GOTM70 - First Spoiler

[Più Freddo]

In C3C, the placement of every (core) city is a decision of middling importance, but in PtW, instead of many slightly important decisions, we have just a couple of very important ones: What is the best RCP for this start? Should the new core use the palace or the FP? Where should the new core be? Must I use a leader or must I disband my capital?
And I like big decisions better than little ones.

From a gaming perspective, the PTW system is obviously superior. Fewer, more clear-cut decisions. Perhaps the better solution to the problem would have been to document the "bugs", now features, instead of trying to adapt the game to the documentation.

But C3C has other nice improvements over PTW, such as faster forestry operations, a less over-powered industrial trait and the new seafaring and agricultural traits.

 

[Più Freddo]

It is a very powerful strategy to learn a new Tech, gain access to a new type of unit, have a large treasury (or trade for it during the in-between turn sequence), do a mass-upgrade (especially during the in-between turn sequence!!) and overwhelm your target(s) with an updated military.

Indeed. And if you decide against upgrading, then you should disband your MP Warriors as soon as you enter Anarchy in order to establish Republic. Why wait longer and have them cost cash every turn?

But I don't see this decision as a cash issue. If (in a military game) you don't have the cash, then you made some serious mistakes. Did you build roads? Did you build Marketplaces? Did you keep yourself from building useless improvements with high maintenance? Did you acquire enough luxuries and alien declarations of war to keep the populace happy? Did you stop research when it wasn't needed any more?

There's always cash for upgrades. At least along the line Horseman-Knight-Cavalry. What else can you do with your money? Cash-rush the same troops, perhaps? In the mid game I usually do both: short-rush Horsemen (over Spearman) and upgrade them to Knights.

 

[Megalou]

Regarding the temple rushing: in the not-so-corrupt towns that had 2 shields per turn, I used a different build order: first build a Warrior (5 turns) and then start on the temple. So after 10 turns it had the Warrior + 10 shields in the bin + 1 population, and then I could pop-rush. This extra Warrior was quite useful, as my warrior-building capital was not able to keep up with two settler factories anyway, so I needed an additional Warrior from someplace else once in a while. In my productive towns (3 or more shields per turn) I didn't pop-rush the temples, of course.

That's a good solution, I think, unless you really want the town to grow. Warrior/worker also reamains very tempting unless you have a couple of really good worker factories.