I've tested a new strategy and I decided to share it. I tested it with Brasil and got a turn 118 Dom V out of first try. The planet was Taigan and primordial biome, standard size and standard settings.
edit: It seems somebody else also has a variant of this strategy and I decided to post this link here to compare the strategies. https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/quick-domination-strategy-for-water-based-maps.557308/
note: This strategy is for maps that have some water, not for only land-based maps. For land maps you would have to focus on getting a lot of Combat Rovers while they are still cheap. So no affinity 3 in the early game or they will be too expensive. And you would add Repair Facilities in the buildings.
I usually try to increase my affinity as fast as possible by trying to get to Progenitor Ruins and Devices quickly.
In this new strategy, I decided to focus on excavating Crashed Satellites and things that give production, while at the same time avoid getting even 1 affinity in any of them. Yes, stay on 0-0-0 for a while.
The reason is very simple... Units are cheaper when you are on low affinity. With 0 affinity, I wanted to produce a few cheap Patrol Boats (85 production) and get as many pods as possible with them.
The key concepts of the strategy:
1) Research.
- Engineering for Titanium > Chemistry for Recycler and maybe Laboratory (extra module) > Phisics for Drydocks in all expansion water cities. > Biochemistry for Water Refinery.
After you take care of these or when you think it is a good idea, also get Ecology because you;ll need the Ultrasonic Fence. Use caution if you use Trade Convoys before this point, it is a big setback to lose a trade convoy.
The main thing is to NOT get 1 affinity in anything and especially not to lvl 2 because Gunboats will upgrade and become more expensive.
2) Virtues (their priority and order)
Prosperity:
The free Colonist from prosperity is the first priority.
The second priority is getting the 3 modules for explorers. So first the free worker and then the modules.
Prosperity remains at 5, no more virtues here!
Knowledge: IF there are a lot of expeditions that you know you will be able to make (at least 15) then taking 2 virtues in Knowledge for the expedition science is OK. If not, Skip Knowledge completely and go to Might directly. Knowledge remains at 2, no reason to get more.
Might: After Might opener avoid the temptation to take the bonus against the aliens. Instead, take 15% more production for units, this is more important. It is not really needed to even continue taking virtues in Might after these 2. Might remains at 2!
Industry: take whatever you feel helps you the most, especially anything for extra production and happiness. Energy isn't a problem. Keep taking virtues in Industry until the game ends.
3) Artifacts usage.
- If you find Pristine artifacts that give Culture or Production, use them early! It pays off to have boosts of 76 culture or production this early in the game. Be sure to use them so that you are sure you will not be losing production, I am not sure all of it always overflows correctly so before you use an artifact, (Let's say you are 1 turn away from finishing Trade depot - Switch to a Patrol Boat and put the production into it).
- KEEP all the other artifacts, stockpile them until you have many of them.
Try to get :
- Tesselation Foundry wonder.
- Drone Command building
- Warp spire / Old Voice Archives/
- Tidal Navigation (+100% defense vs ranged for naval units).
Do not get stuff like worker speed, spy speed, unessential buildings, or whatever. Only things that help production and units to fight better.
4) Health
- Ignore health, just don't go lower than -20 before you get to 7/7 affinity for Hybrid Gunboats.
Build clinics, pharmalabs, etc, only to avoid staying below -20 for a lot of time.
After that go as low as you like even below -100. (Once you have your army - around 6-8 melee boats and 6-8 ranged ones, for example, you won't care about anything else)
5) Traits. (taken in this order)
- Militaristic: Efficient
- Domestic: Cooperative or Industrialist
- Political: Generous
6) Aliens.
- Leave aliens alone until you finish exploration and have your army ready. Careful with your worker / colonists.
7) Improvements.
- Farms basically, you won't have workers to improve the land unless you can get the Free Workers agreement. Do not waste production/energy for building workers, just improve the land in the capital with the free Prosperity worker and get buildings to improve production in all cities. (Trade Depot, Recycler, Autoplant Drydocks, Water Refinery), For Recycler and Water refinery quests get +1 food.
8) Excavation sites.
After you got as many crashed satellites/sunken vehicles as possible and Derelict Settlements (use focus culture before finishing Derelict Settlements),
it is time to get any remaining Skeletons/ Progenitor ruins and any other site you find.
9) ARMY
- After you get your production buildings and build 6-8 melee boats and 6-8 ranged boats, it is time to skyrocket to high affinity. Get 7-7 in whatever you like the most and conquer the world. I prefer Purity/Supremacy. After having 7-7 in anything, also get 5 in the other one for the health benefits.
- If there are inland capitals, try to get to 8-8 and get some levitating unit to capture them.
