Conquests: Age of Discovery strategy/tip thread

[dgfred]

A nice CC spot: where the Orinoco meets the ocean (Venezuela). Irrigate the cattle and mine the iron hill.

@troop- What has been your favorite scenario so far and why?
Rate your preferences for us .

 

[thetrooper]

He He...

#1 Rise of Rome. No doubt. I believe that is your fav too?

I like most of them, Fall of Rome is prolly my fav right now. It is rather bloody and time is limited. When I don't feel bloodthirsty I go for Age of Discovery or Mesopotamia. Mesoamerica is bad tho

 

[dgfred]

He He...

#1 Rise of Rome. No doubt. I believe that is your fav too?

I like most of them, Fall of Rome is prolly my fav right now. It is rather bloody and time is limited. When I don't feel bloodthirsty I go for Age of Discovery or Mesopotamia. Mesoamerica is bad tho

I've only glanced at FOR . Right now I'm fairly interested in Nap , and still ROR . I still like MA pretty good and have not really
liked AOD so far. I've never tried Meso or Sen and probably will not.

 

[thetrooper]

You should give FOR a decent try dg! Then we can revive this thread too:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=101769

 

[dgfred]

You should give FOR a decent try dg! Then we can revive this thread too:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=101769

What civ do you like for FOR , any stategies you favor??? What about
in AOD: which is your favorite?

 

[thetrooper]

FOR: Ostrogoths, Franks or Vandals. I tried as the Huns once (moved all my migrants to a better starting position, 5 turns before I settled my first city). Key is to hook up iron, otherwise you are out. Anyway - this scenario is frantic. Once you got pillagers head for the Roman cities and them. These half-naked savages have a 33.33% chance of turning the enemy into a worker (stats: 6 / 2 / 1). Stack them and you get the "bombard" bonus too

OK! We are drifting off-topic here dg! We'd better watch out for the mods...

 

[dgfred]

FOR: Ostrogoths, Franks or Vandals. I tried as the Huns once (moved all my migrants to a better starting position, 5 turns before I settled my first city). Key is to hook up iron, otherwise you are out. Anyway - this scenario is frantic. Once you got pillagers head for the Roman cities and them. These half-naked savages have a 33.33% chance of turning the enemy into a worker (stats: 6 / 2 / 1). Stack them and you get the "bombard" bonus too

OK! We are drifting off-topic here dg! We'd better watch out for the mods...

I did ask you your favs for Age of Discovery too . What are the
fun civs for you and what are your strategies?

 

[thetrooper]

I did ask you your favs for Age of Discovery too . What are the
fun civs for you and what are your strategies?

OK! Some pre-game contemplating:

Netherlands, England, Spain and France start the game with 1 settler, 3 workers, 4 caravels. Portugal start the game without the settler, only one worker and 3 caravels. Every european nation start the game with an explorer (conquistador for Spain), 1 MDI, 1 longbow, 7 pikes and 1 trebuchet.

Navigation school: All naval unit movement rates are increased by two. The NS produces one explorer every 10 turns (NS may be built only in a coastal city). Cost: 160 shields, maintenance: 2 gpt, cpt = 2). Available with Navigation.

Only Spain and Portugal have the NS prebuilt (Sevilla and Lisbon resp.)!

Colonial Capital: Gives the benefit of a second palace located in the city that builds it. Requires: the civilization must have at least eight cities (on a standard map) under its control. Cost: 160 shields, zero maintenance, cpt = 2). Available with Colonization.

Dias' Voyage increases the movement rate of all naval units by one. The city also produces one colonist every 8 turns. DV may be built only in a coastal city. The Portuguese start AOD with DV in Lisbon and its presence immediately triggers a golden age for them! Cost: 400 shields, zero maintenance, cpt = 2).

Based on these "facts" Spain and Portugal would be the easiest to play: 2 and 3 (resp.) more movement points of all naval units (compared to the other european powers, until they build their navigation shools that is).

