Good strat for monarch

[Nightmare99]

Code of Laws is even better: keep only the big cities from your wars, and whip a courthouse in the new city as soon as it gets out of revolt.

By the way, can I ask why you're playing pre-patch?

Yes becuse i heard its much harder with the patch

 

[carl corey]

Well, it is, but there are also some very good improvements to both Great Generals (Military Academy is more effective) and the vassal system (huge improvements), and some rebalancing modifications (Creative gets cheap libraries, easier to get Heroic Epic - level 4 unit needed again -, walls & castles give protection to bombardment added to the cultural one etc). Look at Civilization IV / Patch & Update on this site, and I think there's also a thread somewhere about the modifications not given in the official list.

Altogether it is more difficult because of the better AI, but all you might need to do is drop a level at first. I've managed to stick to Monarch even though I'm losing part of the games and I really like the new modifications. I'd say give it a try.

 

[cabert]

^^agreed with carl corey
I just regret that the special AI bonuses haven't been tuned down to keep the balance.
(I'm speaking of the discount for upgrading troops, and the AIs trading techs among themselves without second thoughts)