stfoskey12
Emperor of Foskania
I just bought Civ3 because Civ4 was getting boring and my computer can't run Civ5, so I was wondering how is Civ3 different from Civ4, and how should my strategies be different from Civ4?
Just Bought This
- Thread starter stfoskey12
- Start date
CommandoBob
AbstractArt
Welcome to the Civ 3 forums, stfoskey12!
![[party]](/images/smilies/partytime.gif "Party [party]")
Some big difference between the two games:
Treat this like a new game, not a dumbed down version of Civ4.
Trying to play Civ4 like it is Civ3 is sure way to lose the game. Not sure if that is true going the other way.
This is the best place to learn about Civ3, the Civ 3 War Academy. Also, read, follow or join a Succession Game and try to follow the discussion.
Which version of Civ3 do you have; vanilla, Play the World or Conquests? Conquests is the latest version, with more civs, units, tech, wonders and such. The civ Scandanavia (Vikings) was introduced in Play the World. The Great Wonder Statue of Zeus is from Conquests.
I like the graphics better in Civ3 than Civ4. They seem to fit the scale of the game better. And they are not the focus of the game.
It is different, but it is also awholelottafun.
Some big difference between the two games:
- No Unique Buildings.
- Fewer great people (only Military and Scientific). And they are random.
- Four turn minumum to learn any tech via research.
- Four distinct Ages, which act very different from Ages in Civ4.
- Armies are very different.
- Fewer special resources. And no special building needed to use them.
- Larger empires (100+ cities).
- Come from behind wins are possible and fairly common.
Treat this like a new game, not a dumbed down version of Civ4.
Trying to play Civ4 like it is Civ3 is sure way to lose the game. Not sure if that is true going the other way.
This is the best place to learn about Civ3, the Civ 3 War Academy. Also, read, follow or join a Succession Game and try to follow the discussion.
Which version of Civ3 do you have; vanilla, Play the World or Conquests? Conquests is the latest version, with more civs, units, tech, wonders and such. The civ Scandanavia (Vikings) was introduced in Play the World. The Great Wonder Statue of Zeus is from Conquests.
I like the graphics better in Civ3 than Civ4. They seem to fit the scale of the game better. And they are not the focus of the game.
It is different, but it is also awholelottafun.
stfoskey12
Emperor of Foskania
I have Conquests. I started my first game, but I can't figure out if I have access to horses or not. I read that as long as a resource is connected by a road, you can use its strategic benefits, but I seem to have a road connected to horses and the tech Horseback Riding, but I can't seem to produce horses.
CommandoBob
AbstractArt
Is the Horse resource inside your culutral boundaries?
If it is not, you will need to convert a worker into a colony. A colony will make that tile 'yours' for a while. Colonies can be asborbed by any culture (even yours), so they are not a good long term solution. Plus, if an enemy AI ends its turn on the road that connects you to that colony, the supply line is broken. In the case of a strategic resource (like Horses) that means you cannot start any new Horse units until the supply line is clear again, though this does not affect any units currently in production; they will continue to be built. If the resources is a luxury (Wines, Spices, etc) then you could lose the happiness benefit of those luxuries.
Trading Reputation
One thing that can be hard to grasp is 'Trading Reputation'. If it is good, other AIs will be willing to make trades with that involve you sending them Good Per Turn. The goods could be a luxry, a strategic resource, or gold. If your trading rep is bad or broken, then your trade options are limited to cash and techs on hand at the time of the trade.
At the start of the game, your trading rep is good; or at least not bad. If you make a trade deal of any sort and keep your end of the bargain for those 20 turns, your trade rep stays good. If you break it, then your trading rep is busted.
That makes sense.
However, what others have found out is that you can be held at fault for breaking a trade deal even if you did not cause the trade deal to be broken. For instance, you have a trade deal with Rome, Spices for 2 gold per turn. You are providing the Spices. You have only one road that connects you to Rome and it goes through neutral ground. Rome is at war with India and you are not. If an Indian unit ends its turn anywhere on that road, it will break the connection between you and Rome. And your trade rep takes the hit. It is not your fault, but you get blamed for it.
If all your trades are one time affairs (100 gold for Bronze Working or just trading techs) you don't have to worry about your trading reputation. All other deals, the ones extend over multiple turns, do affect your trading rep. Not just you sending gold per turn to a civ, or luxuries or resources. Rights of Passage, Military Alliances and Peace Treaties are also used to measure your trading rep.
Don't even consider signing a Mutual Protection Pact, at least not for a while. Those things are a great way to get involved in wars you do not want nor need.
If it is not, you will need to convert a worker into a colony. A colony will make that tile 'yours' for a while. Colonies can be asborbed by any culture (even yours), so they are not a good long term solution. Plus, if an enemy AI ends its turn on the road that connects you to that colony, the supply line is broken. In the case of a strategic resource (like Horses) that means you cannot start any new Horse units until the supply line is clear again, though this does not affect any units currently in production; they will continue to be built. If the resources is a luxury (Wines, Spices, etc) then you could lose the happiness benefit of those luxuries.
Trading Reputation
One thing that can be hard to grasp is 'Trading Reputation'. If it is good, other AIs will be willing to make trades with that involve you sending them Good Per Turn. The goods could be a luxry, a strategic resource, or gold. If your trading rep is bad or broken, then your trade options are limited to cash and techs on hand at the time of the trade.
At the start of the game, your trading rep is good; or at least not bad. If you make a trade deal of any sort and keep your end of the bargain for those 20 turns, your trade rep stays good. If you break it, then your trading rep is busted.