I did a monarch game as Spain:

My rules: no wars with the european powers (that is an exploit). If they declare war on you, you must fight a passive war (unit kill only, no taking their cities).

Research: you can still research on monarch. Max for Banking (24 turns), Portugal (due to their GA) researched Printing Press in 21 turns and England finished Magnetism first. Tech trading and max research for Colonization.

Contacts: easily the first to contact the natives. Trade Alphabet/Masonry for all their gold and WMs. Sell the contacts to the europeans for WM, gold or as part of a tech deal.

I disbanded the trebuchet for a faster settler (who needs trebuchets anyway?).

Drop off a worker on the spice single-tiled island and chop the forest. Settle Venezuela, Panama (chokepoint ) and Guyana first. Then Cuba + the small islands (I can't recall their names right now). There is a premium CC spot on Cuba (sugar and tobacco plantation + spice factory).

You can not build cities on jungle or forest tiles!

It is worth it to switch to protestant monarchy (religious: 2 turns in anarchy).

Quit research after mining, spend your money on lux and hurry improvements/units.

You will get 200 gold for every returned treasure.

About the screenies:

colonialland:

St. Augustine: sugar plantation, tobacco plantation, spice factory >> CC.
Tortuga: sugar plantation + gold mine.
San Miguel: gold mine.
Mexico City: gold mine.
Los Angeles: nada.
San Francisco: sugar plantation.
Santa Marta: tobacco plantation.
Hispaniola: tobacco plantation + gem mine.
Santa Domingo: tobacco plantation.
Veracruz: spice factory.
Panama City: tobacco plantation + gem mine.
Cartagena: nada.

victorystatus: the turn prior to victory.

victorypoints: unit capture (bringing back the treasures) is the most awarding in this scenario. Unit kill is barbs only.

colonialcapital: a whopping 23 shields per turn in a size 6 city.

 

[dgfred]

Very Interesting troop! . I'll study this awhile, then comment more .

 

[thetrooper]

Combine with the summary on treasure-producing improvements. You will need to ship appr. 30 treasures home to your capital in order to win (that way).

 

[Oddible]

Nice thread - reinspired to try this scen again. I love RoR, WWII and Sengoku but despite several attempts have never really gotten into this one. Starting as England I've dominated North America in a few different games and as the Dutch managed to get a decent caribean empire rolling but I was so daft as to miss the primary point of this scen - to transport treasure back to Europe (not that I wasn't doing that - but I was still using my age old - Domination / Conquer strategy).

Gonna give it a whirl as Portugal...

 

[thetrooper]

Note have poor the AI score on Unit Capture (i.e. treasures) in post #48. Yeah, I know it is just monarch level, but anyway.

 

[Andrew_Jay]

Age of Discovery is by far my favourite of the Conquests.

I find there is a balance between small, unproductive settlements in the Carribean that will garner you lots of resources, and building a very strong empire on the eastern seaboard of north America. That's how I played my first succesful game, with England, settling some 8 cities (all very productive too) in North America.

Anybody else recreate the historical actions of their nation? I just played as the Netherlands, putting New Amsterdam right next to Salamanca (on the river, it's a good spot, especially if you're going to later drive the Iroqouis away), settling a few Carribean islands (for tobacco and spices) and then heading to South Africa - hadn't realised that the gems generated treasure every 5 turns. I still lost by about 10,000 points in the end.

 

[Drake Rlugia]

This is my favorite scenario so far. I've beat it as The Netherlands and Spain.

Aim for Printing Press/Prostanism ASAP. Protestant Monarchy is mucb better than a Catholic Monarchy, despite the war weariness problems, but if you have alot of luxeries, that shouldn't be a problem.

Once you're in a Protestant Monarchy, you should set your science as high as you can without making your GPA negitive. Then sit back, and watch the money roll in. Sell all new technologies to European powers.

You should also colonize near your nations. IE, if your Spain or Portugal, try to Colonize South America, because the treasure trips will be much shorter, than if you had colonies in North America. Like wise, France, England, and The Netherlands should colonize North America, and avoid South America.

