I was the best science and cultured civlizations and the Russians killed my capital!

[axe-man]

Bah, you actually let the persians and Egyptians live?

Well that depends on whether the map you're playing gives them realistic starting locations.

If it does, then you should have destroyed them immediately!

Remember the old civ 2 rules, rule1: never share your local neighbourhood (region), rule2: never share your continent if you can help it!.

You should be the one bullying the other civs! How the hell could they just reach your capitol. The capitol should be at the centre of your civilization, ie: not just at its edge.

 

[sebanaj]

oh i always try to commerce with them! they're always my friends... and Egypt develops very fast usually, cause the nilo has a great influence in developing...

I have iron near the mountains of the caspain and black seas...

 

[LayZMan]

Originally posted by hamster
dont get angry. get even. give one of the neighbors some technology or gold (bribe) and get an ally against russia. and let them do the fighting while u rebuild your cities and a brand new butt-kicking army.

just dont forget that no army is complete without 12-16 artillery units to turn his cities to rubble.

Bear in mind though that if that enemy neighbor winds up not being as strong as you hope that you might make your enemy even stronger. If possible get 3+ neighbors to contribute (even though it seems the game is reluctant to send their best men out, at least not initially).

 

[LayZMan]

Originally posted by sebanaj
another thing i'm wondering!! how they suddenly can send around 30 units in a few turns!!!

I'm not used to build any army, except one or two in the beginning to dedicate only to grow the country and build good things, commerce and lifestyle... never cared about an army tho!!

cause when i played caring about the army i was left behind in technology and culture...

1) Never neglect your military, esp. if you have a militaristic nieghbor. When building a garrison I usually have at least 2 defensive units and a mobile unit to attack an isolated enemy and return to the city (they also can shift to defend a city faster).

2) The game can send 30 units at one time for a couple reasons, one being the free units and production bonuses for CPU on higher levels and another is that the CPU might have been on the warpath and those units were from a previous war. I've had a game were I had to beat down a stack of 30+ obsolete units sent by the Zulu when I decided to invade their land (my approx 15 units of artillery + well over 20 infantrymen had no problem w/ that stack though as the most modern unit was a musketman, the best offensive was a swordsman). I had set up camp outside a size 12 city w/ 4 infantrymen inside and the stack just stunned me.

Of course I'm one of those types who pretty much goes to war throughout the ancient era. Hell the first building I build is a barrack (eh, culture is too boring, lol). Seize cities, use their population to build a barrack and then library/temple (depending on distance from palace and cost). A big empire has its uses in the long run (a well placed forbidden palace=more dough, more cities=more unit support depending on the government)

PS-Religious civs rule for warmongers, LOL.

 

[black_adder2]

Archipelego maps provide the best chance for early civ building with little need for an army.

I can play regent + level and have only 1 defensive unit per city... if I see someone starting to get mad at me or gearing up for war, then I will try to beat them to it.

Certain civs, like Germany and Aztecs (the Militaristic ones in general) are hell bent on war. Any of them will war with you (except mayby India) if they have a 2:1 army advantage or better.

Anyways, go with the flow but don't leave yourself naked if there is a chance of an attack.

The enemy will rarely go for internal cities first... they will attack your border towns first... those therefore need the barracks, walls (if small strategic/resource towns only) and best defense - 2 defense and 1 offense minimum.

Once you control an entire continent and have RR to every city then you can go back to 1 per city and have a fast response force (usually I put them in my capitol) of another 1 per city... so if you have 12 cities, your fast attack force would be 12 units all lumped in your capitol... you wipe the enemy out wherever he lands instantly using RR.

BUT that wont usually earn you peace... You should have transports handy lined up to the closest enemy coastal city.

They attack you, the very same turn you should have 9-12 units (your task force) in the boats, then turn after they land, turn 3 they take an enemy city. By this time you have a second task force complete or near complete to either a) continue the campaign, b) leave them home if you get peace.

Then you keep that taken city as a fortress... get the culture up there asap... get walls and barracks there right after... In about 10 turns using cash you should have: temple, library, walls, barracks.

Now you can stand pat there - if the enemy re-declares war, they will 90% likely go for their old city... which is your strongest point of defense OR you can say - heck I got all these military units, and I got a strong foothold here... time to launch a wipeout campaign... then you go for the kill on them.

 

[LayZMan]

Originally posted by sebanaj
yah i was too overconfident, i had superior units, just not in number...
but mine were Swordmen and Pikemen, against Horseman, Archers and Warriors... I could build also Longbowman but didn't cause of their low rating in defense...

Longbowmen are useful on the offensive when stack w/ 1-2 pikemen/musketeers but their rating doesn't do them justice since they don't have a ranged attack. An offensive/defensive bonus might be in line when attacking/defending from hill/mountain/city (on top of normal defensive bonuses), but isn't avail. Mainly the longbowman is there for those games where you're not blessed w/ resources and you need to go get some. Archers sent by themselves though are dead ducks as they should be.