Can't keep up with the computer.

[Anakin]

Hey guys, as the title says that is my problem. I have Civ III GOTY, and I play on regent with persia.

I start out the game fine, I have my science at 90% and culture at 10%, so I can aquire techs faster. Well that works fine, then my money starts draining and I have to keep lowering my science because my money is very close to being gone, I lower science from 80%, to 70% all the way to 50%. At that speed I can't keep up with the computer, they are way ahead of me in techs. They have rail roads and tanks and I'm only using knights.

I've tried playing a game with zero science, so I can buy techs, but the AI will only sell so much. They don't want to give me too much, I guess they don't want me to have what they have.

How can you keep up? I've never built tanks or railroads, or anything cool like that. The highest fighter I've had is a musketman.

I know I'm doing something wrong, I don't know what it is though.

Thanks for any suggestions and help.

 

[silver 2039]

Build universitie's, libriariy's, banks, marketplace's, roads and go for techs that the Ai dosent prioritize and trade them with the AI. Democracy is a good gov for research and production.

 

[silver 2039]

This article should help http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3acad_tech.shtml

 

[insensatez]

also, try lowering the difficulty level. Regent is pretty hard if you're new to the game.

 

[lbhhh]

A good way to keep pace is to act as a tech broker. By keeping your research at 0-10%, you will have plenty of gold. Explore fat and meet the other civs. Then talk to them every turn to see what techs they have, until a brokering opportunity comes up. Say civ1 has iron working, civ2 has polytheism and you have neither. Buy Iron working for say 500 gold from civ1, trade it to civ2 for polytheism, then sell polytheism to civ1 for 500 gold. Result, you just got two free techs. This is a must on highr levels but will also work on Regent, etc. Hope that helps you out.

 

[KaNick]

Are you making enough workers to road you're tiles? One of the most powerful units is the worker.

 

[homeyg]

Okay, if you are going for a non-military victory as in you won't be fighting alot of wars, switch to a democracy. With the excellent commerce bonus you barely have to research above 50% to discover techs in 9-10 turns. Keep your military count down because you don't recieve any free support, like in totalitarian govs. which may hinder your research if you have so many units that at 50% science you are losing gold. Another suggestion, if you will be fighting wars, stay in a republic. A democracy can be overthrown into an anarchy (due to war wariness) a republic can't but still suffers from war wariness. Also, build libraries/universities in every city, it will help alot (they increase the commerce devoted to science in the city it is in by 50%)
Hope this helps.

 

[SuperBeaverInc.]

Originally posted by GrandMasta Nick
Are you making enough workers to road you're tiles? One of the most powerful units is the worker.

Yes, make sure you are roading every single square that is used.

 

[Anakin]

Wow thanks for all the great replies guys, I really appreciate it, and didn't expect it.

I'm about to play a 2 hours session, I say 2 hours, but it usually last 3 or 4

I'll use all the tips given, and I printed out this page so I can refrence it while I play. yeah I know that sounds dorky, but I'm tired of losing. I'll post the results later tomorrow.

wish me luck bros!

 

[Hygro]

Good luck!

 

[Longasc]

He will probaby turn into Darth Vader if he loses again!

 

[Anakin]

Well I lost.

It wasn't a bad loss though, the aztecs built the UN and won that way.
I came in third.

1st. Aztecs 1283
2nd china 1152
3rd USA 868

Happy citzens is 245.8
Content and specialist is 72.4
Future Tech 0.0

I did manage to do alot of trading, but up to a certain tech nobody wanted to trade, so I had to switch my money into making my own techs.

On the power chart I have the most, but I don't think that means much. I came in second with culture.

thanks again. I think if I keep trying, I'll win.

 

[Longasc]

Hi Anakin.

Try this:
http://www.civfanatics.com/doc/civ3/cracker/civ3_starts/

"Improving your opening play sequences"

You can get a huge advantage if you expand quickly early on. Perhaps so good that you can quickly crush one of your neighbours.

In the beginning, do not build too much units - focus on improving your cities instead, connect ressources (makes people happy, bring money, can be trade and are necessary if they are strategic, like Iron and Horses).

Get Marketplaces soon, they are a huge happiness and money multiplier!

And make use of your Immortals... They do well when kicking spearmen asses.

 

[Balao]

Longasc has the right idea. When I run a game my first couple thousand years I'm mostly building workers, settlers, and just enough units to keep them alive (barracks are a must here). If the computer cooperates and doesn't start another civ right on top of me this works great. If they do I try to wipe them out (or wind up getting wiped out) quickly.

 

[CaptainCommando]

Remember that above all else, you NEED a large military, even if you don't want to run around fighting, you need a miliatry big enough to defend yourself from the dastardly AI, who will pounce on you at the first sign of weakness.

Also, on that note, if you can help it, don't trade "miliatry" techs to the AI. You know, techs that give new units and resources and whatnot.

 

[cableguy]

Hmmm im not too keen on this science at 10% or less idea im playing on regent and the AI seems to love zooming in on "backward civs" and if u r playing on an archiplelegio map and miss out on the great lighthouse most of the time u cant even make contact with other civs til they find u which puts u at a massive trading disadvantage as gold can only by so many techs then u r stuck coz the ai already has em all. And do ya really wanna be fighting MA's with musketman or worse?