Napolean Scenario Strateg Discussion

[~Ben~]

Hello.
I am new to these forums.
I have just installed civ 3 after taking a long break from it. I loaded up the included napoleanic war scenario. I have some questions on effective strategy for this conquest scenario.
In my game that i am currently playing on Monarchy level as the main protaganist, Imperial France. I have been having some trouble with happiness in cities. I am currently running the LUX slider at 50% to keep the peace yet some cities still are problematic. I thought that with the luxury resources I had that they would calm down. Perhaps I have underestimated this permenant war weariness.
KoN and the Dutch where easily pacified very early on, however the huge corruption meant that all cities south of milan where quite useless in terms of production output. I founded my Forbidden Palace in the south of France which assisted production in the immediate vicinity yet this had little effect on the Italy.
Afterwards I attacked Spain and Portugal. I am beginning to think Warring with spain was a waste of time as now almost all of the cities are so stiffiled by corruption that I cannot produce anything in a reasonable number of turns. That coupled with the distance new units have to travel to get to the new front in eastern europe has made me regret this action. In fuutre games I shall probably just go for Portugal.
Unfortunatley all of this cost me dearly in turns and even with Prussia on the brink of defeat I still have the whole of Austria yet to assault, or atleast snatch the VP cities.
I also discovered some very annoying attitudes towards me from the AI. Without declaring war, signing an embargo, or any other untoward action against several AI nations they reverted to a furious attitude against me about a third of the way through the game. I do not understand why. Austria claimed I had stabbed them in the back yet I had not instigated any ill dealings against them through the course of the game.
I am thinking about restarting this scenario, playing again as France but with a different strategy. Perhaps by attacking Prussia early and getting a FP in Berlin could make the surrounding Prussian cities more productive and useful for the war effort.
I would be interested to hear peoples thoughts on this scenario. Thankyou.

 

[creamcheese]

I am a huge fan of this scenario, and have played it multiple times with all of the possible civs.

What I have learned about playing with France:

1.) The first turn is critical. I, too have noticed that at some points in the game the AI randomly gets furious with you no matter how nicely you treat them. I think this may be scenario specific, and it sure is annoying. BUT, on the first turn everyone is still happy, so you should do all of your deals and military alliances then. It pays as France to get a bunch of people to dogpile the people you are locked at war with (Britian most of all).

2.) Manage your war-weariness exceptionally well. Trade for luxuries and hook up some of the multiples you have early [so you can trade for more luxuries]. Also, try to minimize losses when at war with the opponents you can't make peace with.

3.) Knock out as many of your permanent opponents as you can, as early as you can. Your naval power sucks before you get ships-of-the-line, but you can kill KoN, Dutch, and Portugal by land. If you go for the British, do it before they the get their 7/7 infantry unit.

4.) Early offensives of any kind are your friend. You start with two leaders [use for armies] and enough imperial cavalry to fill one of them [I usually fill the other with voltiguers so I can get going from turn 1]. No other nation has anything near your starting military strength.

5.) You can basically go ultra-early two army rush, or use one leader for the FP OR the military academy. If you use one for the FP [my preferred choice if I'm not going ultra-early rush] then you should mobilize for war on the second turn and stay mobilized for the entire game. Mobilizing is really the key to victory in this scenario, as all those extra sheilds+your golden age=incredible numbers of early cavalry.

6.) Trade for tech often. You start with a tech that nobody else has! Milk the AI for gpt to fund your luxury slider and to get to those key techs earlier.

7.) Armies, armies and more armies. Build the military academy as soon as possible [you can even build it while mobilized, although you don't get the bonus]. After you have it and a few key military techs, science slider down to zero and rush as many armies as possible.


Personally, I think France is really easy to win with in this scenario [I typically play monarch level], it's the other civs that have a definite challenge.