More help with Monarch please

[cube359]

Being a grizzled old Civ2 player for years and years, I found the adjustment into Civ3 quite a radical shift! I was beginning to feel that I was getting the hang of the game, winning games here and there...however much like the previous Monarch Level thread, I am having trouble shifting from Regent to Monarch.

I found the comments in the other thread extremely helpful, but (even in Civ2) the vastly high scores and early wins have always eluded me.

Could someone please point me to an article (or five!) a website or two, as I feel I much MUCH more to learn still.
The recent Monarch Level thread was useful, but I still need help on how to use the tax/luxury/research levels more effectively, how to NOT be out expanded so quickly, and perhaps some more help on build priorities/strategies for early on.

I have REAL trouble with standard size maps as there are too many opponents and I get my ass whooped more often than not.
The thought of playing on huge maps still frightens me :cry

ALSO
I read articles on which civs are hard and easy to play. From experience I find them all much of a muchness, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. My worry here is that I am perhaps missing something vital!!!

I would dearly love to up my score and my game and be able to take part in the GOTM challenges when they are on Monarch level.

Please help.
Thanks

 

[jack merchant]

There is a thread in the succession game forum: Sirp's Training Day Game for Aspiring Monarchs. The game is finished but by reading it you'll gain a lot of useful information on how to beat monarch.

 

[zerksees]

All of the answers I needed were in the war academy. Nobody wants to hear this, but it takes time to learn this game, and learn the fine art of building infrastructure, AI politics, trading, and war tactics. I beat the AI at Chieftain, Warlord, Regent, and Monarch on THE FIRST TRY at each level. Each time I finished the game in fewer turns and more convincingly than the previous level. I did this by spending countless hours studying the manual, then the war academy and countless forum threads. I keep a notebook logging all of my trades, science discoveries, and other relevant events. I use this to compare from game to game. The Monarch level game said I took 52 hours to complete. (I play standard map, roaming barbarians, continents, most of the default settings)

With the right infrastructure, a scientific civ, active trades and well timed wars you can keep up with the AI and get scientific advantage at monarch level.

I did lose in my first attempt at emperor. (Somehow I was able to survive with musketman only into the late 1800's, and lost space race in 1910 - I didn't have steam power yet!) After that I went back and found more articles in the war academy that I should have applied, and will apply in my next attempt.

Invest some time studying the game before you play it next and devise a plan/strategy that you intend to apply before you start the game, and revisit/tweak the plan based on the situation every so often.

I also find that taking breaks and thinking about the game while I am not sitting in front of it allows me to think up better strategies. My biggest weakness appears to be that I can get into too much of a hurry to keep a battle going, and I forget all of the other details that need attention. Stepping back helps this.

 

[Speaker]

The article that helped me the most was "Cracker's Opening Play," which can be found here.