Civ 3 GOTM#3 *Spoiler* talks

[Ripley]

Well mines finally finished. Taking up where I left off.

Decided that my original intention of allowing the persians to remain was stupid and removed them from the game. The french turned out to be a tougher nut to crack than I thought, so I made peace whilst I built my forces and wiped out the babylonians.

Then I went at the french again, this time with cavalry. Took control of the entire continent with the remaining french forces stuck on the english continent. Taking cities didn't work, as they just kept flipping back. Razing them was the only way. By this time I had a mass of ships, which obviously worried the english since they then tried to match me for numbers. Unfortunately they couldn't match for techs.

Sent in my forces to take the remaining french cities, giving me a foothold in the second continent. During this the english removed the indians (finally). And then there was two.

My assault on the english began around 2000AD. Much later than some. First I took out their navy. That was really awesome since it is the first time I have had a full on naval war with anyone playing Civ3. There was a good 50 units involved in all.

The french cities I had taken were in the middle of the continent so I pushed north, destroying the cities as I went. This gave me a bit f a buffer between me and the english capital. Cleaned out the south of any remaining english cities and then continued towards london.

By this time I was landing transports full of tanks. The english respawned once when i took their last city and I won with military domination around 2040 AD with a bit over 3000 points.

It was my second GOTM, the first I have actually won. I didn't restart from an autosave ever, and I didn't come to the spoiler thread until I had the entire world map. That makes me very happy.

Unfortunately I appear to have lost my 70AD save game, so no submission for me. And I was so looking forward to putting my first one in.

 

[Silverblade]

I forgot to keep a save around 10 AD too...

but I sent it in with the hopes they would accept my save still... so send it in and tell them you lost your save file...

 

[denyd]

Joan went home about 25 years ago, Cleo just left and Liz is down to about 10 cities (and dwindling). It doesn't seem fair with about 50 modern armor going against riflemen and cavalry. Liz sent about 20 knights at a fortified mech infantry in a walled city (not smart).

I liked the idea I read earlier about turning the second continent into a game preserve, so I'm only keeping London (Pyramids & Great Library), Thebes (the Lighthouse) and Warwick (pop 24), the rest will be razed. I'll leave a couple of Mechs in each city and a few roaming modern armor to clean up the soon to be popping up barbies.

Next to go will be Ghandi, who is sitting in the south with his war elephants and a single city on horsie island, that I'll let survive to keep the game alive until the spaceship is done.

 

[Trash]

My first GOTM i've submitted, tried the last 2 but haven't been able to finish in time.

I played my first aggresive game ever, mostly because of the crappy starting location. I was almost pleased with how easy it felt playing on Regent as opposed to my last 2 monarch games (the GOTMs) everybody is so happy in my cities

I could have got a conquer victory in about 1150 AD i think it was, which would've been my first victory of that type. Only other 2 games i've finished was with spaceship & diplomatic victories (or ran outta time in GOTMs).

I decided to hold off on the conquer because my score was increasing at more than 30 points a turn ended up with a domination (doh) in 1300's but definately got a better score with the domination so i'm happy. And it also meant i get a week or so break from Civ to play all my other lovely games.

 

[gonzo_for_civ]

Im gonna have to hurry to finish in time to submit. I've killed off Japan and almost Persia. I have declared war on the whole continent so that i can finish on time hopefully. I may end up playing for a diplo or domination victory. Maybe, I can make the turns go quick and win a histograph victory. It's been really fun. I had a real stroke of luck when Persia's iron source was naturally exhausted. I ran right through 'em and took a few techs for peace. Of course, I betrayed them the next turn which pissed a few people off.

 

[IronKnight]

I've heard a lot of talk about moving your Civ's capitol. How do you do it? What is required? Some how I've managed to miss this strategy.

Thanks.

 

[Grey Fox]

The only thing you have to do to move your capital is to Build a new Palace, this can be hard in corrupted cities, whice are often the ones you would like to move your Capital to...

I usualy use a leader to Hurry a Palace to be built... Your Capital is also moved when your Capital is taken or abandoned... so abandoning your capital is also a way of moving it...

 

[IronKnight]

If I abandon my capitol (OUCH) do I have the option as to where it moves to?

Also. Once I build a palace, how do you tell the computer to move the capitol?

Thanks, Grey Fox.

 

[Aeson]

Moving the palace by disbanding the capitol is an offshoot of the "no palace, no corruption" exploit. Instead of trying to take an AI city, the automatic relocation of the palace is used to move the capitol to a more advantageous location. In the current GOTM for example, after the Japanese cities were conquered, by disbanding Beijing, the palace could "jump" to one of the more centrally located cities.

The palace usually moves to the city with the highest population, but sometimes it doesn't. So far no one seems to have figured out exactly why. It's best to do very early in the game (after 5-10 cities have been built/conquered), and while cities are small. I've never had a problem moving the palace to where I wanted it if the target city was the only one size 3+. When there are multiple cities of size 3+, it's becomes hard to predict where the palace will move. Early in the game, all cities should still be producing settlers and workers often anyways, so their populations should be low already. Just don't build any settlers or workers (or do any pop-rushing) from your target city, and it should work everytime.

