Firaxis' message to all players of civIII (corruption thread)

[ApolloE]

Got your attention, didn't it?! ;p

I'm truly fed up! I thought when Firaxis said they made this game better for the 'less warmongering' bunch of us, that it didn't mean it would make it worse for the existing warmongering bunch of us!

Let's face it, it's totally unrealistic to keep another civ's cities on another continent... That is, unless you want NO production whatsoever. Even as a democracy, I had a ONE shield production continent. Every city, one shield. It didn't matter how many improvements I made in that city. In the 1.07 version, I used dozens of workers to plant/clear forests to build up one city... Just so I could improve the shield production and so move my palace there.

A good strategy no? Actually NO, it isn't... Because it doesn't work. (Certainly not anymore in the 1.16f version where workers may only clear a forest once to reap the 10-shield bonus).

So HOW, Firaxis, may we have productive cities in other continents with >1 shield bonus? Courthouses, police stations, you name it, I've tried it. Still only one shield. They said the 1.16f version would improve the corruption situation. Quite frankly, it hasn't.

So, the only productive way of conquering another civ far away from your own is RAZE the whole thing.

It's so frustrating. In fact, it's downright SILLY.

Silly Firaxis.

ApolloE

 

[Greadius]

Hmm... I mean this only in a Civ3 way, but Communism works!

I have cities on Marla's map which spread from Alaska to Argentina and get decent production from all of them. I loose more to corruption in my central cities, but during the building process it really helps.

Forbidden Palaces also work wonders, especially if strategically placed around your new conquered territory.

Or you can just use the editor to cut corruption rates.

 

[Black Waltz]

Yep. Forbidden Palace is a must. I have my Palace at the bottom of my map, and the FP around the middle, and that cuts Corruption rates drastically.

 

[ApolloE]

That's an idea, Greadius.

I never thought about tweaking with the 'internals'

I just played the game as it is!

Black Waltz: The trouble is, if you build your FP early on in the game and some CIV decides to be awkward later on and you have to go and take him out... Then it poses a problem?

 

[Black Waltz]

That is true. But are you sure that Police Stations don't work at all? Or Courthouses?

 

[Guan Yu]

courthouses work but they just take a damn long time to get, unless u have the money to spend to get that courthouse asap its not worth it. you'll lose that city easily before the courthouse is built to culture.

 

[damunzy]

While I agree that corruption is horrible in Civ3 I think your tactics of naming your thread is "silly" and this is also not in the correct forum.

 

[Cartouche Bee]

Well a courthouse or a police station should help by a percentage(of the gross available) rather than just 1 production.

Using Communism is fine but that is a bit of a political statement.

I've tried moving my palace (Forbidden palace is pretty well locked in place unless you work way to hard.) around to build up areas as I go and that works OK (hope you have leaders). Or you can draft and then disband and that works well also.

The complaint, in my opinion, is the unnatural way we have to deal with the problem.

And as in all the previous versions, unit management toward the end is simply time consuming.

Cartouche Bee

But I spent more time playing civ series games than any other game and Civ 3 has better options to end the game early so that you can by pass those long endgames.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Courthouses only work up to a certain point, too many cities and if the city is too far from your capital they don't do any good at all.
Communism would be a lot more useful if you could get it a lot earlier. It's only real use is for long wars.

 

[Zouave]

I was hoping this thread was about Firaxis coming out with the REAL Civ III finally!


Corruption is another bit of proof that the game wasn't playtested.

Do what I did: lowered the cost of the Palace and Forbidden Palace; and made temples and banks corruption fighters. I assume the bank comes with an SEC, and I assume religion may make you less crooked (I hope). If that doesn't help enough, make cathedrals corruption fighters, also.

 

[Greadius]

Communism works wasn't meant as a political statement! Really!

Just in my game I currently have 80+ cities spread from South to North America on Marla's Map, several dozen squares away and I get production from all of them. Some of them don't have the Courthouse/police station improvements. Communism works for a much larger empire. Unfortunately my 'main' cities production has dropped off dramatically, but at least while I build up my peripharies this is much better. I'm sure if I had remember to tinker with the rules it would hardly be a problem.

Of course, I only play on Monarch...

 

[Ironikinit]

Communism does work in certain situations. It's nice not only while you're at war, but after you've wiped out a civ so you can build up their old territory. Yes, your core territories around your palace and forbidden palace go down in production, but they should already be built up. Also, you can use military units in your new area until you get temples and cathedrals in place.

Pretty much all you want in those areas will be happiness and growth improvements. They'll never do jack for research. I say this figuring that eventually you'll switch to a better peacetime government.

 

[Selous]

so what is wrong with communism then? seems like some of u are idealogially opposed to changing to communism because it is the evil empire or something. the communist can rush improvements and actually get production out of those crappy new citys and so therefore corruption is not as bad as in a democracy ... so u want corruption to be manageable under democrasy? so what would the point of having a communist government in the game? when u want a war just change to monarcy or despotism. i think that corruption as is now under 1.16 is perfect!! ... your new nation that has been freshly liberated is paralized by inefficency and corruption ... unless off corse u have a great leader pull the country together and rush your forbidden city or palace .... or whatever ... but i do agree that there needs to be more palace type buildings (LWC4 is perfect for this)

i beleive that corruption is a perfect balance! so for all the warmongers out there u have to use your core citys to run the war effort rather than setting up your steamroller crushing all opposition then pumping out all of your units with your newly captured productive citys to continue the steamroller effect

 

[Cartouche Bee]

Hi Greadius,

I know your original statement was with regards to the game mechanics and I understood that.

My comment about Communism and politics was really my own and more directed toward it's being chosen as a way to battle corruption and war weariness. As in all politics, it just opinion, and I don't see it that way. I don't use Republic in CIV3 either and that was always an early goal in CIV2 before Democracy. Things change. If I were in need of Republic or Communism as a government then I will chose them but I have yet to see a real need for either yet.

I have no problem using Democracy, even in war, just turn up the luxuries rate. As far as corruption goes, I would rather have a city giving me a 1 production than have my enemy keep the city and producing 30 shields a turn. Also, my primary cities are groomed for science, culture or production and therefore I prefer full production in those cities. And that is not only when I play on Monarch.

Anyway, I thought this was a thread on corruption strategy but I see that it has relocated to a general discussion so I'll sign off.

CB

 

[infanta]

so what if shield production is only one, turn it into an uber tax city (irrigate all the lands and turn excess pop into taxmen)

use gold and pop rushing depending on government to get the production you want

to be honest shields only vital for building wonders, its easy enough to get the equivlent of 20 or more shield production by other means

just except you only gonna have bout 10-12 cities with high shield production, the others cities are building cash/culture/science

for the sake of game balance i think corruption is a good way of stopping massive civ style urban sprawling, it forces you to rely only on a few cities for production and to use the rest for specialists (rather than the ridiculous 100 cities producing a unit each turn and the massive game balance issues this creates)