How to play Democracy

[Prof. Garfield]

THIS IS NOT A FORUM THAT WILL ACCEPT ARGUMENTS AGAINST DEMOCRACY!! THERE ARE OTHER THREADS FOR THAT. This is a discution about how to play demo. With that said, I will begin.
The begining: The key to demo is to plan early. If you play on an easy level, early republic will work for you, but more advanced levels and you will need HG to make it work. The begining is mostly go for monarchy (dificult levels) or republic (easyer levels). Then go for trade and build marco to speed along your science, and find out where to send your camels. Then rush for mono and build mike's. Then go for theo and build bach. (This is basic structure for direct demo, and other tech paths will be experienced. Once you have mike's, republic is very good. DON'T SWITCH TO DEMO UNTILL AFTER BACH. If you don't wait, then you will have crippling unhappyness, and your govt. will fall. I won't go further, but will let someone else put their two cents in.

 

[Ace]

Try searching for "Power Democracy & Starlifter".

 

[Andu Indorin]

Though, to summarize the "Power Democracy" -- never stop trading! And, as a matter preference, I always switch to Democracy as soon as I get it -- one difference I have with Starlifter on working toward the PD. With Mike's Chapel, I find that I can afford a moderate luxury rate since Trade can provide me with the necessary cash flow and scientific research. I usually don't build Bach until comparatively late, sometimes not until just before the advent of Communism.

 

[TimTheEnchanter]

While I admit that having Mike's and Bach are very nice, to say that the "you will have crippling unhappyness and your govt. will fall" is a tad extreme. As mentioned above by far better player than me, the key to overcoming these problems is trade - it gives you additional arrows from the routes to make the cities happier and the delivery bonuses provide the gold and beakers needed to advance your economy. Go look at the No Wonder succession game thread...it's a pain, but democracies can certainly thrive without those (or any ) wonders.

 

[A+ombomb]

Trade is overpowered.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

The "crippling unhappyness" was a bit of an overstatement. I just remembered a game I was playing where I had to disband much of my merchant marine because of the unhappyness after I switched to democracy. I relise that it can be done with no wonders, but IIRC the nowonders game had a later switch over date than in a regular game... I always avoid having a negative income, but I don't normaly hav it far above the "brake even" point.

 

[A+ombomb]

marketplace+bank+stockexchange are your best friends in democracy without wonders.

 

[ElephantU]

Originally posted by Prof. Garfield
The "crippling unhappyness" was a bit of an overstatement. I just remembered a game I was playing where I had to disband much of my merchant marine because of the unhappyness after I switched to democracy.

Each Trireme or Caravel out of port in a Democracy will add two red shields AFTER the Luxuries and City Improvements happiness effects, but BEFORE HG and JSB take effect. Police Station or WomenSuffrage reduce that to one. A good transition to Democracy plans ahead to replace merchant marine with Galleons or Transports.

Here's one of Starlifter's Power Democracy threads:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=854

 

[Andu Indorin]

You know, I've tried this before, but life intervened and the loss of a computer resulted in the loss of the previous start to this project ...

But since the PD is always coming up, I've decided to compile and organize Starlifter's assorted comments on the Power Democracy, adding a degree of "topical" organization to his views.

I'm doing this (a) because his worthy obersavations are scattered all over several threads; and (b) because there are some differences between his approach to the PD and my approach to the PD, reflecting -- I think -- some basic differences in our general playing styles (i.e, expansionist vs. perfectionist).

 

[Prof. Garfield]

Originally posted by ElephantU
Each Trireme or Caravel out of port in a Democracy will add two red shields AFTER the Luxuries and City Improvements happiness effects, but BEFORE HG and JSB take effect. Police Station or WomenSuffrage reduce that to one. A good transition to Democracy plans ahead to replace merchant marine with Galleons or Transports.

I know all about that, I have played democracy for thousands of years , just when I was playing the game, I looked at coruption and said: "there must be a better way..." it wasn't. I never said it was a good idea, or that I never make mistakes... It was a harder level than I was used to, so my mind was in the wrong place and it took a while to forgive itself... Oh, thanks for the link.

 

[DWRALL]

Originally posted by Andu Indorin
Though, to summarize the "Power Democracy" -- never stop trading! And, as a matter preference, I always switch to Democracy as soon as I get it -- one difference I have with Starlifter on working toward the PD. With Mike's Chapel, I find that I can afford a moderate luxury rate since Trade can provide me with the necessary cash flow and scientific research. I usually don't build Bach until comparatively late, sometimes not until just before the advent of Communism.

__________
I have two questions, ¿ all the nations of CIV reation equal to Democracy? because I like the lower corruption level of this kind of goverment, but I don't know if I play with the aztecs, the Zulus or the Iroquois, something bad happen?

Thanks.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

It makes no difference what country you play with, demo is the same for everyone, it depends more on your style. You need at least some roads for demo to work, or you need ocean.

 

[Specialist290]

I think DWRALL got his Civ2 and Civ3 mixed up, considering as how the Iroquois are only in the latter. Also, in Civ2, Demo doesn't have any corruption, while in Civ3 all the governments have at least a small amount.

Getting back to the main topic, I also enjoy playing in Demo (when my attention span lets me carry on a game long enough), and I will agree that happiness and trade are the two things you really need to watch at all times. I've never had one running at full steam, though (probably due to my aversion to Caravans/Freight ).

 

[Andu Indorin]

Originally posted by DWRALL
I have two questions, ¿ all the nations of CIV reation equal to Democracy? because I like the lower corruption level of this kind of goverment, but I don't know if I play with the aztecs, the Zulus or the Iroquois, something bad happen?

Thanks.

The Iroquois ... that sounds like Civ3. Could help with Civ3 ... tried it once or twice but could abide with fundamental game design decisions ...

 

[DWRALL]

Originally posted by Specialist290
I think DWRALL got his Civ2 and Civ3 mixed up, considering as how the Iroquois are only in the latter. Also, in Civ2, Demo doesn't have any corruption, while in Civ3 all the governments have at least a small amount.

Getting back to the main topic, I also enjoy playing in Demo (when my attention span lets me carry on a game long enough), and I will agree that happiness and trade are the two things you really need to watch at all times. I've never had one running at full steam, though (probably due to my aversion to Caravans/Freight ).

_____________--
Yes, yes I mixed up. but can you answer me if all the nations loves the Democracy also in civ III

 

[funxus]

If you want a real answer to your question, I suggest you ask it in a forum with people who play the game.

I have never experienced a love of democracy among the AI civs in Civ II though, and don't really understand what you mean?