Nirvanaland and the AI's who live there.

[LivingDog]

I have seen this at least twice now. I set up a Chieftain game with any size map and play against many AI, usually 7.

As I am playing 2 AI bother me and I never get to meet any others ... b/c
1) I am fighting/fending them off, and
2) have no opportunity to explore beyond my own little kingdom.

When the game ends I see one of the other nations grew like gangbusters and I was left in 2nd, or 3rd place.

Two questions:
1) so I am guessing that there are AI who are left on the map with no other nations to bother them and so they get to grow explore research almost free of any distracting enemy AI. Is that right, or am I displaying my whiny newbiness again??

2) if that is so, then HOW DO YOU WIN (come in 1st place)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Verrucosus]

1) I'd say you are right, but on Chieftain level their research and production are so heavily penalised that it doesn't happen automatically. In my experience, it can happen more easily when the other 4 tribes (those not keeping you busy) are on the same continent, but far enough apart for the 3 losers to build a few nice cities and do lots of research and trade technologies before the gangbuster marches in.

2) Always the easy questions ...

There's no short answer to that one I'm afraid.

The best outcome would be for you to destroy your neighbours within the first 1000 - 1500 years before they get a chance to expand. That only works if they are reasonably close and you manage to get chariots before they get a meaningful number of phalanxes ... phalanges? I never remember ...

Anyway, if that doesn't work, it's probably wiser to avoid early confrontation, make peace, even pay tribute if necessary and concentrate on developing your civilisation to the point where you have such a solid military lead over your neighbours that you can destroy them quickly (ie. within 40 turns or so). The great bit about this strategy is that, by the time you have that lead, your neighbours are much jucier targets. Still, it's a race against time (and that invisible opponent on the other continent), so in my opinion it's best to limit yourself to 5 - 7 cities and try put barracks in those them with the best shield output and train maybe half a dozen veteran Knights BEFORE your neighbours build city walls.

If your 2 neighbours are not blocking off your expansion, you also have the option of avoiding conflict with them altogether by out-expanding them on your own continent. If they are the ones blocked off, you can afford to let them play in their corner and concentrate on settling the rest of the continent.

Obviously, a lot of this depends on what your continent looks like.

By the way, you've touched upon one of the aspects that make Civilisation (and games like it) so enjoyable: For a very long time, you simply don't know exactly what happens out there in the dark. The constant concern about an unbeatable opponent growing invisibly across the oceans is what keeps you on edge ... there's nothing quite like the feeling of doom that you get when you think things are going well and you check the demographics to find that you've dropped to 3rd place in territory, population and science.

 

[LivingDog]

... phalanxes ... phalanges? I never remember ...

Actually both.

Well, I did read your reply with some , and some , but overall I felt about the whole thing. Regardless, I finding a will be a of and .

I guess all I can do is say, I have done the best I can so now it's

time to move on.​

Thanks Verrucosus.