So far I've played 2 games in CIV III. Both have been so different they seem different games.
WAR
In the first game, I obviously didn't look at the manual (regent level) I naturally fell behind both other civs on my continent: culture, research, military ... you name it. I pulled ahead by amassing a strong military, conquering one major city at a time, defending it, suing for peace, getting techs and resources in exchange and promptly breaking my treaties by attacking again. I used this dirty strategy around 3 or 4 times till I was the sole power on the continent. As expected when I met the other civs they hated my guts, but being more powerful I was able to keep them cautious. They never ended up liking me anyway. This game was all about war, nonstop bloodshed.
MAJOR LESSON: even if you're ahead never declare war on another civ without first making political alliances with other nations. I tried waging war on my own and got creamed when 3 or 4 civs ganged up on me. I reloaded and tried the more political approach. Result? My buddies fight and die for me, and I go in and conquer when the enemy is severely weakened.
Won at the regent level on my first try
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RESEARCH RACE
Game #2: Chose Germans - scientific, militaristic, thinking it would be all bloody again.
I am currently at the end of the Industrial Age and the first shot hasn't been fired in this game!! Talk about brotherly love ...
Even with the scientific edge I fell behind again. I found an excellent strategy. You can always tell excactly what techs another civ has by opening the trade window and looking at the techs they both of you can offer each other. By looking this up often, I now who's researching what. I chose a very atypical research path, different from everybody else (the longer research breakthroughs first), making a beeline for Literature and the Great Library. While the other 7 civs were fighting for the same 1 or 2 Great Wonders I built the Great Library and got 6 tech advances in one shot !!!!!! I jumped right into the Middle Ages, got a free tech advance, being scientific and all, and haven't looked back since.
CULTURE
The scientific edge is fantastic. On new cities I build the library for less then what a temple costs for other nonreligious civs. A library cranks up your culture 3 pts vs a temple's 2 pts., aside from increasing your research by 50%, so I've absorbed around 8 cities so far from neighboring civs. I've even gone and used the AI strategy of building cities on on their backdoors and by building libraries and universities have taken over their land.
Any other ideas?
WAR
In the first game, I obviously didn't look at the manual (regent level) I naturally fell behind both other civs on my continent: culture, research, military ... you name it. I pulled ahead by amassing a strong military, conquering one major city at a time, defending it, suing for peace, getting techs and resources in exchange and promptly breaking my treaties by attacking again. I used this dirty strategy around 3 or 4 times till I was the sole power on the continent. As expected when I met the other civs they hated my guts, but being more powerful I was able to keep them cautious. They never ended up liking me anyway. This game was all about war, nonstop bloodshed.
MAJOR LESSON: even if you're ahead never declare war on another civ without first making political alliances with other nations. I tried waging war on my own and got creamed when 3 or 4 civs ganged up on me. I reloaded and tried the more political approach. Result? My buddies fight and die for me, and I go in and conquer when the enemy is severely weakened.
Won at the regent level on my first try
. RESEARCH RACE
Game #2: Chose Germans - scientific, militaristic, thinking it would be all bloody again.
I am currently at the end of the Industrial Age and the first shot hasn't been fired in this game!! Talk about brotherly love ...
Even with the scientific edge I fell behind again. I found an excellent strategy. You can always tell excactly what techs another civ has by opening the trade window and looking at the techs they both of you can offer each other. By looking this up often, I now who's researching what. I chose a very atypical research path, different from everybody else (the longer research breakthroughs first), making a beeline for Literature and the Great Library. While the other 7 civs were fighting for the same 1 or 2 Great Wonders I built the Great Library and got 6 tech advances in one shot !!!!!! I jumped right into the Middle Ages, got a free tech advance, being scientific and all, and haven't looked back since.
CULTURE
The scientific edge is fantastic. On new cities I build the library for less then what a temple costs for other nonreligious civs. A library cranks up your culture 3 pts vs a temple's 2 pts., aside from increasing your research by 50%, so I've absorbed around 8 cities so far from neighboring civs. I've even gone and used the AI strategy of building cities on on their backdoors and by building libraries and universities have taken over their land.
Any other ideas?
