerce is spent on culture, and remember that your commerce is almost neglegable compared with your working in-city scientists at this point.
About health - I usually complete aquaduct and grocer to all cities during their grouth, but they are much less important than happiness and research institute.
You might want to start a GA now for switching to free market, but I rather keep in Mercantilism for awhile more and wait for my cities to grow and specialists to be active before starting a GA. This is so more great people will be produced during the GA.
I plan on 3 GAs now - Taj Mahal, 2 great people and 3 great people.
A plan for 4 GA MIGHT work, but as the last game proves.. it might not.
GAs are used primarily for producing great people and hammers, so you need it more and more as you get closer to the end. Plan it. Plan when to start to finish the ship 72 turns later.
I chase Rocketry not only for the apollo, but for the last help in science pace - Alum Co.
This also gives me Aluminium long before Plastics, and I reach it before even having factories, because science is the real race, not only building!
Many times I can complete my Ironworks by now without factories, and start with the apollo.
6. After Alum Co., it's time to push the hammer side!
Railroad and Combustion : I hope to have an Engineer ready for Creative Constr. (You can't do Mining Co with Alum). If not, like the last game, then I'll wait with this corperation until Fusion gives me the Engineer.
Then comes Assembly line : This is where I build factories and
coal plants.
Why Coal? Nuclear ones can do harm, Plastics is far off, and last but not least.. MANY times you'll get a random event optioning to increase your coal plants by 4 hammers each (or some drydock bonus).
Armed with these, and with Apollo almost ending in your Ironworks city, you will have great production and great chances of starting to suffer from some global warmings
The capital MUST NOT enter the space race until the last parts, but build only the essentials
for itself. Otherwise, it should be large and full of scientists, doing research!
Other cities can now engage in building ship parts (5 SS thruster and one other part are available to build!)
Medicine and genetics will ease what you have just done to your health. I tend to wait for my factories and coal plants before building suermarkets (although I could have done it earlier) and now also hospitals.
Plastics and radio : these are just... in the way... they don't do much for me, but I need them to continue and so my great scientists can research the right techs.
When they are done, all my remaining scientists can party with Computers->Fiber->Fission->Fusion
(fiber and fusion can take even 2 great scientists).
7. After Fusion, the space race gets real - you can build engines! but NOT in the capital yet!
Last science push is still needed.
Satelites gives you another big part (cockpit), and composites gives you 5 normal parts (Casting) that you can take your chance without all 5 parts
Now your capital can participate. You only need one more science - Ecology - which is both small and with only one small spaceship part to add to some city queue.
Try timing your parts so the whole construction ends on a specific turn.
Now... send the ship! 30 turns from now you win (or not.. if you don't build all the SS casting parts, and the dice is against you).
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Notes :
1. I use one city, where my state religion started, as my main money maker. It is the only place with a bank and a market, and the only place where I should find merchants instead of scientists.
I usually call that city "Money". It can build good or bad, but it should do.. money.
Other cities can sometimes be put on whealth to balance things up, but Money can take care of all others most of the time. Don't forget to constantly check your rival if he has 50 for a backwards tech
2. Note the science rate advances are mostly for the capital itself - academy, oxford.
Later, therefor, the science rate will be mostly determined by the number of scientists working in your capital, which is why you need a big capital. I touched 20 scientists in my capital this game.
. You might even pop it from a hut!
