Prince Level Help!

[Yakuza]

Hi Hi. Large Map... world map... im on America and south america continnenz

There are 21 Cities in total at A.D 170, all without IMPROVEMENTS.
There are 3 wonders built which is (Pyramid, Collusus and Shakespears Theatre), all with Food Caravan's help. IM on Monarchy, Tax = 0%, Science = 60% and Lux = 40%.

Currently, my settlers are making roads around my cities. There are about 10 food caravans waiting to help build next wonder.
Curently, its Researching 'Astronmy' discoveries every 21 turns, becuz I wanna buiuld Copernicus Observatory to Boost the science.

The MAIN PROBLEM IS, am i on the right track? I find it too slow to research techs, I think the main problem is I did not use the caravans to trade gold, coal, wool, etc etc around my cities instead I build food caravans to rush built Pyramid, Colusus and Shakesspears making my discovers 21 turns which is BAD! But if I didn't rush built it, the other 5 civilians(Computer) will built it before me in which I do not want to left out on beautiful wonders.

Or maybe I should follow SSC posted in here (first reserach Collusus, Copernicus and Newton), in order to boost the discoveries turn?

I've read many posts and I wanna learn how to research, built fast at A.D 1.. till now A.D 170, bigesst city is size 3, 1/2 of my cities are Size 1.. I have about 8 settlers working on roads in order to let Food caravans walk faster. Im no longer building Settlers becuz Size 1 cities cant support it I DO NOT KNOW WHY...My lux rate been 40% all the time and still it doesnt boost Cities with Size1 on it.. Ive got pyramid still, half of my cities is size 1 SO PISSED OFF! all of my cities with 1 phalanx on it.

OK OK I know im boring you now... reply me.. or reply the time u achived... example... in A.D 1 ive built 10 wnoders .. etc etc

 

[duke o' york]

You should have a library in the Colossus city at least, and you should start to build roads around your cities to improve their trade income.

 

[Sodak]

If you want to speed up research, make sure all city workers produce at least one trade arrow in the city screen. In the early game, sometimes just moving a few workers from forest to ocean will drop research time by half.

Build libraries, too. If you're economy is okay, do this before marketplaces.

Build caravans and trade! This will speed up science, add gold to your coffers, and make cities more productive. Caravans cannot be overrated in this game. Trade trade trade, and you will soon see good results!

 

[TimTheEnchanter]

Wait a minute...

You're playing at Prince Level
You're in Monarchy
You have no city over 3 citizens
and you've got 40% luxuries??? WHY??? I think that's a big part of your problem.

At prince you've got the first four (iirc) citizens content. Even if you've got the riot factor cutting into that number with 21 cities, you shouldn't need that many luxuries to keep the peace. You said you've got phalanxes in every city so martial law should keep you happier. If you've got a problem city, throw up an elvis then stick a cheap little warrior in it to keep the peace.

Cities under 3 citizens can't celebrate so you can't be using the luxuries to improve trade under monarchy... unless I'm missing something here, those 40% are probably just being wasted.

Under monarchy you should usually be able to max your science and put the rest to tax. That should be 30 tax, 70 science, 0 luxuries. Use the gold to pay for a few improvements in key cities... get at least a library in your colossus city. Maybe also put a marketplace in your colossus city and let it grow. Marketplaces will break even (they cover the maintenance cost) in any city making 2 gold "naturally". Once it hits 4 gold, you start making a profit, and the extra luxuries can help when you get to republic.

Use the rest of your gold to incrementally rush buy units and improvements rather than waiting for the shields to accumulate the old-fashioned way.

Other things:
Make sure your settlers are improving land that you can use. Don't have them spend 25 turns improving all the squares in one city if that city only has 1 or 2 citizens working squares. Improve a few key squares that you intend to work and then have them do some work to help out other cities. Come back to improve more squares in those cities when they have more citizens.

Get the trade up in your cities. Work squares with rivers and roads. Work silk and whales. And start getting those Caravans rolling. One strategy you can use is to send them all to the collossus city so they all benefit from its extra trade. Or you can trade amongst other cities using fewer caravans since both cities get a trade route. If you get three routes, even if they start with only 1 arrow each, that's 3 extra arrows. at 70% science thats an extra 2 beakers per city - 40 extra beakers per turn for your civ. Just that tiny bit can make a huge difference. Use your tax money to incrementally rush buy caravans.

For your science to take off you need to eventually get to representative government to get the extra trade arrows. That is when you will need to start handing out luxuries, but in the long run it can pay off. If you are mostly size 1 cities, you are not ready yet, but you should work to prepare yourself for the switch. It's hard to handle at first, but once it gets going and you get some celebrations, it really becomes quite manageable.

Another thing to consider is what techs you have been researching/acquiring. Every tech you get (from research, huts, conquest, trading) makes your research beaker cost higher. Try not to acquire techs that don't advance your immediate goals. If you don't plan to send out ships, don't take map making, seafaring, etc.

Hope that helps.

 

[Andu Indorin]

Originally posted by TimTheEnchanter
Wait a minute...
Cities under 3 citizens can't celebrate so you can't be using the luxuries to improve trade under monarchy... unless I'm missing something here, those 40% are probably just being wasted. ...

Get the trade up in your cities. Work squares with rivers and roads. Work silk and whales. And start getting those Caravans rolling. One strategy you can use is to send them all to the collossus city so they all benefit from its extra trade. Or you can trade amongst other cities using fewer caravans since both cities get a trade route. If you get three routes, even if they start with only 1 arrow each, that's 3 extra arrows. at 70% science thats an extra 2 beakers per city - 40 extra beakers per turn for your civ. Just that tiny bit can make a huge difference. Use your tax money to incrementally rush buy caravans. ...

And go Republic, get WLKD in Colossus/Shakespeare City to maximize trade benifits.

