Gonna start my 1st game in monarch...need help

[Uber_John]

So I'm finally starting off, in a Archipalego map (huge) on monarch. I'm thinking to choose the Carthagians. Heres the problem, I played monarch on the scenarios and I realized that I always fell backwards in technology. It seems the AI is always 3 to 5 steps in front of me. This never happened to me in regent. I'm just asking for some good tips that will get me ahead in a monarch game especially in technology.. Thanks.

 

[thetrooper]

You could try the Byz. Scientific and Seafaring. Start with alphabet - go for writing, CoL, Phil and Republic as free tech. You should be able to make all those techs before the other civs. Seafaring will help you find the other civs easier. Scientific grants you a free tech in the beginning of each era. Byz is a good civ.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Really, there are no tricks needed. Research what the AI doesn't research, expand, have enough Workers - and at foremost, trade. And avoid bigger gpt payments to the AIs.

But, the most important thing is: You need no tech lead.

For what? Of course, you shouldn't fall seriously behind; but if some AIs are up a few techs - who cares?
About the only thing that can be ugly is if they show up with loads of Cavalry - but below DG, they can never have more Cavs than you have Knights or Muskets.
But otherwise...even if they have Tanks, they still don't know how to use Artillery. They could even have MAs and MIs - they still need Oil. As long as you have Refining, all fine.

 

[vmxa]

Falling back in tech at what point and how far behind and for how long? You should be able to stay close during the Middle Ages and start to pull ahead in Ind Age. You could do even better than that, if you are doing worse thant that, you are doing something wrong.

I am presuming you have a decent or better start and not some "So Cold" type of start. You only need to get your fair share of land and manage it better than the AI. This is not a probelm normally.

Last time I played Monarch AW game I was able to get the tech lead in the AA and hold it the whole game. Well the top civ beat me to some middle age techs and I beat it to some. I was first to IA as China.

So it should not be too hard to do it when you can trade. I could not even steal optional techs as I have no embassies. Could not demand techs for peace either or any gold/lux, since I can't make peace. So you can make lots of good deals and keep the AI broke.

Post a save we can see what the issues are.

 

[Arathorn]

Build more workers. Without even looking at your game, I can predict it would help. Build more workers. Improve your squares. Build a couple granaries in high-food cities and build more workers. Get enough land early. Trade. Build more workers.

Arathorn

 

[arvegil]

If you set the barbarians really low, you can put fewer resources into defending your own cities- resources that can go into workers, libraries, and the like.

I just finished a cultural victory on Monarch, large map. I had the good fortune to set up next to some luxuries, so I could run roads to them and use the troops I would have otherwise needed to prevent civil disorder and defend against barbarians to go bother my neighbors.

 

[Swiss Bezerker]

Whenever u have a citie pretty far out from ure capitle wit a population 2-3,build a worker.Use horsemen

 

[Own]

If it's on 80% water, the tech pace should be very slow, so just get to republic, build libraries in every city, road every tile, build more workers to do this, and you'll be researching very fast.

 

[Evil Tyrant]

Once you research replacable parts, build as many artillery and infantry as possible. When AI troops enter your territory, redline them with the artillery then finish them off with infantry(or guerillas if you don't have rubber). Also compare how long it would take for you to save up enough money to steal techs from the AI vs. researching them yourself, it may be quicker and cheaper to steal them.

Good Luck!

PS: build lots of workers, it's a given that you will be behind in tech and forts can help beat back the hordes

 

[BasketCase]

I've never had a problem maintaining a tech lead in Monarch games, even without trading extensively. At that difficulty level, my style was usually to pick a few cities with big shields per turn, build barracks in only those cities, and use them to churn out a steady supply of troops (when these cities needed civilian improvements such as a marketplace, I would have them take turns instead of halting my production of troops completely). All my other cities went for extensive civilian improvements to crank out max gold and research.

Unless you're constantly at war with your neighbors, you should reach a point where your army can't get much bigger without seriously burdening you with support costs; that should be your signal to stop building troops and get your military production cities building libraries and marketplaces and stuff.