Playing Archipelago maps
- Thread starter azzkicar
- Start date
AtriumComplex
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2006
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- 61
I'm pretty new to this game but my suggestions are:
A) Go for a Cultural/Space Race victory
B) Beeline to Astronomy once you've gotten what you needed for your Civ (Pottery, Alphabet and Iron Working are helpful)
A) Go for a Cultural/Space Race victory
B) Beeline to Astronomy once you've gotten what you needed for your Civ (Pottery, Alphabet and Iron Working are helpful)
Some tips:
(1) Get Fishing ASAP and build a workboat to explore before you build your first settler.
(2) Great Lighthouse is a great wonder.
(3) Barbarians are not usually a big problem, and early war is difficult, so you can skimp on military in the early game.
(4) Early war is difficult, so don't plan to start significant conquest until the Calvary/Gunpowder era (with Galleons & Frigates). The exception being if you share your starting island with someone.
(5) Commerce cities are easy to build, but you will have to make an effort to find good sites for high production cities.
(6) Getting Astronomy before you rivals means you can found cities on previously unreachable islands, islands that often have luxury resources!
(1) Get Fishing ASAP and build a workboat to explore before you build your first settler.
(2) Great Lighthouse is a great wonder.
(3) Barbarians are not usually a big problem, and early war is difficult, so you can skimp on military in the early game.
(4) Early war is difficult, so don't plan to start significant conquest until the Calvary/Gunpowder era (with Galleons & Frigates). The exception being if you share your starting island with someone.
(5) Commerce cities are easy to build, but you will have to make an effort to find good sites for high production cities.
(6) Getting Astronomy before you rivals means you can found cities on previously unreachable islands, islands that often have luxury resources!
scienide09
Regular lurker
Pay attention to wonder effects: for those that say affects all cities on this continent, it may be a waste of time/resources to build. If your archipelago only has room for a couple of your cities, the effect of some wonders won't go very far.
I think Notre Dame, Statue of Liberty, and Three Gorges Dam are all limited to continental effect, rather than your entire civ.
I think Notre Dame, Statue of Liberty, and Three Gorges Dam are all limited to continental effect, rather than your entire civ.
punchandpie
Warlord
backblast said:
This is a great strategy, and I am gonna try cuz I have problems with Archpeliago maps as well
petey
Prince
One thing to pay particular attention to on archipeligo maps is where the coastlines are between the islands around you. If you can strategically place cities so that you cut off the coastline routes for nearby civs, then they have to wait for Astronomy before they can go and settle there, allowing you to colonize those islands at your leisure.
That means you don't have to rush settlers to get there and can concentrate on building up the cities that are near the AI and then send out settlers when you can afford to do so.
That means you don't have to rush settlers to get there and can concentrate on building up the cities that are near the AI and then send out settlers when you can afford to do so.
I am in the middle of an large map island game now, and I am finding that it will be very very hard (as in not possible) to win a domination or conquest victory.
the one thing I have discovered for myself through some of the warring, is that you can effectively cripple any nation you fight against rather easily. the ocean lets you get to any city on the map without the hassle of pounding your way across a continent. you can then selectively target a high production or commerce city without retaliation forces pummeling your troops.
In the current game, Monty started his usual war, so I razed his closest city and then took his capital. Not only did I get a shrine and the chitzen itchtra, but I totally left him in a dark ages of tech since he didn't have the infrastructure to keep his empire up to par with the rest of the world.
In isalnd/archipelago maps, selective target of cities will help you win the war and game. This will also limit the one weakness that all island civs have in reinforcing fronts after battle losses.
the one thing I have discovered for myself through some of the warring, is that you can effectively cripple any nation you fight against rather easily. the ocean lets you get to any city on the map without the hassle of pounding your way across a continent. you can then selectively target a high production or commerce city without retaliation forces pummeling your troops.
In the current game, Monty started his usual war, so I razed his closest city and then took his capital. Not only did I get a shrine and the chitzen itchtra, but I totally left him in a dark ages of tech since he didn't have the infrastructure to keep his empire up to par with the rest of the world.
In isalnd/archipelago maps, selective target of cities will help you win the war and game. This will also limit the one weakness that all island civs have in reinforcing fronts after battle losses.
Wodan
Deity
Another thing to add... the old Civ3 Galley domination strategy still works, but now it works for all leaders/civs.
Basically the idea is that you build a half dozen or more galleys asap. Send them exploring in packs of 2 or 3. Don't send them across the world but explore and stake your claim to a huge territory for yourself. Once explored, put them in sentry mode at coastal junction areas.
When exploring or when sentries, you'll occasionally run across a galley belonging to another civ. Declare war and kill that sucker. If you lose a galley in the process, you've got a couple more right there to finish the enemy galley off. Build a replacement asap and send it on over to continue the blockade.
