Newbie struggling on Monarch

[Foxile]

I can 9/10 beat the AI on Regent level, but on Monarch it always beats me to The Great Library.

After that I'm stuffed...it's building Universal Suffrage and I'm still researching Atomic Theory

Can anyone give me a few tips on how to get TGL first ? I've read the FAQs I've found so far, but they talk about pop rishes and all sorts of stuff I don't really understand.

Thanks

 

[Nightfa11]

1. Lots of cities. Build a core of strong cities (each with at least 13 tiles to use) and then a dense outer ring. Each city brings with it a minimum of one shield and one beaker/gold per turn. So, 100 cities with one beaker are better than three strong cities with 30 beakers each.

2. Spread early and get lots of territory. Try Monarch with the Aztecs. With the Jag, they can map quickly and dominate early. Get an advantage in Ancient times and never give up.

3. Trade often. Don't worry about having a bunch of money, just worry about keeping up in tech. Also, time your wars around the gaps between military techs. For example, after Chivalry and before replaceable parts is a good time for middle war. You can then sue for peace and get techs after trouncing your opponent.

Good Luck!

 

[Foxile]

Thanks. I'll try to build more cities, but I always seem to start each city needing 30 turns to build a settler and grown every 10 turns minimum.

Just as I start to get some land, the AI is right on my borders, so there's mowehere to go.

I'll give the Aztecs a try, although I like being England, seeing as I'm a Brit

 

[Angmar]

You will want one or two settler factories. These are cities with lots of extra food and atleast a decent production. You will want to be able to spit a settler our every 5 turns or so. With a city with a couple bonus food sources and granary this will happen.

 

[SmokeOne]

Originally posted by Foxile
I can 9/10 beat the AI on Regent level, but on Monarch it always beats me to The Great Library.

After that I'm stuffed...it's building Universal Suffrage and I'm still researching Atomic Theory

Can anyone give me a few tips on how to get TGL first ? I've read the FAQs I've found so far, but they talk about pop rishes and all sorts of stuff I don't really understand.

Thanks

I to am a GL nut. I must have it on any level I play and most of the time I get unless playing against the damn English( then it becomes a battle) I won't tell my secret but I will say PREBUILD!!!!!!.

getting the GL is great, turn your science off ( making sure you have comm with at least two or mor civs, preferably more) stack a bunch of units and go wipe someone out, for me this is so I can get a great leader, and the land of course. theere is no place better for the FP then someone elses capital, hehe...

 

[wilbill]

Try an industrious civ. Those busy workers will grow your cities a lot faster.
Explore and trade communications among the AI's. They'll give up an amazing amount of stuff for communications.
Trade or buy techs as much as possible and make a beeline yourself down the research branch to the GL. Even if your research is pretty slow, the AI's go for the GL slowly and if you prebuild and switch to the GL you can usually get it.

 

[Aggie]

I mostly manage to get TGL AND the Pyramids on monarch. Don't underestimate the importance of the Pyramids... Your cities grow a lot faster, hence you get units built earlier and you don't have to pay for the granaries.

I get the Pyramids by trading mansory with the AI and I directly research to get Literature. To get TGL earlier than the AI, I pre-build a palace in a city and switch to the wonder once I have Literature.

I have a one or two settler factories at the start and also one or two cities to build great achievements. That's on a huge map by the way. I don't know if or how this works on smaller maps...

 

[Darkness]

go for the lower part of the tech tree (polytheism etc.). expand like hell. in your second city build (warrior, worker, temple, Oracle)
Once you get polytheism (and you've nearly completed Oracle), trade it to all civilizations in order to get literature. Switch Oracle to GL and you'll only need about 100 shields. You'll usually get it.

 

[Foxile]

Some great tips there. Thanks guys.

 

[Stapel]

My advice is to develop pottery first and then head for literature; this is only 4 techs!

Try the following:
-Set science to max and adjust luxury !every turn! to what's needed.
-Build 2 or 3 warriors and than a granary in city one (pre-build a barracks / temple). From that moment only build settlers in city 1.
-Build the GL in your 2nd city. Start to pre-build pyramids / palace.

