GOTM VII

[spork]

Oh no, I worry I'm going to have to eat my words now, because I was one of those people pushing for a Deity game. Then I remembered that all my glorious Deity campaigns were on the unpatched game, and I also liberally allowed myself some reloading.

These are not spoilers because I haven't even started with GOTM7. However, I did try playing the Iriquois on Deity using 1.21f, because I've never tried that combination before. What I found was disturbing. At no point early on does there seem to be a break for me to successfully attack a weaker civ and negotiate a favorable peace (maybe this will be different in the actual game). Also, there seems to be no mechanism by which I have any chance of keeping up with the science. On the quick practice game I played tonight, my enemies had infantry while I had spearmen. At least they didn't seem terribly agressive in my game...

What sucks about patch 1.21f is that it seems there is no mechanism with which you could keep up with the cutting edge in science. When you meet your first civ you're already behind, and nobody seems willing to even-trade anything for Masonary... Also, of the 6 goody huts I spepped on, 5 were empty and one had map information about the surroudings. That isn't much help! Is this just what 1.21f is like?

The unpatched game gave you many more openings to win on Deity. Patched, it really does seem formidable. Never before have I played a game in which I was a complete science loser, but the role has its own sneaky strategy for hanging on to life and scavanging territory.

I think it will be a while before I start the actual GOTM7. Until then, can somebody please post non-spoilerish (i.e.: theoretical) advice about how to stay on track in science with 1.21f on Deity? That would really help out my strategy! (I worry the answer is going to involve a lot of fighting and winning, which will be hard with the Deity handicap.)

 

[Elfi Wolfe]

I don't know but I am being lucking with the GOTM?

First 2 minor huts gave me settlers, and then I got a warrier and 2 techs.

My strategys for trying to stay up with tech is to buy them.
Do very little science (I'm tryuing for the great library, doubt I'll get it)

well I can't say much else about my game here. so I'm headed to spoliers.

 

[Plexus]

Yee-Haw! I am going in.
'Save me Jee-bus!' - Homer Simpson

 

[Sir Yelof]

Originally posted by spork
I think it will be a while before I start the actual GOTM7. Until then, can somebody please post non-spoilerish (i.e.: theoretical) advice about how to stay on track in science with 1.21f on Deity? That would really help out my strategy! (I worry the answer is going to involve a lot of fighting and winning, which will be hard with the Deity handicap.)

I'm all about preparation before starting this game! (Who knows if it will actually HELP...)

I've been scouting with an Emperor game with Iroquois and culturally linked locations. The GOTM is culturally linked too, right? That should mean that we'll see the Americans and the Aztecs nearby.

Both the Iroquois and the Aztecs get an early Golden Age. It's important to delay that until you get enough cities out and running so that the production benefit can really kick in. I'm hoping that will be enough to allow me to catch up militarily with the sprawling AI civs.

The Aztecs were closest to me in my practice game and that eventually meant I had to fight them to gain space. Two interesting things happened as a result, and I'm hoping I can leverage them in the actual GOTM7 as the Iroquois:

1) Techs as part of peace package.
After a quick foray against bordering towns as I hit my GAge, I was able to put a good threat together against the Aztecs. But they were too big to wipe out, so I needed to sue for peace for a bit and get those temples in place. Imagine my surprise when, in addition to the peace treaty, I was able to request a world map and 4-5 early techs (Masonry, Map Making, Mathematics, etc.) as part of the treaty's terms! That caught me up big time to the other players as I was way back. Hopefully a valid catch-up strategy: beat up on Aztecs, make them give you their techs.

2) Great Leader from military battles.
With an (unusual for me) emphasis on military strategy, I managed to pop out a GL when I restarted the war (this time to wipe out the aztecs for good). Then I bought Literature from another Civ and managed to rush the Great Library first. Huge, just huge. Having the Great Library means you can kick out those rider units and be a general force without worrying about research or paying off other civs for tech. I didn't need to worry about libraries until education, meaning I could put marketplaces and courthouses and even finish my forbidden palace in the middle of the continent.

All you folks who have already started the Deity game are either amazed at these insights ("wow, why didn't I attack the Aztecs early and sue for tech?") or laughing at me ("what a dope, the Aztecs get wiped out by the Romans before 1 AD and the Romans kick your butt too quickly for any of this to matter...")


--Yelof

 

[anarres]

Hint for keeping up with science:

Try putting all of your money in gold. When all the other CIVs have researched a tech it drops in price to a fraction of the original. Note that you have to have discovered the other CIVs to get the price drop.

