New Staragies!

[Rustypipe]

I was just wondering what everyone was using in the new C3C.
I'm am currently trying to prefect some new ones espcially reseach ones. I like to be ahead of the tech game all the time buy a big margin.
Currently what I am doing is racing for Philosophy taking my free tech as Litature, then getting republic switching goverments then usally i go for Currency or Polyeiusm for the wonder, depends on if i need more money or more happiness.
From there i just reseach through the ages as fast as i can, I sometimes get calvery so i can take over some land but all depends.

For my expansion ways, i usally build 2 settles out of my main city and expand then thouse cities create a setller first before anything else and i keep expanding like this, from there all my cities make workers after there done setllers, just wondering if this is a good idea or what everyone else does.

Any new or good stragie ideas, post them here i'm intrested in them all, espcially if your good at getting through the ages quickly.

I have seen a stragie I read about where people put there science costs down to 20% and make tons of money and build all settlers and workers and rush to great library and leach off the comps reseach untill they have all there cities setup then pump cash into reseach, if anyone does this let me know how it works and if it is work not reseachin in the begining and if you can catch up in tech and blast ahead.

Screenshots are always nice 2

 

[Rustypipe]

Oh i almost forgot i usally pick a race that is either Scienetific & Industrious, / Scienetific & currency / Or Sciencetific & regilious, but sence i found out about that researching during riots / revoke i might double think the relgious one.

 

[Kudos]

My early science strategy is like yours except I like to race towards code of laws first if at all possible and THEN get philosophy. That way I can save the 25 turns or so that it takes to research republic. But if I see that the AI has gotten writing already than I'll go philosophy.

 

[Ision]

Okay gentlemen,

Heres a crash course on learning to expand quickly as a new player:

1. build 3 warriors and then start on a granery. If expansionist, build 1 more scout and then 2 warriors. Send your 2 warriors (or scouts) out exploring, keep 2 at home for defense and citizen control.

2. Start on a granery, if you started with the tech pottery. If not make sure you research Pottery first, start on a wonder or something expensive, then switch that to Granery when you get Pottery. Listen closely, you WILL fall behind the AIs in cities - BUT, once your granery is up - you will be able to play a game of Spearman, settler, spearman -settler, without end...ect.... you will quickly catch up, and then pull far far ahead of the AI in cities. BE PATIENT! That captiol city should be doing noting else but this until well into the Middle ages - NOTHING ELSE!

3. New players LOVE wonders, I will not try to talk you out of it, but do it intelligently, your first settler (escorted by a spearman builds your wonder city - the wonder city builds another spearman, a worker, a temple - and then non-stop wonders for a long time to come. Try to find a coastel city for your wonder city if possible, it gives you more wonder options.

4. Every new city built starts with a spearman build, then worker. after that its up to you. Your 2nd city built should be your 'Military' city. Build order of spearman, worker, barracks - non-stop archers, or horsemen, swordsmen, or whatever attacks well. Sends those units on barbarian killing duties and/or towards the border of your nearest neighbor.

5. WORKERS............WORKERS......and more WORKERS...... a worker is THE most important unit in the game. The more the better, there is no such thing as too many. Here's a simple rule for you, if you are industrious 1 worker per city, if not 2 workers per city. CONNECT those cities fast.

6. Until you learn the little details, keep worker jobs simple: If its green put a mine in it - if its brown or white irrigate....NEVER EVER NEVER waste time woking a hill or mountain in the Ancient Age- one and only one exception - if it has a needed resource (iron/wine/horses ect...) even then, you only need 1! Do not waste time connecting 3 horses or 3 wines.... you can only use 1 at a time, and no one is trading with you that early.

7. Never ever start a war early unless you absolutely KNOW, no doubts that the force you are attacking with WILL win. Swordsmen rule the ancient age, for newbies--- so go that route. No iron --- go archers or horsemen (but you will need 3 for every 2 swordsmen you would have built. Have a goal - capturing cities is NOT a goal in itself, the goals should be luxerys above all, followed by iron or horses if you lack them.

8. New players are better off getting Monarchy as their first Government, even if they are peacefull players. It is an easier governement to manage. Yeah, sure shoot for Philosophy if you want - but remember, I can not overestimate the value of Currency for new players - a marketplace is a new players savior.