If possible, all civs should try to get colonies in Africa.

If you need some quick cities, I'd suggest picking off the Iroqouis, Mayans, or Aztecs and taking their cities. Do this ASAP, because the European civs tend to sell the New World Civs their classic age technologies, and by the Late 1500s the New World Civs are in the middle ages, and this tends to complicate things.

If your Portugal, you can take a few Spanish cities(Not the capital; don't want them having their capital in the New World do you?), like wise, Spain can easily take the Portugese city in Europe(Again, not the capital).

England should try to get France off their Island, so you have access to an extra Salt Peter when you discover Gun powder. If your up to it, you could try to boot England off it's isles with France, although you might need some help from the other civs(I tried this once, and England ended up Patritioned between every civ, and England only had London as a European city.)

That's my two cents.

 

[SuperDuck]

Does anyone have any tips for the Incas, Aztecs, etc? I've been trying to beat this conquest with them on Warlord, and get my ass handed to me every time. I can't seem to find a strategy that doesn't result with me getting pounded by everybody all at once.

 

[Grohan]

Here are some strategies (based on my game with France):
-Put colonies in Canada (near fur), Cuba, Southern America coast, Panama (chokepoint), North American east coast (mainly for productive cities) and in Africa (to get ivory and gems).
-If you like wars destroy Maya and Aztecs before they enter middle ages.
-If possible you may try to capture Lisbon with help of Spain.
-Musketeers and Medieval infantry are ideal combo taking out native american tribes.
-Wars in Europe aren't usually worth it though colonial wars may be a good idea.

 

[thetrooper]

Does anyone have any tips for the Incas, Aztecs, etc? I've been trying to beat this conquest with them on Warlord, and get my ass handed to me every time. I can't seem to find a strategy that doesn't result with me getting pounded by everybody all at once.

Welcome to CFC Superduck!

Should be easier to play the Incas or the Aztecs than the Mayas. The Mayan capital Chichen Itza may be attacked directly from sea. The other capitals are safe that way. You have no chance to compete with the european powers at sea. Your only way to victory is a 4k culture win. Build culture and sacrifice workers to gain culture points. Try to build one or two of the temples (Moon, Sun, K"#!¤"#¤#). Your worst enemy is Spain and their conquistadors (because of their movement). Try to keep them "happy" and give in to their demands.

Good Luck!

 

[SuperDuck]

Welcome to CFC Superduck!

Should be easier to play the Incas or the Aztecs than the Mayas. The Mayan capital Chichen Itza may be attacked directly from sea. The other capitals are safe that way. You have no chance to compete with the european powers at sea. Your only way to victory is a 4k culture win. Build culture and sacrifice workers to gain culture points. Try to build one or two of the temples (Moon, Sun, K"#!¤"#¤#). Your worst enemy is Spain and their conquistadors (because of their movement). Try to keep them "happy" and give in to their demands.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the thoughts. I attempted to go for the cultural win, but my pride usually ended up with poor dealings w/ the European civs. Perhaps the more diplomatic approach you suggested will keep me from dying... as quickly.

 

[thetrooper]

Yup! They usually demand some territory map + 20-30 gold. Your capital should only build culture. Let your other cities build military, workers and settlers. Most units from the "american" tech tree have enslavement ability - giving you a 33.33% chance of turning them into a foreign worker. If you really have to battle - bring Quetzal Bowmen guarded by spearmen. Forget about the spearmen, they are cannon fodder. Take out the small european colonies first and demand tech in the peace treaties.

 

[dgfred]

Yup! They usually demand some territory map + 20-30 gold. Your capital should only build culture. Let your other cities build military, workers and settlers. Most units from the "american" tech tree have enslavement ability - giving you a 33.33% chance of turning them into a foreign worker. If you really have to battle - bring Quetzal Bowmen guarded by spearmen. Forget about the spearmen, they are cannon fodder. Take out the small european colonies first and demand tech in the peace treaties.

Now that is the kind of strategy I like to hear/read/lurk