Great library strategy and others...

[Civilizator]

After playing a few times my strategy is always the same. I always play the egyptians, I manage to build the great library, then turn the research expense to 0, which permits me to accumulate a lot of money. When I am attacked I simply pay
others to help me. When the great library becomes obsolete
I hace no problem to lead the research, and I often sell out
old techs that ruin foreigns economy and make then dependent
on me. Then I become the ruler of the world, I organize the wars
I want and manage to force a situation in which everybody
fights whilst I prosper. When I get tanks I begin conquering
the world, and always before 1700 or so I get a domination
victory.

I have tried the same in emperor level, always failing to get the great library and lossing the game. I wonder if someone has
managed to apply this strategy on emperor.

And I also wonder what other strategies people are using to
defeat the AI. That is, I have learnt to use the religious and
industrious advantage, and I know more or less how to use
the militaristic advantage, you can just choose a militaristic civ and attack permanently... I would like to know if there are other
strategies...

 

[WarlordMatt]

I've got one.....simply WIPE THEM OUT as soon as you get modern armor. (I am usually way ahead of my opponents when I play)

 

[Catt]

I think you'll find that you have to adopt new strategies as you move up the difficulty levels. Getting the GL is a nice strategy, but frankly (as you have found out) becomes impossible as you move up in difficulty. I currently play on Monarch (and I also like the Egyptians) but I hardly ever get the GL (or even try for it). Read some of the posts from the guys who play Deity -- they won't even try to build wonders 'cause it simply ain't gonna happen.

Try visiting the Strategy Forum. Lots of good advice.

 

[Dralix]

I'm currently playing on Emperor and I always build the Great Library. Of course "always" is only a handful of games so far, but it's been my experience that the AI doesn't even attempt to research Literature. I make it my first goal, and start prebuilding the GL as soon as my capital has built a sufficient number of settlers (this number varies game to game). After getting the GL I usually enter the second age, while researching Republic. Until Education, I let the AI research most techs while I go after the optional advances that lead to Democracy, like Printing Press. It is very frustrating to be 2 turns away from something like Chivalry before getting it from the GL ...

 

[Catt]

I wonder if starting techs greatly influences this? Or do I just suck at the very early game?

On Monarch I have tried to employ the "Get the GL" strategy, and, after four or five games of failing to do so, decided to abandon it. 'Course, I play the Egyptians about 66% of the time, so never start with Alphabet. I get the sense that the AI gets the GL in my games less by design than by being forced to switch its build to the GL (i.e., was building Pyramids; someone elese gets Pyramids; AI switches to GL.

 

[Chingis Khan]

Try starting as one of the commercial civs. Gives you a good head start by giving you an expensive tech, alphabet. From there, it's only 2 more techs to go. By the way, you did start building a palace to switch to the GL when you get Literature, didn't you?

 

[Sullla]

I personally am not a big fan of the Great Library; I think it's far too much of a gamble on the higher difficulties to go for it because if another civ builds it first, you've essentially lost the game. IMO that early production in your capitol is much better spent pouring out settlers or building key city improvements. If you can broker contact between different groups of civs, you can usually get many of the anicent techs for free anyway. Selling your world map also nets a few techs as well. I can get up to Education pretty easily on the higher difficulties; the problem is that the AI will race ahead in the Middle Ages and it can be tough to keep up. If you are having trouble winning on the high difficulties, the best thing to do is drop down to a more comfortable level and work on your city management skills. The best advice on this is probably in the Succession Game Forum, where there are several "training day" threads where experienced players are teaching relative newcomers how to improve their Civ3 skills. Even if you do build the Great Library, you will not win on Emperor or Deity unless you know Civ3 inside and out - after all, it only covers you up to Education.

 

[Catt]

Originally posted by Chingis Khan
By the way, you did start building a palace to switch to the GL when you get Literature, didn't you?

Yes, but often times too late. I don't want to completely sacrafice early growth for the GL, so I will often start building the Palace only after I'm comfortable with my early expansion rush. I guess if I was willing to set my second or third city on building a palace right away, I could probably assure myself of getting the GL.

 

[Chingis Khan]

As Sulla stated, going for the GL on Emporer is a huge gamble. It has to be all or nothing. Set your worker to build up the second city you build (which starts producing the palace immediately) and let you capitol spew out settlers. Of course, when all is said and done, the easiest way to get free techs is to beat them out of all your neighbours, "Gimmee Construction you little runt....what's that? You don't have it! Well then, Gimmee your lunch money..."

 

[Catt]

Originally posted by Chingis Khan
Of course, when all is said and done, the easiest way to get free techs is to beat them out of all your neighbours, "Gimmee Construction you little runt....what's that? You don't have it! Well then, Gimmee your lunch money..."

I agree -- that's why I've largely abandoned pursuing the GL beyond Regent level.

Thanks for the posts.

 

[WickedWombat]

I usually try to get the Pyramids first and then go for the GL

Of course, if I don't get it, I'll be dumb but my opponent will have to meet my hordes of peasant warriors
[dance]