9. At any time that you feel that you are at a loss or confused on what to build next, build a worker or military unit. When in doubt - you can not go wrong with workers and soldiers.

10. Do not be afraid of the water - build a couple of ships - look around with them, take chances - look for nearby islands, or if your lucky maybe a nearby continent. Take chances in the water.

Is this how I play - hell no.....lol.,...But I wish to God I had played this way when I started, I would have spared myself a lot of problems and un-learning bad habits (like the - build a settler right away habit). Keep it simple. Read the strategy articles here and at the Apolyton site. What I just gave you is NOT the burning bush, but it sure as hell is better than winging it.

Sincerely, Ision

PS: Though as one gets better the tactics change somewhat, the fundemental principles outlined above always will apply. What I outlined is what all higher level players do, except that they have mastered the details and variations to suit their play styles and the CIVs traits.

 

[Sodfather]

Originally posted by Ision
5. WORKERS............WORKERS......and more WORKERS...... a worker is THE mnost important unit in the game. The more the better, there is no such thing as too many.

Sorry, but that's just dumb. Sure you can have too many workers; If all of your tiles have been worked to capacity already, and your cities don't need any extra citizens, you've got all these idle workers around.

 

[Ision]

Sod,


One of the classic newbie players mistakes is not enough workers.

Firstly, assuming you have 10 or more early cities, you will not have all your productive tiles worked in the ancient age, even with 20 workers! In fact even with 20 workers it would take quite some time to work all the productive tiles of 10 cities and connect all of them, well into the Middle Ages at least.

Secondly, I gave a general rule of 1 industrious worker, 2 non-industrious workers per city (re-read the post)

Lastly, I never insult people in the forum no matter how incorrect I may feel they may be - terms like "thats dumb' 'your stupid ' ect.... are immature.

Feel free to read the strategy articles I suggested, written by the best players of this game in the world, you will find that my suggestions are merely a vast simplification of those articles. If you do not wish the help, just say so, and I will not waste the time.

Sincerely, Ision

 

[Master Shake]

Ision,

Why am I unable to keep up with the AI when trying to do things the AI's way? In other words, why is it I have to do this delayed gratification thing with my first city's first settler? Why can't I just expand the same way the AI does?

When I try to do things teh AI's way, I fall way behind. Do you know why this might be? (PLaying on Monarch level...)

-mS

 

[Ision]

The AI sucks....... because you are a better player...... beacuse good things come to those that wait.....

but most importantly, because with a granery that city will pump out settlers at 2 to 3 times the speed. Without the granery the city takes to long to build up enough population to churn out settlers in time.

What I outlined to you is what is called the 'settler pump'; by the higher level players. Use this strategy and you will quickly move up in difficulty level because the AI can not keep up. Once you move up in level you will HAVE to do this in order to keep up with the AI!

Settlers and workers.... are the primary fundamentals to learn in order to move up in difficulty.

Sincerely, Ision

Move down to Regent level........ after you master that level with NON-industrious NON-religious Civs........ then move to Monarch.

 

[Ision]

Master,

Heres a few things you should know.

1. the AI is stupid. It is hardcoded and limited. It does not adjust to the situations. You can. For example. An AI playing an expansionist CIV never builds scouts! It only uses the first one. The Inca AI uses its first scout to escort a settler and defend it! The AI builds graneries far too late. The AI prioritizes techs that are not always usefull for its situation. The AI never ever builds enough workers..... ect ect....

2. What happens as you go up in level is not that the AI plays smarter. Its intelligence level is a constant from cheiftan to SID! What occurs is that the AI civs are given bonus's (faster production rates and more military units, there time in anarchy is reduced ect....)

Theres more, but that should give you a rough idea

Hope that helps, Ision

PS: on Monarch level the AI gets a production bonus (it takes the AI 9 turns to build what takes you 10) it also starts with extra military units, and it gets a trading advantage with other AI civs.

 

[USC]

Also note that you might wish to replace the spearmen Ision mentioned with warriors/chariots (those funny things you can build after the wheel and before horseback riding). It's not as important in C3C as in ordinary Civ and PTW, since upgrading warriors to swordsmen and chariots to horsemen etc. is 50% more expensive, but warriors are half the price of spearmen and have the same military-police effect, and chariots have the same price, but can much more easily be moved to the city that needs police the most. This is more important on higher levels, of course. But generally speaking -- one static, purely defensive unit in each city is a poorer defense than good diplomacy (ROP's, embassies, sucking up), a mixed static/dynamic defense that concentrates on true trouble spots, and a sense for when someone is planning to attack you.