IMHU, this hardly has a possibility to fail on Monarch level.

 

[Aggie]

@Stapel: you use Pyramids as a pre-build for TGL? IMHO both are great wonders to have. I don't think I would switch from the Pyramids to another wonder, even TGL.... I would use the Oracle as a pre-build for TGL, because it gets obsolete too soon...

 

[Stapel]

You are right Aggie. On monarch level I don't need the GL to keep up in tech's. So the Pyramids are better I think. GL's advantage is the huge culture outburst though.

But, on emp or deity level the GL comes in very handy! On these levels the AI beats me in building Pyramids most of the time! And the AI beats me in tech's, mostly by cheap inter-AI tech trading

And: Foxile wanted some advice on how to get TGL!

In addiction on the advice: make city 3 a wonder production city too!

 

[Aggie]

Stapel,

On Monarch TGL is great, because you can lower your tech rate to 0% and get rich. I always hunt for TGL at Monarch. Maybe Monarch level is the best level to have TGL at, because the AI researches quickly enough. On regent you are better of researching yourself.

That's why I prefer to have both Pyramids AND TGL. And do I use palace and oracle for prebuild...

 

[Stapel]

We pretty much agree I think, Aggie.

Don't you go for TGL on emperor or deity?

 

[zagnut]

To Foxile:

He is a post I made to another player moving up from Warlord to Regent. The same advice holds in moving up to Monarch:

"The feelings you express are normal and will pass in time as you get more experience. You may have felt the same way on Warlord level at first. There are two secrets for becoming a better player: Play a lot and read the advice in the War Academy. The War Academy contains many strategy articles written by some of the better players. It is in the left sidebar on the main page or go here: http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3academy.shtml

For the problems you are currently having, I would recommend that you read the article entitled “Faster Expansion - A Key Element of the Early Game.” After you finish that, read the two articles by cracker. “GOTM9 Japan Campaign Site” will show you how to plan, and effectively wage, a war. His “Civ3 Opening Plays Site” is the bible with regard to making the right choices about developing your land in the early game. Cracker is a top player and also is in charge of the Game of the Month (GOTM). His articles are very detailed and take a while to assimilate. However, they will vastly improve your game. I know they did mine. After reading his 2 articles and playing a few games, I am now doubling my score. I am sure you will also."

Also here are some tips on the very beginning of the game from Moonsinger, a top player:

"Regent, Monarch, Emperor, or Deity, the starting method is really the same for all levels.

1. Start your first city at 4000BC and tell it to build 2 warriors. If you don't have Pottery, research it now and set your science slider to 100%. You will discover Pottery within 22 turns or less (22 turns at Deity level, much less at lower level).

2. After building the first 2 warriors, set it to build a great wonder, barracks, temple, or whatever that takes the longest time to build. Note: we just want to store the shields at this point. Once we discover Pottery, we will immediately switch it to build a granary. In the mean time, road and irrigate the food bonus tiles within the city. After the granary is built, set it to continuously produce settlers. That's it. We now have a settler production structure in place.

3. Find a good spot to build your second city (make sure it get good shield production and not too far from your palace) and immediately build a barracks. After the barracks is done, set this cities to continuously produce military units. That's it. We now have a war production structure in place.

4. Depend on your playing style, do what you will with the rest of your cities. You could build more settler production city or more military production city or even great wonders (culture production city)."

Good Luck!!!

 

[Foxile]

Thanks zagnut ( and everyone else ). I'll give those tips a try.

I managed to bea the AI last night ( despite not getting TGL ), by getting the UN ( and splashing out a little cash just beforehand to make the AI 'Gracious ).

Military wins are going to be much harder.....I seem to fair better at peaceful solutions.

 

[Aggie]

Originally posted by Stapel
We pretty much agree I think, Aggie.

Don't you go for TGL on emperor or deity?

Ahem....... do those levels exist