Basically this secures a huge empire for yourself, that you can settle at your leisure (dealing only with Barbs, which aren't a big problem on archipelago). You have a looong time, until Frigates, to plop down all your cities. (Caravels have +1 Str but can't carry settlers, and you can change your own galley sentries to caravels for the str increase.)
Once you've completely settled your empire and have assured defenses (or when Frigates show up), cease your warmongering ways and play nice with all the AIs. Time is on your side at that point.
Wodan
Basically the idea is that you build a half dozen or more galleys asap. Send them exploring in packs of 2 or 3. Don't send them across the world but explore and stake your claim to a huge territory for yourself. Once explored, put them in sentry mode at coastal junction areas.
When exploring or when sentries, you'll occasionally run across a galley belonging to another civ. Declare war and kill that sucker. If you lose a galley in the process, you've got a couple more right there to finish the enemy galley off. Build a replacement asap and send it on over to continue the blockade.
Basically this secures a huge empire for yourself, that you can settle at your leisure (dealing only with Barbs, which aren't a big problem on archipelago). You have a looong time, until Frigates, to plop down all your cities. (Caravels have +1 Str but can't carry settlers, and you can change your own galley sentries to caravels for the str increase.)
Once you've completely settled your empire and have assured defenses (or when Frigates show up), cease your warmongering ways and play nice with all the AIs. Time is on your side at that point.
Wodan
JerichoHill
Bedrock of Knowledge
I too, believe the Great Lighthouse is a wonderful wonder for Arch maps. Also, I like the colossus and Pyramids.
Why?
Pyramids give me any government style, so I can immediately change it. It will first be Rep. for culure bonuses (specialists will help expand my borders)
Colussus gives me trade.
Build harbors, lighthouses, and cottages.
Do everything to expand your population in your cities.
Then when you have good cultural borders and lots of gold, switch to democracy (finish production with gold), towns +1 hammer.
Now you have cottages giving you production and gold, and you can finish off your navy with gold. Go for offensive first to control the seas, then land your galleons at will. Remember, 1 siege galleon for every 2 land unit galleons.
You win.
Why?
Pyramids give me any government style, so I can immediately change it. It will first be Rep. for culure bonuses (specialists will help expand my borders)
Colussus gives me trade.
Build harbors, lighthouses, and cottages.
Do everything to expand your population in your cities.
Then when you have good cultural borders and lots of gold, switch to democracy (finish production with gold), towns +1 hammer.
Now you have cottages giving you production and gold, and you can finish off your navy with gold. Go for offensive first to control the seas, then land your galleons at will. Remember, 1 siege galleon for every 2 land unit galleons.
You win.
rickb
Warlord
Don't forget to choose a civ with the Financial trait as well to get that extra gold per coast tile. Personally I love playing Archipelago (or high sea level) maps. Yeah I always make sure to get Colossus and Great Lighthouse and then beeline for Astronomy. You also tend to get great starts like having 4 crab/fish resources (don't forget to build that lighthouse and work boats) in your city radius, pretty much nothing beats that for growth and commerce.
beestar
subdeity
scienide09 said:
Where were you three days ago? I just built Statue of Liberty on a two-city island.
I was lucky with semi-early war. Starting off near the English island, I was able to conquer Elizabeth with macemen and knights. I don't remember if I had Galleons to bring over my troops or it was just Galleys.
I support the rest of the advice in this thread, especially the "work boats as scouts" trick!
scienide09
Regular lurker
beestar said:
Sorry, I guess my timing was off
EDaddy
Warlord
Thanks for the heads-up. Arch games are hard!
Archipelago/island maps, while harder from an overall conquest strategy, are set up for surgical strikes. While I am still a noble level player, here are some tips I have thought up. I will probably organize them better and add them to the article that is in the sub-forum
Speed rules. Circumnavigate the world, get refrigeration tech and if possible give your slow vehicles (tranports, aircraft carriers and battleships) flanking I and navigation promotions. at least the transports. with the greater movement range, the enemy will not be able to flee. The enemy may land troops near you, but only once, since they have no units left to retreat to home ports.
Armored vehicles and flight are not that necessary. get these after all of your naval and infantry/marines techs.
Never land your troops if you have to. this keeps them safe from "thinning" by enemy artillery.
Artillery cannot bombard a city from a transport. this is ok since you have the navy to do this for you. give the artillery barrage and city raider promotions, do not give artillery the accuracy promotion. Cannon will die a horrible death against infantry in a city when attacking from a transport. Use artillery, and they still will die a horrible death, but not quite as horrible.
Navy seals with combat 1 and pinch can take down fortified infantry with city defense I and II provided that you have removed all of the culture bonus and softened the up with anywhere from two to four artillery. The first strikes will keep the seal alive and with decent health. Since marines/navy seals have march, they can be used to island hop really well. give one marine medic 1 per transport, and you are fine.
my troop config is: 2-3 transports marines/seals, 1 tranport artillery, 1 tranport infantry. Try not to leave marines or seal behind in the city, that is what the infantry are for.