For illustration: in my most recent game (emperor), I had persians, zulus, and aztecs blundering through my territory full of utterly undefended cities early in the ancient age, and, probably thanks to offering them 1 GP/turn for 20 turns, the zulus and persians left me alone. I intuitively decided not to bribe the Aztecs, and they left me alone too. The English extorted cash from me, I coughed up, and no trouble from *them* since, either.

Meanwhile, I am expanding the AIs to death, thanks to a set of SIX floodplains wheat within six tiles of my starting point (plus other bonus territory). That's what left me unable to defend most of my territory -- I'm even left running 30-40% entertainment rate just to handle the unhappiness (especially from my evil whip, mueheheheeeh).

USC

 

[Kirbsta]

wow thanx for all the info, since im a newbie this will be of lots of help. Ive searched for the Apolyton site of google since u mentioned it and found some interesting posts there too.

thumbs up m8

 

[planetfall]

For those searching for articles. Ision's "settler pump" is usually referred to as a "settler factory".

-- PF

 

[Ian Beale]

Yep workers and settlers are the key for me as well. I do pretty much what Ision has suggested. Workers are incredibly valuable and when they aren't needed, usually in the modern ages you can build an airfield etc.. out of them or just allow them to join a struggling city. They NEVER become useless. I also use them for upgrading roads to railways in conquered territory. Settlers quite obviously are important no one can dispute that as you can't have cities without them. I tend to help my struggling cities by relocating my citizens through my settlers and workers. I also build loads of artillery and aircraft, use them to chip away at your opponents hit points, this makes it an awful lot easier!

 

[Oddible]

Trade, trade, trade, trade, trade!!!

Seriously, if you have a tech they want and they have a tech you want, trade. NOW. Don't wait til next turn or they'll get it from someone else. Before you trade, look at the other civs. If one AI has 3 techs and another has only 2, sell your momma to buy the 1 that the other tech doesn't have and then trade it to the other guy.

"But I don't want them to have that tech cuz...
a) they'll build that new unit and kick my butt
b) they'll build the wonder before me
c) their tech is cheaper than mine!"

Fugetaboutit. Trade.

You cannot win a science race without trading techs every time you beat them to it. (imho).

 

[Oddible]

Nice newbie guide Ision, similar strategy here as well - perhaps there is a possibility of too many workers, but I've never seen it. Maybe those who think so aren't expanding fast enough. If you feel you have too many you can just rejoin them, but I never work 100% of my tiles before Radar - which eats up all your workers. And if I don't have a vast stock of workers, when the AI starts a wars and devours them, I'm going to be hurting. Likewise when Steam comes around. Giant stacks of workers laying tracks across my fledgling nation. If you need something to do with workers, start thinkig of defense. Build roads across key mountains and make 2-3 links and diagonals between cities - when the war starts, you'll be glad you have them. There's nothing like retreating across a mountain because you built a road. Build fortresses on all your key resources if you like. Jeesh, build outposts fer crying out loud (not really). I build 1 worker first thing in every city, cities that have advantageous food production build 2.

I usually don't start a wonder until Theory of Evolution to get Hoovers. Sometimes I'll try to sneak in under the wire and grab the Great Library. Now with C3C, haven't played epic game yet (still working through the conquests), might see what Philosophy has to offer.

Keys to Ision's city strategy (2nd City = Wonders, 3rd = Military) isn't so strict, you pretty much want to ring your capitol with cities to minimize distance corruption. So when you place those cities, keep Ision's concept in mind - if you want that second city to be a wonder city, you better have plenty of shield producing tiles where you build that sucka.

Only item I have a bit of issue with is:

9. At any time that you feel that you are at a loss or confused on what to build next, build a worker or military unit. When in doubt - you can not go wrong with workers and soldiers.

The problem being that you can quickly get so many units that you're paying far more upkeep than you're making in $$. Of course this is a bit more finesse than newbie strategy, and all hinges on where you are in the game, but I'll build barracks in my first two cities (when opportune) and then never build another barrack before you've got a marketplace in the city. Make sure that after you research Currency you always have at least once city building a marketplace. When your other cities swamp you in units you're going to have to pay for them.

Cheers.