A few screenshots from the game in the turn of domination victory.
savefile added.
edit: It seems somebody else also has a variant of this strategy and I decided to post this link here to compare the strategies. https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/quick-domination-strategy-for-water-based-maps.557308/
note: This strategy is for maps that have some water, not for only land-based maps. For land maps you would have to focus on getting a lot of Combat Rovers while they are still cheap. So no affinity 3 in the early game or they will be too expensive. And you would add Repair Facilities in the buildings.
I usually try to increase my affinity as fast as possible by trying to get to Progenitor Ruins and Devices quickly.
In this new strategy, I decided to focus on excavating Crashed Satellites and things that give production, while at the same time avoid getting even 1 affinity in any of them. Yes, stay on 0-0-0 for a while.
The reason is very simple... Units are cheaper when you are on low affinity. With 0 affinity, I wanted to produce a few cheap Patrol Boats (85 production) and get as many pods as possible with them.
The key concepts of the strategy:
1) Research.
- Engineering for Titanium > Chemistry for Recycler and maybe Laboratory (extra module) > Phisics for Drydocks in all expansion water cities. > Biochemistry for Water Refinery.
After you take care of these or when you think it is a good idea, also get Ecology because you;ll need the Ultrasonic Fence. Use caution if you use Trade Convoys before this point, it is a big setback to lose a trade convoy.
The main thing is to NOT get 1 affinity in anything and especially not to lvl 2 because Gunboats will upgrade and become more expensive.
2) Virtues (their priority and order)
Prosperity:
The free Colonist from prosperity is the first priority.
The second priority is getting the 3 modules for explorers. So first the free worker and then the modules.
Prosperity remains at 5, no more virtues here!
Knowledge: IF there are a lot of expeditions that you know you will be able to make (at least 15) then taking 2 virtues in Knowledge for the expedition science is OK. If not, Skip Knowledge completely and go to Might directly. Knowledge remains at 2, no reason to get more.
Might: After Might opener avoid the temptation to take the bonus against the aliens. Instead, take 15% more production for units, this is more important. It is not really needed to even continue taking virtues in Might after these 2. Might remains at 2!
Industry: take whatever you feel helps you the most, especially anything for extra production and happiness. Energy isn't a problem. Keep taking virtues in Industry until the game ends.
3) Artifacts usage.
- If you find Pristine artifacts that give Culture or Production, use them early! It pays off to have boosts of 76 culture or production this early in the game. Be sure to use them so that you are sure you will not be losing production, I am not sure all of it always overflows correctly so before you use an artifact, (Let's say you are 1 turn away from finishing Trade depot - Switch to a Patrol Boat and put the production into it).
- KEEP all the other artifacts, stockpile them until you have many of them.
Try to get :
- Tesselation Foundry wonder.
- Drone Command building
- Warp spire / Old Voice Archives/
- Tidal Navigation (+100% defense vs ranged for naval units).
Do not get stuff like worker speed, spy speed, unessential buildings, or whatever. Only things that help production and units to fight better.
4) Health
- Ignore health, just don't go lower than -20 before you get to 7/7 affinity for Hybrid Gunboats.
Build clinics, pharmalabs, etc, only to avoid staying below -20 for a lot of time.
After that go as low as you like even below -100. (Once you have your army - around 6-8 melee boats and 6-8 ranged ones, for example, you won't care about anything else)
5) Traits. (taken in this order)
- Militaristic: Efficient
- Domestic: Cooperative or Industrialist
- Political: Generous
6) Aliens.
- Leave aliens alone until you finish exploration and have your army ready. Careful with your worker / colonists.
7) Improvements.
- Farms basically, you won't have workers to improve the land unless you can get the Free Workers agreement. Do not waste production/energy for building workers, just improve the land in the capital with the free Prosperity worker and get buildings to improve production in all cities. (Trade Depot, Recycler, Autoplant Drydocks, Water Refinery), For Recycler and Water refinery quests get +1 food.
8) Excavation sites.
After you got as many crashed satellites/sunken vehicles as possible and Derelict Settlements (use focus culture before finishing Derelict Settlements),
it is time to get any remaining Skeletons/ Progenitor ruins and any other site you find.
9) ARMY
- After you get your production buildings and build 6-8 melee boats and 6-8 ranged boats, it is time to skyrocket to high affinity. Get 7-7 in whatever you like the most and conquer the world. I prefer Purity/Supremacy. After having 7-7 in anything, also get 5 in the other one for the health benefits.
- If there are inland capitals, try to get to 8-8 and get some levitating unit to capture them.
A few screenshots from the game in the turn of domination victory.
savefile added.
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