I always play Diety, and win by not building too many offensive units early on - just enough to defend myself. Later, whe the gold has piled up (and I am miles behind in science), I buy what tech I need to produce my units of choice (from different CIVs to spread my money around, or just one CIV if I think I can take it out soon enough).

Next, build your army. My only advice here is to build a decent army, not just a few units. When you have almost taken out a CIV, sue for peace, get more tech.

Then you can carry on fighting if you have the units to do so, or change to Republic or Democracy and research your own tech.

Now you can always buy the best tech that only 1 or 2 CIVs have, and sell it off to make money. At this point you are tech lead (or near enough to not be disadvantaged).

The rest is easy

anarres

 

[Sir Yelof]

Originally posted by anarres
I always play Diety, and win by not building too many offensive units early on - just enough to defend myself. Later, whe the gold has piled up (and I am miles behind in science), I buy what tech I need to produce my units of choice (from different CIVs to spread my money around, or just one CIV if I think I can take it out soon enough).

Overall, your advice sounds grand. I'm just worried about this first bit. How do you stop the other civs from looking at you and saying "look how weak he is, let's take 'im out." Does building enough defensive units keep you in the game for this purpose?

Generally the Emperor games I've lost involved another civ deciding I was useless and demanding higher and higher tributes until I decline, and then overrunning me with more advanced units (horsemen/swordsmen/knights, depending on how far I've made it) until I'm effectively out of the game. The ones I've done well in involved me being aggressive and building up enough of an army that the other civs don't deal.

I hope this isn't too off-topic for the GotM forum, but it *is* after all relevant to taking on a Deity level game.
--Yelof

 

[anarres]

Originally posted by Sir Yelof

Overall, your advice sounds grand. I'm just worried about this first bit. How do you stop the other civs from looking at you and saying "look how weak he is, let's take 'im out." Does building enough defensive units keep you in the game for this purpose?

Generally the Emperor games I've lost involved another civ deciding I was useless and demanding higher and higher tributes until I decline, and then overrunning me with more advanced units (horsemen/swordsmen/knights, depending on how far I've made it) until I'm effectively out of the game. The ones I've done well in involved me being aggressive and building up enough of an army that the other civs don't deal.
--Yelof

I tend to favour culture over any other method. If you can stay ahead early on (easy as you can do it by building temples in your cities - the other CIVs never seem to favour early culture development) then they regard you higher and do not attack much (if at all).

I have often had almost no units and watch enemy units go past without taking much interest in me. Note that this is best done early in the game as by the end of the end of the ancient era the other CIVs start building more cultural buildings. They also tend to have more cities and so you are unable to keep ahead for long.

Note that this is different from lots of other Diety players that favour early warfare as a method of survival. While they build armies, I buld settlers and expand as quick as possible.

anarres

 

[Jove]

Arr! A deity level game! Time for me to stop whining and submit another result. Avast, mateys!

 

[cansecofan]

Well, I consider myself a Civ newbie. I learned on II and was not very good at it yet when III came out. My friend, who is much more experienced than I, said I should try the GOTM's. Well I picked a fine one to start on, I must say.

Originally posted by Sullla
Note: If I can survive to the AD years, I will consider my game a success.

I made that my goal and survived until 430 AD. I'm pumped.

 

[Matrix]

Originally posted by cansecofan
My friend, who is much more experienced than I, said I should try the GOTM's.

Who is that friend?

 

[JohnnyReb]

Hmm, I guess I picked an interesting time to find this site and the GOTM. I can consistantly win on Monarch level but that is about it..oh well, a healthy floor waxing with my butt is good for my humility, right?

Anyhoo, quick question...How/what do I submit exactly as proof of my score, if I survive at this diety level?

Thanks much!

 

[JohnnyReb]

Originally posted by JohnnyReb
Hmm, I guess I picked an interesting time to find this site and the GOTM. I can consistantly win on Monarch level but that is about it..oh well, a healthy floor waxing with my butt is good for my humility, right?

Consider my floor to be shining like the sun...

 

[BobFargo]

Sorry if this is answered somewhere, but I couldn't find it on the GOTM page or this thread.

What's the final date for submissions for this GOTM?

 

[Lucky]

The submission date for the Civ3 GOTM is always the 2nd of the next month, so for this GOTM it will be July 2nd, on Sunday!

 

[Cartouche Bee]

Originally posted by Lucky
The submission date for the Civ3 GOTM is always the 2nd of the next month, so for this GOTM it will be July 2nd, on Sunday!

Well since this is the GOTM 7 thread, the due date would be June 2nd, on Sunday.

CB