To easily disband your capitol at the proper time, just pop rush a settler and make sure there is no excess food per turn being produced. The option to disband will be given the next turn, and the palace will move to it's new location. The only real costs of doing this is the loss of your previous capitol's cultural value, and a settler.

 

[Grey Fox]

Originally posted by IronKnight
Once I build a palace, how do you tell the computer to move the capitol?

The city WITH the Palace is the Capital.

 

[BillChin]

I just finished the January GOTM. I found it to be a long game, frustrating at times, but I never felt any danger of losing as I usually play on Emperor difficulty. I decide to stay peaceful and see what happens.

I build directly south (when looking on the replay map), towards the tundra. I manage to claim the gems and the incense. I am excited by a horse icon near Persia and scatter a few cities there. What a mess that turns out to be later.

I keep building and keep a strong military. I try for the Great Lighthouse, but the English beat me to it and I have to settle for the Great Wall. A get a very early Golden Age from this wonder. I stay at peace by giving in to the occasional demands of neighboring civs. The Japanese build very close to me, but I decide that I will try the peaceful route. I stay near the top of the histograph but it is very competive.

I build the Sistine Chapel 1030 A.D. and Copernicus' Observatory 1190 A. D. There are two squares of flood plain in the mass of hills and that is where two good cities get located.

I am very curious about the speck of land out to sea and am disappointed that is only two mountains. I decide to look for other lands. Two galleys sink trying to find a crossing point, but it is a major coup.

The new continent is where my army gets its first blood. Egypt attacks the much stronger England around 1385 A.D. Egypt invites me to ally and I do. The English are no match as I have many Rider unique units at this point. It is a blitz up the English coast and I claim about ten cities while Egypt claims three. The English are wiped out by about 1580.

I go back to peace. Around 1640 the French invade my English colonies. "Drive them into the sea," is the order I give my generals. And they do so. The French have a stack of four units and then another eight, but that is hardly enough to invade someone half way around the world. I get everyone to ally against France. It takes a long while, but France is doomed. Around 1886 I make a lasting peace with France and the only city they have left is one that I give them on the English peninsula.

I become increasingly annoyed by the Japanese and they attack me around 1910. Japan and Persia ally against me and it is not a pretty sight. Wave after wave of calvary comes pouring over my borders. Most of my Persia side cities are overrun and masses of troops march towards Beijing.

I am still in Democracy and still recovering from the last war which only ended about 12 turns ago. I decide to make a big research push for tanks and airplanes while I fight a holding action. This works well. The enemy takes heavy casualties charging calvary into fortifed infantry. I look to eliminate units any chance that I get. I draft many infantry units to strengthen my lines and I contain their advance.

When my first bombers show up I am able to take a Japanese city and pocket a large Persian attack force near my capital. They are cut off from their railroad retreat route and I take my time destroying their stacks. Finally, tanks start showing up and the tide of the war begins to turn as I am the first civ with tanks. Then, Anarchy hits from my Democracy being at war for too long. Geez! Seven long turns later, I switch to Monarchy. It is like 1950. By 1978 the Japanese are destroyed. I make a separate peace with Persia early as they are much stronger.

After all this war (remember I set out to play a peaceful game), I am in no mood to go after the remaining civs. I plan for the United Nations. I have a leader saved, but do not need him. I make MPPs with everyone except Persia who is number two on the rankings. I move my troops into their territory. I refuse to leave. Everyone is at war with Persia the turn the United Nations is completed and I win in year 1990.

 

[ChumChum]

well i did exactly the opposite of peaceful.
i generally play nice and culturally but inspired by the "there will be lots of early conquests" remark i attacked straight from turn1 and was in war most of the entire game.

japs - dead. (respawned)
persians - dead (respawned)
babs - dead (respawned)

at this point i realised i only had 4 cities, and a large amount of swordsmen so i build some more cities and then advanced up to riders. BUT i missed the GREAT LIGHTHOUSE - oh no!
got Sun Tzu's instead and build me an army...

french - dead
japs - dead again
persians dead again
babs - dead again

now i was kinda stuck as i couldn't get to the other continent and england had started to invade mine (quite feebily i might add). i had their maps and decided just knowledge broker at a massive revenue loss to get astronomy. got that and found i actuall needed navigation. finally got navigation and plotted my birthright.

i figured if i took london and the great lighthouse then the english couldn't sail the seas again. which was true. build lots more riders and CHARRRRRRRRRRGGHHEEE....

bang bang.
<OUCH>
wassat? a musketman? bugger.
damn english had gunpoweder. this slowed me down but no one can stop a humungous army of riders. these guys are killer.

english - dead.

.... game ends.

however despite this succes story i was panged with guilt all the way through. i started every war in the game, made sweeping promises to every nation which i never kept. i lied, betrayed and backstabbed at every oppertunity. all nations were furious with me for the entire game but that didn't stop them being duped by phony smiles and crooked deals. basically i played like a bast'ard. sure i conquered the world but what kind of a monster nation did i breed?

might go back to being mr nice guy next game.

-ChumChum