help!

[Alpha9]

OK, I don't post much but this is very urgent! I need some serious helping from some veteran CivIII owner. First I have CivIII version 1.29b, on MacOS 10.1.5. Now for a little background, I've been playing Civilization III for a long time and enjoy it a lot. But, everytime I try to actually have a good civ, something f**** up! I can't get past gunpowder tech. Every civ I have created is loosing money FAST (like around -20 gold per turn when I have only 30 gold). When I think I have it made, something else gets messed up. Every city (nearly every) has a food shortage and every other turn has a civil disorder because of 1 unhappy worker!! Then, greeks (in my game) is the weakest WEAKEST! civ and yet I have much trouble trying to conquer one of they're cities! Even when I have a much more advanced unit. So what am I doing wrong to deserve this???? (I know everyone has this but every civ I make it gets waaay worst than the last) Do I just plain suck at this game??? Should I just give up the game since every other civ I make will be messed up?!?! Thanks for your time

 

[dojoboy]

Upload a save file Alpha9 so we can look at it. But,.....

(1) GPT = what are your sliders set at? Losing gpt could be caused by several factors: government type, lack of trades w/ other civs, army too large for your needs, lack of economic facilities (e.g. banks), not building Wall Street small wonder, etc...

(2) A stalling offensive can be contributed to outdated units, insufficient number of units deployed in the offensive, poor strategic decisions, lack of artillery (as well as bombers) for softening up enemy cities, and/or poor logistical planning.

A save file can provide more accurate feedback. Good luck!

 

[Trabpukcip]

Dojoboy is right, a save file will help us help you...

But one thing is for sure, you need more then one good unit to take off enemy's cities. And if you're playing at deity level you shouldn't be surprise with difficulties. Try chieftain at first... For the rest, well, give us the save file of your last game and last turn and I'll give you my opinion.

Good luck!

 

[frunobulax]

Originally posted by Alpha9
OK, I don't post much but this is very urgent! I need some serious helping from some veteran CivIII owner....

One hint for generating extra money...

When researching Scientific advances, keep an eye on how many turns are remaining. When it gets to 1 turn remaining, lower the amount of money spent on science and you will probaly find that it still says '1 turn' for the advance to arrive. It's a little trick for squeezing out extra gold just before each new scientific advance - very useful at the early stages of the game...


fruno

 

[AlanH]

Originally posted by Alpha9
I can't get past gunpowder tech. Every civ I have created is loosing money FAST (like around -20 gold per turn when I have only 30 gold).

Maximise your gold income by building roads on all the tiles being worked by citizens. Don't spend all your income on research, instead, save it up and trade for techs. It seems like suicide when you first try it, but it really is cheaper to buy techs than to research them yourself.

Every city (nearly every) has a food shortage and every other turn has a civil disorder because of 1 unhappy worker!!

Food shortage is caused by not irrigating plains tiles around your cities and/or not having any grass. Each citizen eats 2 food per turn. The city tile produces 2 food and after that you need as many tiles as possible that can produce 2 food per turn to sustain your population. Unhappiness is a result of lack of luxuries. Hook up one source of each luxury and get it within your cultural border, and make sure you connect all your cities by road so that they have access to them.

Then, greeks (in my game) is the weakest WEAKEST! civ and yet I have much trouble trying to conquer one of they're cities! Even when I have a much more advanced unit. So what am I doing wrong to deserve this????

Are you using defensive units to try to attack? I have a policy of building very few defensive units (those with A/D/M values like 1.3.1, where the Attack value is lower than the Defence value). The best form of defence is pre-emptive attack.

Do I just plain suck at this game??? Should I just give up the game since every other civ I make will be messed up?!?! Thanks for your time

Don't give up anything except sleep . Read the timelines in the Succession Games forum. Find out how the clever players think and operate, abnd then apply those skills to your games.

 

[Alpha9]

Originally posted by AlanH
Maximise your gold income by building roads on all the tiles being worked by citizens. Don't spend all your income on research, instead, save it up and trade for techs. It seems like suicide when you first try it, but it really is cheaper to buy techs than to research them yourself.

Food shortage is caused by not irrigating plains tiles around your cities and/or not having any grass. Each citizen eats 2 food per turn. The city tile produces 2 food and after that you need as many tiles as possible that can produce 2 food per turn to sustain your population. Unhappiness is a result of lack of luxuries. Hook up one source of each luxury and get it within your cultural border, and make sure you connect all your cities by road so that they have access to them.

Are you using defensive units to try to attack? I have a policy of building very few defensive units (those with A/D/M values like 1.3.1, where the Attack value is lower than the Defence value). The best form of defence is pre-emptive attack.

Don't give up anything except sleep . Read the timelines in the Succession Games forum. Find out how the clever players think and operate, abnd then apply those skills to your games.

Thanks for the help I highly appreciate it! Right now I'm at school and I don't have access to my saved files but as soon as I do I'll upload the 2 civs that I'm having problem and I'll use your advice Alan. Thanks again.

 

[Trabpukcip]

Originally posted by AlanH
Don't spend all your income on research, instead, save it up and trade for techs. It seems like suicide when you first try it, but it really is cheaper to buy techs than to research them yourself.

That's a very good advance for civ3 vanilla, but if we ever get C3C it won't be anymore, cause the only way to get a scientific leader is to be the first to get a new tech. And scientific leader are the only one in C3C who can hurry great wonders...

 

[AlanH]

Interesting. I'll worry about C3C if and when it ever arrives on a Mac near me. Does that apply to all Great Wonders - Sun Tzu and Leo's for example, if they still exist?

 

[dojoboy]

Originally posted by AlanH
Interesting. I'll worry about C3C if and when it ever arrives on a Mac near me. Does that apply to all Great Wonders - Sun Tzu and Leo's for example, if they still exist?

Yep, military GLs can create armies and rush small wonders. Only SGLs can rush Great Wonders. I've got C3C for my toshiba, and it is very good.

 

[AlanH]

That just reinforces the view that there is no incentive to do your own research, because the odds of getting a Scientific Great Leader at a useful time are considerably worse than those of getting Great Leaders in Civ3. You are therefore much better advised to either hand-build specific Great Wonders using pre-builds, or just take them by force at anything above Regent.

 

[Trabpukcip]

I would personnaly go up to monarch for that... but I guess it is a question of opinion.

BTW how is it going with your "civ-ing" alpha9?

 

[Alpha9]

I'm happy to report I am now the most finacially, move technically advanced, most powerful civ in the game. I am now in the industrial ages discovering medicine. I had nearly 1800 gold with +40 per turn. Right now, I'm at war with the Germans since I don't have my own iron supply and the only way to get it (from trading) is if I gave them ALL my gold and some tech (it went for all the other civs too), so I decided to capture the German town that has iron so I don't have to trade. But while in the war I made a deal with the English for iron by trading them I think physics (I must give up my ocean rule) and around 300 gold and they accepted. So its going great. BTW my government is Republic and no civil disorders (knock on wood) almost all my cities are celebrating "We love the chairman day"