Play Your Civs Strengths?

[Igmod]

I have been working my way up the difficulty ladder and presently am attempting my 2nd Monarch game. I always play Small maps (shorter games) and everything else is Random. What I have attempted to do is go for a win that is best suited by each Civs strengths (i.e. Domination/Conquest if Militaristic/Expansionist or Cultural/Space if Scientific/Industrious, etc). Unfortunately I always seem to get embroiled in wars and it just seems swifter to wipe everyone out after I get my momentum going.

In any case I am playing the Persians and am going for a Cultural/Space win. The damn Zulus and Iriquois won't let me be so once again I am forced to play out the drama via the sword.

Should I give up with this approach and just play to whatever advantage I can gain? It is very frustrating being coerced into war time and again.

 

[DaveMcW]

Domination/Conquest is the easiest win if you try for it, regardless of what civ you play.

Ironically scientific civs are one of the best for early wars, since they start 1 tech away from iron working. And Persia especially with their UU.

Rather than choosing a victory condition based on your civ's strengths, choose a civ and victory condition based on your playstyle strengths. The civ doesn't matter that much.

 

[Zachriel]

Originally posted by Igmod


Should I give up with this approach and just play to whatever advantage I can gain? It is very frustrating being coerced into war time and again.

Continue to sue for peace while playing a defensive war. Use the time and production gained to advance towards your ultimate goal.

 

[Igmod]

Thanks Zach, that is exactly what I have started doing. Anytime the AI attacks me, I send out my tech superior force to secure a luxury or two of theirs or cripple their production. As soon as they will talk to me I sue for peace. I come out ahead and it keeps them quiet for awhile but I know they will come back at some point and hurl rocks at my tanks again.

 

[PersianImmortal]

Dominate.

Corruption is a major turnoff if u're a builder.. I wish it would allow me to have a thriving empire but sadly it doesnt. no matter what any calculations say.. the more cities u have the more in red are u're farthest cities... therefore don't wait to build them.. or research/trade like a beggar to build geeky spaceships.. just keep moving on with u're horde of units and pillage and destroy.

 

[RobOz]

I agree with DaveMcW.

Play to your strength. If you have a knack for knowing a good deal and can keep your science rate high, you should go the spaceship route. If you are able to keep the AI happy and stay ourt of trouble, diplomatic victory is the answer. If you can't stand the jerk AI and tell them to eat it every turn, well then you are probably going to have to beat em up good.

The AI seems to mistake peacefulness for weakness. Just keep your military strong and large and they will be less likely to declare war on you or demand tribute.

 

[cromagnon]

To emphasize what RobOz said, the temptation when going cultural is to neglect your army. That gives the AI reason enough to attack you, so keep up your army and defenses. Make sure they know they're going to have a bloody nose if they tangle with you!

 

[Scyphax]

I usually play the civs strengths in the early game, my strengths
in the late game.
As the Aztecs I might be a warmonger and try to destroy my neighbours in the early game but by the middle game I would be a builder.
As the Indians or French I would probably be a builder from the start to finish.
It is actually quite dull to always play the same. I suggest once and a while going one level easier and playing your weeknesses.

 

[DarkLInkVX]

I'm definitely a warmonger. Get those cities up and pump out the units. Seek and destroy.

After I destroy at least 2 of my neighbors I settle down and become cultural. Then I kill the rest of the world


I enjoy Militaristic/Scientific or Religious advantages.

 

[Yndy]

On Emperor and Deity Dominance/Conquest is not the easiest victory. Strangely enough Diplomacy is.

All victories typically require defensive and/or offensive wars on higher difficulty.

My problem is that I can only get cultural victory by holding myself from dominatieon until I got culture. This is kind of a domination victory. Space-ship is another strange victory. It's my last chance victory if diplomacy fails and if I go towards Space Victory from the beginning, I end up beating everybody and also get a delayed domination victory (or maybe an early one since SS could come faster than domination).