There are no borders on an islands map. Yes there are culteral boundries, but these are inconsiquential even for the first attack. to knock a civ out of the game, you probably do not have to take more than 3 cities, the capital and the biggest commerce and production city. If you are going to be on the offense, spy or caravel the target sites, preposition your troops so you can at least start removing the culteral defense of the city the first turn you declare war. Once you take the top three cities within 2-4 turns of declaring war, the AI will hole up since the other cities will barely have the troops to defend themselves and no production capability to get better.
Remember that this can work against you also. Defend well your important cities since you will not have the capability to get the ammount of reinforcements as you would in a land game.
Since your island is a natural born commerce city and food cities, production is difficult. I have gained new respect for workshops playing on the island map. In one of the games I played, my capital was my only strong production city, so I gave it both the heroic epic and ironworks national wonders. pumping out 3 units every four turns is sweet and the AI will not be able to keep up. Slavery is your "gaming" friend. Pop-rush settlers, banks universities or what ever, your city will recover just fine. When unversal suffrage is available, then you can "buy" any wonder after about 3-5 turns at zero science without much of a tech hit. Universal suffrage also gives you production boost from your cottages!
Happiness and health are a big issue since your cities get huge. In fact, war can cripple your empire due to the cry baby citizens singing that hippie song. jails, mount rushmore, theatres, coloseums and the culture slider at 20%. I would not recommend police state since universal suffrage/slavery is the only way to build on one-square island cities and slavery is out once you can get caste system or emancipation.
Wonders are nice but not necessary. If you get lucky with stone or marble or are industrious, then go for them, else take them from your enemies with selective city attacks (see above). I think it is better to build the troops, navy and infrastructure and take what you want, since you then have both the wonder and a sizaeable force.
I will try to organize this better and add it to the naval article in the sub forum. I need to stop goofing and get back to work
Speed rules. Circumnavigate the world, get refrigeration tech and if possible give your slow vehicles (tranports, aircraft carriers and battleships) flanking I and navigation promotions. at least the transports. with the greater movement range, the enemy will not be able to flee. The enemy may land troops near you, but only once, since they have no units left to retreat to home ports.
Armored vehicles and flight are not that necessary. get these after all of your naval and infantry/marines techs.
Never land your troops if you have to. this keeps them safe from "thinning" by enemy artillery.
Artillery cannot bombard a city from a transport. this is ok since you have the navy to do this for you. give the artillery barrage and city raider promotions, do not give artillery the accuracy promotion. Cannon will die a horrible death against infantry in a city when attacking from a transport. Use artillery, and they still will die a horrible death, but not quite as horrible.
Navy seals with combat 1 and pinch can take down fortified infantry with city defense I and II provided that you have removed all of the culture bonus and softened the up with anywhere from two to four artillery. The first strikes will keep the seal alive and with decent health. Since marines/navy seals have march, they can be used to island hop really well. give one marine medic 1 per transport, and you are fine.
my troop config is: 2-3 transports marines/seals, 1 tranport artillery, 1 tranport infantry. Try not to leave marines or seal behind in the city, that is what the infantry are for.
There are no borders on an islands map. Yes there are culteral boundries, but these are inconsiquential even for the first attack. to knock a civ out of the game, you probably do not have to take more than 3 cities, the capital and the biggest commerce and production city. If you are going to be on the offense, spy or caravel the target sites, preposition your troops so you can at least start removing the culteral defense of the city the first turn you declare war. Once you take the top three cities within 2-4 turns of declaring war, the AI will hole up since the other cities will barely have the troops to defend themselves and no production capability to get better.
Remember that this can work against you also. Defend well your important cities since you will not have the capability to get the ammount of reinforcements as you would in a land game.
Since your island is a natural born commerce city and food cities, production is difficult. I have gained new respect for workshops playing on the island map. In one of the games I played, my capital was my only strong production city, so I gave it both the heroic epic and ironworks national wonders. pumping out 3 units every four turns is sweet and the AI will not be able to keep up. Slavery is your "gaming" friend. Pop-rush settlers, banks universities or what ever, your city will recover just fine. When unversal suffrage is available, then you can "buy" any wonder after about 3-5 turns at zero science without much of a tech hit. Universal suffrage also gives you production boost from your cottages!
Happiness and health are a big issue since your cities get huge. In fact, war can cripple your empire due to the cry baby citizens singing that hippie song. jails, mount rushmore, theatres, coloseums and the culture slider at 20%. I would not recommend police state since universal suffrage/slavery is the only way to build on one-square island cities and slavery is out once you can get caste system or emancipation.
Wonders are nice but not necessary. If you get lucky with stone or marble or are industrious, then go for them, else take them from your enemies with selective city attacks (see above). I think it is better to build the troops, navy and infrastructure and take what you want, since you then have both the wonder and a sizaeable force.
I will try to organize this better and add it to the naval article in the sub forum. I need to stop goofing and get back to work
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