Definitive One City Challenge Strategy

[Flak]

I'm looking for a good set of comprehensive strategies for playing OCC in Civ III. I have done a search but there were no specific threads post-dating the most recent patch. I have such a compilation for Civ 2 that basically does a walkthrough of the types of improvements and wonders to build and when to build them as well as other advice for starting position and end-game. Does anyone have such a compilation here post-dating 1.29? If so, please post the response to this thread to aid with anbody else who may be searching for the same things. Thanks!

 

[Bamspeedy]

Check out the GOTM (Game of the Month) forum. There are some threads where a bunch of different people played an OCC for the last couple of games. Look for Sulla's post, as he has a link to a web page where he gives a more detailed description of his OCC win.

 

[Sullla]

I see my name was mentioned...

I have a rather in-depth description of my OCC game in the GOTM10 competition up on my website; you can read about it here. You may also want to check out the related thread in the GOTM forum where a number of other players discussed their OCC games; that can be found at this location. Good luck!

 

[Flak]

... that lowest score is not a goal for me. I would actually like to try and win by any means and have as many points as possible.

I guess I have read through all of the threads and can try to put somesort of readme together myself although I will still have some questions.

1. What wonders are essential for OCC?

2. What city improvements are a must? (I don't care about culture. I'll take all I can get!)

3. Should I bother railroading?

4. What should be my first unit? How many total units should I have in the city?

Personally, I want to never have more than one city and use colonies for as long as possible. I'm looking to try a game on huge, with 16 civs.

Think I will start one this evening. It would be nice to have a guide to see me through. Thanks.

 

[MSGT John Drew]

here's what I've found after playing OCC extensively for several weeks:
(I will not state things that Sulla's excellent guide already addressed. It's a must-read.)

1. When you research Literature and start building the Great Library do not stop your research. Research the Republic to get the needed boost in commerce.

2. When you get to the Middle Age gun for Education (also build the Sistine Chapel). I know it will be cutting off other techs you could get for free but if you build the Copernicus wonder you will become a tech powerhouse and could keep up. Meanwhile trade techs to get Chemistry (AI preference). If you wait what happens is that the other civs will get to Astronomy first and when the Sun Tzu (600 shields) gets built, the cascade will take the Copernicus wonder also (only 400 shields).

3. If you get the Copernican wonder you'll most likely get the Newtonian wonder as well. Those two wonders including libraries and universities will boost your research off the roof.

And the danger to every OCC game is losing Diplomatically (UN wonder) because that wonder is almost impossible to get in OCC.

 

[satchel]

Originally posted by Sullla
I have a rather in-depth description of my OCC game in the GOTM10 competition up on my website; you can read about it

I just read your website; looks like it was a fun game. I have one question - how did you get away with one spearman defending your city that whole time? In my experience, whenever my defenses are that weak someone tries to attack me. If someone had sent even two or three knights into your capital you would have been a goner.

 

[Sullla]

Originally posted by satchel
I have one question - how did you get away with one spearman defending your city that whole time? In my experience, whenever my defenses are that weak someone tries to attack me. If someone had sent even two or three knights into your capital you would have been a goner.

Contrary to popular belief, the AI civs tend to come after you more often if you are strong, not if you are weak. Oh sure, if you are fighting a losing war they will jump in and pounce on you, but if you are tiny and pose no threat they will almost always leave you along. I had a spotless diplomatic record and ongoing trades with every civ in the game; they would have been foolish to attack me. I was the world's great middleman, catering to the needs of everyone while making a tidy profit for myself. Now granted I was running a bit of a gambit in this particular game, but if someone had attacked me I would have had everyone else in the world against them in an instant. There is very little chance of you being attacked in a OCC game simply because the AI does not perceieve you as a significant threat. Now if you were playing against humans, it would be a different story.

 

[Bamspeedy]

There is very little chance of you being attacked in a OCC game simply because the AI does not perceieve you as a significant threat.

Very true. In fact in one game on Deity, I never even built a city, so I had no defenders at all and survived until after 1800 A.D. before I finally got killed. ALWAYS give into the AI when they demand tribute in an OCC game. At most they usually demand only a couple turns of income, which is not worth going to war over.

 

[col]

I'm hoping that the tournament mystery 5th game will be a OCC. Playing that way in GOTM10 really developed my game a lot and I've played several other OCC practice games successfully.

I've found a coastal location is a must - mainly so you can build a harbour and get contact with the other civs.

 

[cgannon64]

I just started a thread on this, not seeing this one. Oh well.

Anyway, I'm doing an OCC for Tournament 3-1, just for fun. Its much harder than I realized, especially b/c I missed getting the GL by a few turns.

Now it is getting VERY hard to keep up in tech, as I have like 2g, and like 2gpt. I'm still stuck in Despotism, b/c the damn AI won't give me monarchy OR republic.

I think the only wonders I have are Oracle (easiest wonder to get in an OCC IMO) and Great Lighthouse. Making like 17 culture a turn, with about 1000 around 300 AD. Not looking to good.

CG

 

[MSGT John Drew]

You need the Colossus, the Oracle, and the Great Library. The Colossus gives the money, the Oracle controls happiness, the Great Library allows you to research Republic.
Then Sistine Chapel, then Copernicus, then Newton's. But if you can build JS. Bach after Copernicus do so.
You'll then be a tech-powerhouse. Then Suffrage, then TOE, then Hoover, then UN. And the eventual Cultural Victory.

cg: you are doomed! :lol

Originally posted by cgannon64
I just started a thread on this, not seeing this one. Oh well.

Anyway, I'm doing an OCC for Tournament 3-1, just for fun. Its much harder than I realized, especially b/c I missed getting the GL by a few turns.

Now it is getting VERY hard to keep up in tech, as I have like 2g, and like 2gpt. I'm still stuck in Despotism, b/c the damn AI won't give me monarchy OR republic.

I think the only wonders I have are Oracle (easiest wonder to get in an OCC IMO) and Great Lighthouse. Making like 17 culture a turn, with about 1000 around 300 AD. Not looking to good.

CG