Had any one got a cultural victory on top levels without world domination in the same time? Please describe how.

 

[Darkness]

Just go with the opportunities you're given... It differs each game, no matter if you're playing the same civ...

 

[Karl_t_great]

Your rivals willingness to go to war depend very much on Your army. Check mil advisor screen for Your army's relative strength compared to the others. When Your army is "strong" the AI is less likely to wage war.

And don't forget to trade and even bribe to keep up Your good rep. Well, some will still attack, for they have such a high setting for agression level (You'll find the data on this sites intelligence section).

Anyway, besides very few early Dominance/Conques victories, I've found the spaceship taking least RT (real time), but it migth be hard to achieve in upper levels.

 

[RobOz]

Yndy -
I wasn't aware of the fact that diplomacy win is easier on Emperor and Deity. I just figured that conquest had gotten me this far, might as well keep on going. Thanks for the tip.

 

[puglover]

What difficulty level do you play? I play Warlord. I'm playing my first Regent.

 

[puglover]

I like the Romans' Commerical/Millitaristc advantages

 

[Yndy]

Originally posted by RobOz
Yndy -
I wasn't aware of the fact that diplomacy win is easier on Emperor and Deity. I just figured that conquest had gotten me this far, might as well keep on going. Thanks for the tip.

I thought I should post any comments here but since you cited me I have to warn you that if you want to win by diplo you have to keep your rep stainless and refrain from declaring war.

For stainless rep: never break treaties (that's obvious), never make treaties with civs on the brink of extinction (four cities or less) even if they are not currently in war, keep ROP treaties with everybody since you can afford it (except those nearly extinct), don't do MPP.

Try make others declare war on you (Remove your troops from my territory or declare war').

Rule of thumb for UN vote: those who are polite will vote for you.

! Don't forget to build the UN !

 

[Park Ranger]

Originally posted by Yndy

Had any one got a cultural victory on top levels without world domination in the same time? Please describe how.

Emperor level, standard map,playing Babs, finished game with 9 cities and 20,000 cp in Babylon.

I suppose you were thinking of the more common cultural victory, the 100K cp overall. No, I haven't had one of those since regent level.

 

[Park Ranger]

Yndy, I was wrong, I DO have a cultural victory at emperor level, with the Japanese, they topped 100K in 1850.

I think my game settings had a lot to do with it: large map, continents, smallest land mass, 12 civs. This kept everything nice and crowded, I was lucky to be on the largest continent which I conquered before the advent of tanks.

Also i got lucky got all the wonders from the middle ages and industrial era. That's the Japanese for you: militaristic good for fighting in a crowded world, also cheap harbours let me settle some islands, religious to get temples and cathedrals early, and the Samurai triggering a GA right when we want to build universities and wonders. (Actually IIRC in this game building Sun Tzu's triggered the GA).

Eyeballing the mini map, I'd say I controlled a little over 1/2 the territory when the cultural victory kicked in. Another player might well have achieved domination earlier, I slowed down the conquest to build all those wonders.

 

[Yndy]

Thanks Park Ranger. I'll give it a shot myself sometime.

About the 20K single city victory the truth is that I always tryed 20K with One City and never managed to do it on Emperor. So I presumed it was less likely than 100K. I'll try that too.

 

[Park Ranger]

Originally posted by Yndy
Thanks Park Ranger. I'll give it a shot myself sometime.

About the 20K single city victory the truth is that I always tryed 20K with One City and never managed to do it on Emperor. So I presumed it was less likely than 100K. I'll try that too.

If you try the 20,000 cp in one city its good to have a second wonder-producing city to keep the AI from swithcing wonders when you build one. Use this city for low culture wonders like Sun Tzu. You might not get it, but you want to try anyway in case the AI is a bit slow and you end up with a wonder cascade.

BTW, I notice you also play on deity level I haven't tried that yet so can't help you there...I find emp enough of a challenge!

Sorry I know this is getting really OT....