Finishing the game on Chieftain...

[phant0md0g]

What's the earliest that you guys have finished a game on Chieftain? How did you do it? Victory type? Strategies?

I finished my second PTW game on Chieftain with a Space Race victory, but it took me until 2043 to do it. How can I finish all the techs - and the game - sooner, so I get better than a "Pathetic" rating or score at the end? By the way, for now, I've been using a tiny map (just so I can get used to the game), if that matters.

Thanks.

 

[Dynamic Cow]

now... playing on chieftain is something that happens to others.

 

[Yzman]

To get a score higher than pathetic you need to play a higher level. Score is determined the following way. It may be a bit off.

Score is: (Territory + happy citizens) times 2 + content/specialist citizens. Then 2050-(years left in game)Times difficulty level is added on.

Difficulties add like this.
Cheiftan:1
Warlord:2
Regent:3
Monarch:4
Emperor:5
Deity:6

 

[gugalpm]

You have to finish the game really early to gain a higher score.
In chieftain, the easiest way is conquest... by far.

 

[Buecephalus]

I've only recently moved up to monarch and regent games in Civ III, I tried to play a regent game on PTW but got overwhelmed by the 5 other civs ganging up on me. A good way to get a high score on any level, including chieftain is a short conquest game. Select a small world, pangea continent with 3 or fewer civs. Pick a civ that can attack early ( Carthaginians, Persians, Celts, Romans) you'll need to make a beeline for iron working for three of the above civs, I suggest Persians, they already know bronzeworking so you can make your first tech research ironworking. Build a warrior and send it out looking for the nearest civ. When you find it, they'll usually only have a warrior guarding their city. Attack and a good portion of the time you can kill the warrior, take the city and destroy the civ all at once. Then keep expanding and exploring. Once you've got a source of iron start pounding out the Immortals (Gallic Swordsman, Legionaires) and look for the rest of the enemy civs. I'm usually able to wipe out the competition while I'm still in B.C. with a score in the 6000's and a rating of "Magnificent"! Good luck.

 

[Bamspeedy]

Don't worry too much about your ranking. The scoring system does not really affect how well you played, because it does not take into account, wonders, improvements, techs, Great Leaders, diplomacy, civs you defeated, etc.

On chieftain you get
2 pts/happy person
1 pt/content person or specialist
1 pt/tile in your territory (not including sea or ocean)
These are averaged throughout the game and then add on:

Early win bonus of 2050-Date of victory

Difficulty level multiplies these numbers the way Yzman posted.

Since you finished so late you only got 7 pts for the early win bonus, and with playing on a tiny map you have few tiles in your territory and low population, because you don't have many cities. On a tiny map it is better to go for early conquest/domination. If you win at 0 A.D. you get 2,050 pts on chieftain, just for the early win bonus (12,300 on Deity)! I'm guessing you probably scored a few hundred pts.

I suggest reading through the Strategy Articles forum and the Strategy and Tips forum to gain some valuable tips/strategies to improve your gameplay. Read SirPlebs article in the Strategy Articles forum titled "How to maximize your score" if you really want to exploit the scoring system.

 

[Raijer]

The advise posted here is good. Bamspeedy is right about the war academy: in just reading half of it, I scored my first win in chieftain. I'm now doing ok on regent, and am looking forward to when I can move up to the next level.

The truth is phant0md0g, soon enough, cheiftain's gonna be awfully boring to you after awhile, and you'll need to bump up the level to make the game challenging. Those other civs'll be call you "magnificant" before you know it!

 

[phant0md0g]

Thanks! Everyone has taken the time to post thorough responses, and I appreiciate that. I'll be sure to use the advice that you've given me here.

-phant0md0g

 

[Sim_One]

Originally posted by Bamspeedy
1 pt/tile in your territory (not including sea or ocean)

Do coastal squares count toward your score then?

 

[Mathias]

Yes, coast tiles do count toward score and domination limit. Only sea tiles don't. Ocean tiles, of course, can never be owned.

 

[hbdragon88]

Ahh now I can see how to win on Chieftain. I'd fall behind in the histograph race and work like mad to catch up but running out of time before losing. I'll try a new game with this in mind, although my war strategy is very offhanded.

 

[Arduano]

A few weeks ago I had a Space Race victory on Chieftain in 1998AD (With the Egyptians). My score wasn't terrible: 612 I think. But hey, I like being Alva the Foolish!
Though, my playing skills are finally improving so I hope to change verry soon to Warlord.

 

[Raw is War?]

I play the game cos i enjoy it and the atmosphere. I don't bother with early conquests. I arn't even that bothered if i lose (as long it isn't by conquest).

 

[Chieftess]

About 2000BC (give or take a few turns) on a tiny map (4 total civs). It was a very early conquest.

 

[Bamspeedy]

Coast tiles give you points for the territory part of your score and count towards the domination limit. But it's value in score (if you are really worried about score) is the same as irrigated and railroaded desert. (2 food feeds 1 person, +1 tile of territory). However, because there is usually sea beyond the coast, the value of coasts is probably as good as plains or grassland, depending on the coast/sea ratio (whether it is a jagged coast, or a straight coast, straight coasts usually provide the most sea tiles for each coast tile you claim), because you are getting 'free' food from the sea tiles (explained below).

Sea tiles do not count towards the domination limit, and you do not get points in the territory part of your score. However, the food the sea tile provides will give you a point or two (if feeding a happy or content person). So grabbing 1 coast + 1 sea feeds 2 people (same as irrigated, railroaded grassland), but only counts as 1 tile towards the domination limit.

Ocean tiles will never be in your territory with a Civ3 random generated map. On some custom maps (such as Marla's and a few other world maps) there are spots were there are some ocean tiles only 2 tiles away from land. If you build a city and these ocean tiles get in your 'workable' city area, then they would give you 1 food (with a harbor, without a harbor you get a red shield just like you get when trying to work a polluted square), so that would count a tiny bit for score (because it is feeding 1/2 a person). But it won't count towards the domination limit, and you don't get the point for territory.