Is there a good write-up on the French out there?

[jb1964]

I searched on "French or France" and came up with plenty of articles and threads but none that gave a thoughtful consideration of the stengths and weaknesses of the French.

If posted under a different title please let me know.

 

[jb1964]

I went ahead and started a Regent game on a standard pangea map as the French and am discovering the strength of the commercial/industrious traits on my own.

As usual I started at the bottom of the pack but am now a turn or two from taking first place on the histograph in the middle ages.

I'm using the ICS placement for the first time and it seems to work very well. My territory is about 98% upgraded, my coffers are full, I'm technologically advanced, I'm strong compared to all others and Russia is about to get an unpleasant surprise along the length of our expansive boarder. Cat fight!

Oh ya, I have also vowed not to make a single Great Wonder this game. I'm almost shocked as to how well this is going.

 

[Gengis Khan]

France is severly underrated, I agree. Although their musketeer isn't the greatest of UUs(or even close), it comes at a good time for your GA and due to it having a 2 attack it can easily pick off some redlined unit.

The Ind trait is one that pays off mostly in the early game/AA.
The Comm trait is one of the few that pays off more the longer the game progresses.

This gives the French a strong position in the early game, that they can maintain throughout the game due to the lower corruption to become a financial & industrial powerhouse. Combined with a well planned GA this can be enough to catapolt France into a very dominant position that can last the rest of the game.


Just don't get into war, or you'll have to start shredding all your white sheets.


I beleive Ision did a writeup on France going into much(much much) more detail then me, I'll try to track it down for you..........[edit- sorry, actually France wasn't one of the Civs he's done.]

 

[jb1964]

I found Ision's write-ups, which are excellent, and was hoping something similar existed for France.

I agree that France's UU is pathetic but well timed.

I'm going to place some catapults on my fortified northern boarder and then trigger my GA by looking south and hammering Catherine. I would keep her smiling, polite face around if she had anything of value to trade but she's always flat broke. Sucks to be her.

Bismarck was kind enough to declare war on me as well and generate a GL on my second elite battle (Sword vs Warrior). I used Napoleon to rush my FP flush up against the Russian boarder.

 

[Frollo]

I found that if I'm against the French AI, they're almost always doing remarkably well. This shows that even the AI can't screw up a trait combo that good!

 

[kb2tvl]

Ision's write up is about as good as it gets. indy/com are medium start up speed. These traits peak at the end or middle of an age. Conquests expansion reduced the indy trait but increased the com trait. France and Carthage are good middle of the road builder civs that can fight a good fight.

 

[jb1964]

I'm using "Vanilla" Civ3 v1.29f. This version gives me plenty to keep me occupied without adding the other nations. Plus, I'm cheap and other threads imply the expansions were a bit of a screw.

 

[Gengis Khan]

PTW was, Conquest however is well worth the money(especially since I got it for $10), since it adds so much to the epic game, has 9 Conquests, and contains PTW.

 

[howlur]

anybody have the link for ision's write ups?

 

[LostKnight]

Musketter in conquest ar 2-5 now. They are more useful now.

 

[Cuivienen]

They new Conquests Musketeer is much more useful than the old Vanilla/PTW -- 2.5.1 with defensive bombard makes it very capable of holding off Cavalry charges. France is a very solid civ in C3C, though little changed in overall power (weakened Industrious trait).

 

[Evertonian]

On this page, (Sulla's home page), he (Sulla) provides a writeup of the French (and other civs)http://www.kalikokottage.com/civ3/sullla/strat3c.html

 

[dreamvirus]

I've never actually played the French. Everyone has been talking about how good the Commercial trait is now and I've never been interested in trying it out, maybe it's time to give it a shot.