That makes sense.
However, what others have found out is that you can be held at fault for breaking a trade deal even if you did not cause the trade deal to be broken. For instance, you have a trade deal with Rome, Spices for 2 gold per turn. You are providing the Spices. You have only one road that connects you to Rome and it goes through neutral ground. Rome is at war with India and you are not. If an Indian unit ends its turn anywhere on that road, it will break the connection between you and Rome. And your trade rep takes the hit. It is not your fault, but you get blamed for it.
If all your trades are one time affairs (100 gold for Bronze Working or just trading techs) you don't have to worry about your trading reputation. All other deals, the ones extend over multiple turns, do affect your trading rep. Not just you sending gold per turn to a civ, or luxuries or resources. Rights of Passage, Military Alliances and Peace Treaties are also used to measure your trading rep.
Don't even consider signing a Mutual Protection Pact, at least not for a while. Those things are a great way to get involved in wars you do not want nor need.
stfoskey12
Emperor of Foskania
I discovered the horse was actually a cow.
vorlon_mi
Emperor
Other items that could trip you up ...
Siege units don't attack directly in Civ3 as they do in Civ4; there are no "suicide cats." Indeed, siege units are defenseless, and can be caputured if left unattended. Keep yours in your stacks, and you may even pick up a couple when you capture an AI city.
Archers are for attack in Civ3; they're city defenders in Civ4. Swords are good all-around attackers, not just for taking cities.
The Great Wonders work differently. The tech tree has fewer paths. You have a fixed set of governments to choose from, and many players only switch governments once during the whole game (Despotism --> Republic, or Despotism --> Monarchy).
Siege units don't attack directly in Civ3 as they do in Civ4; there are no "suicide cats." Indeed, siege units are defenseless, and can be caputured if left unattended. Keep yours in your stacks, and you may even pick up a couple when you capture an AI city.
Archers are for attack in Civ3; they're city defenders in Civ4. Swords are good all-around attackers, not just for taking cities.
The Great Wonders work differently. The tech tree has fewer paths. You have a fixed set of governments to choose from, and many players only switch governments once during the whole game (Despotism --> Republic, or Despotism --> Monarchy).
Smellincoffee
Trekkie At Large
There aren't specialized units as such: that is, you shouldn't build spearmen to counter knights thinking that spears get a bonus against knights. All combat interaction in Civ3 is based on the units' Attack and Defense stats, as well as any defensive bonuses the terrain offers. The stats appear like so:
4.2.2
1.2.1
2.1.2
1.1.1
The first number to the left is Attack, the middle is Defense, and the third is Movement. When combat is engaged, the attacking unit's attack score is weighed against the defender's. Above are the stats for Knights, Spearmen, Horsemen, and Archers. Some units are stronger attacking than defending, so remember when you're invading another civilization to protect your attackers. A good example is the Mounted Warrior, a 3.1.2 unit. Great attackers, but if they're caught on the defensive even a warrior (1.1.1), the game's most basic unit, can kill them. If you can, during an invasion have your attackers spend the inter-turn period on good ground, like hills or mountains, or bring defensive troops that injured units can retreat to shelter behind.
Also be aware that fast units, like horse troops and tanks, can retreat from slow units (infantry) if the fight turns against them.
Galleys serve as warships and troop transports until the late medieval, when Frigates become the warship of choice and galleys only upgrade to transports that are useless attackers. CIV has both galleys and triremes, if I recall.
The United Nations is a game-ender: its only purpose is to call for general-secretary elections. There are no resolutions to pass.
4.2.2
1.2.1
2.1.2
1.1.1
The first number to the left is Attack, the middle is Defense, and the third is Movement. When combat is engaged, the attacking unit's attack score is weighed against the defender's. Above are the stats for Knights, Spearmen, Horsemen, and Archers. Some units are stronger attacking than defending, so remember when you're invading another civilization to protect your attackers. A good example is the Mounted Warrior, a 3.1.2 unit. Great attackers, but if they're caught on the defensive even a warrior (1.1.1), the game's most basic unit, can kill them. If you can, during an invasion have your attackers spend the inter-turn period on good ground, like hills or mountains, or bring defensive troops that injured units can retreat to shelter behind.
Also be aware that fast units, like horse troops and tanks, can retreat from slow units (infantry) if the fight turns against them.
Galleys serve as warships and troop transports until the late medieval, when Frigates become the warship of choice and galleys only upgrade to transports that are useless attackers. CIV has both galleys and triremes, if I recall.
The United Nations is a game-ender: its only purpose is to call for general-secretary elections. There are no resolutions to pass.
Strong Reaction
Warlord
That made me chuckle!
I think the first time I played Civ3 it took a bit of getting used to especially the resourcesGreetings and salutations stfoskey! You lucked out IMHO: Conquests is by far the most full-blooded grand strategic wargame of the entire civ series. Air bombardment is lethal, artillery doesn't engage in melee, mounted units can usually retreat from groundpounders, armies are powerful, etc. & etc. Warmongering is definitely an option, so domination is possible even at higher levels, and diplomatic victories are more realistically achievable since each civ gets only one vote, just like in real life.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say if you take your lumps, check out the civilopedia and search the forums (legendary games here: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=106017 are especially useful) you should be ready for Emperor level before too long. Cheers and happy gaming!
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say if you take your lumps, check out the civilopedia and search the forums (legendary games here: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=106017 are especially useful) you should be ready for Emperor level before too long. Cheers and happy gaming!
Similar threads