Also, if you're playing the World Map and you're certain that you are alone in the Western Hemisphere, you shouldn't have to worry about defense for some time. Try a mobile defense with a few Chariots/Elephants rather than a static defense with excessive Phalanxes/Pikes in cities.

 

[Yakuza]

MANY THANKS FOR YOUR REPLIES! KEEP THEM COMMING PLEASE!!!

I UPLOADED a sAVED FILE for those who care to help me analyse it..

IT is now A.D 700....
21 cities still..
Tax Rate = 0% Science = 70% Lux = 30%
Discoveris: 8 turn <-- woohoo! Thank's to Collusus, Copernicus and Isssac Newtown College which helped boost the science rate

Guys, the reason why I need to set my Lux for more than 30-40% during the start of the game to current game is becuz there is no improvement(temple.. etc) at all in alll my cities... only 1 military at each city! Therefore hopefully it will stop the riot @ And I thought by seting the lux high, it will boost the population... i waited and waited from B.C 4000 to A.D 260... half of my cities are size 1... so I can't built anything except food caravanz.. but its size 3 on my capital, science city and one city with a pyramid on it....

If u load my current game.,... most cities are now around size 3 to 7.. only 2 old cities still in size 1.... Do you normally wiat that long to get the population up? I thoguht the higher u set your lux rate .. the higher your population will be????? WHAT HAVE I DONE WRONG???????

I love monarcy at early game to mid game thats becuz settler eat 1 food per turn.... and i often have food shortage.. also.. i need to buiild about 2 settlers to speed up the road conection and irrigate... etc around my cities...

or do you build 3 military units per city to stop the riot and u set your lux down to 0-10% ?

I admit.. I always have trouvled in adjusting the tax, science and lux rate especially in Monacry, democracy and Fundamentlism.

Guys, please download my saved games and anaylse it..
IM USINGF CIV II Test of Time!.. Original game...

As you can see .. North America is packed with 21 cities, but there is nothing on South America.. the reason is im still using all my setllers to build roads + irrigate in North america.. Looking at south america, there all Jungles.. and it take ages to iriiragte.. so once I finished reserching Enginners.. BOOM... Time for a big Expansion.. but im concerned with the date.... i wanna build as fast as possible to beat my old games(chieftian) , and also I wanna improve my skills.. in order to do that, i need your advice! Thanks once again!

 

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally posted by Yakuza
.... Do you normally wiat that long to get the population up? I thoguht the higher u set your lux rate .. the higher your population will be????? WHAT HAVE I DONE WRONG???????

I love monarcy at early game to mid game thats becuz settler eat 1 food per turn.... and i often have food shortage.. also.. i need to buiild about 2 settlers to speed up the road conection and irrigate... etc around my cities...

Luxuries can only boost your population if you are in a representative government (Republic or Democracy).

Once you have (a) Half or more of all citizens happy (b) no citizens unhappy and (c) at least 3 citizens you get We Love the (President, Consul, King) Day celebrations.

Under monarchy, a WLT_D celebration gives the city "representative government trade" meaning you get an extra trade arrow on any square already producing one.

However, when your actually in a representative government, you've already got those extra trade arrows. In these governments, a city that is celebrating will increase its population by one citizen every turn so long as you have a food surplus. This is one of the amazing powers of republic and democracy. A city can go from size 3 to size 8 in 5 turns.

You need to plan for it some by preparing the land to produce enough food and trade and getting key improvements in place (e.g.,marketplaces to boost luxuries by 50%, aquaducts/sewers to grow beyond size 8/12, harbor to get extra food from sea squares) and it REALLY helps to have 3 trade routes in place. Those extra trade arrows can be the difference between celebrating and not celebrating.

It is often best to go through short periods of celebrations where you set luxuries very high and get most of your cities celebrating at once until they can't grow, then switch back to "normal" maintenance mode.

The food cost for settlers (and the extra unit support) can be hard to manage in republic at first. It also makes warmongering tough because troops in the field make citizens unhappy. But you'll soon see that the trade benefits and the growth from celebrations ultimately outweigh the short term costs of transitioning. Once you've done it a few times, you'll get a better feel for how and when to switch.

 

[Rowan]

Originally posted by Andu Indorin


And go Republic, get WLKD in Colossus/Shakespeare City to maximize trade benifits.

What is WLKD,please?
[dance] [dance]

 

[Simon Darkshade]

We Love the King Day.

I always loved the parades for it in Civ1.

 

[Darius]

You have a different version than me, so I couldn't load it, but it seems you have overextended your civ. I would suggest building only 10-15 cities during the early game, and then use your settlers to modify their land to it's greatest extent (assuming pre-railroad: mining on hills and mountains, road & irrigation on fields, and remember to plant forests if a city is low on production).

While improving this land, build improvements in these cities and trade routes. Once each city has every square modernized, you are in a position to expand. This way you have a home country with improvements and a good land infrastructure which will be packed with trade and scientific advancement, instead of a vast array of small outposts:

all without IMPROVEMENTS

Pool all of your engineers into one area on the frontier (preferably have your homeland cities supporting one settler each). Speedily use their combined work to fully improve the 20 squares around a square where you wish to build a new city (colony). Then build a settler in the nearest modernized city, build a city in the chosen square, and move on to colonize further, one by one.

Of course, you can create variations like doing two colonizing pools or having two settlers supported per city, or whatever else. The point is, you must have some core of cities which will be industrial and scientific powerhouses and a periphery of small, developing outposts, rather than having everything be a third world. The benefits from the city improvements as well as the higher trade from roads & high population as will solve your science problem and give you more cash and luxury revenues, which will in turn allow even more investment in science.

Finally, having a good land and improvement infrastructure will allow you to go into republic earlier, which is important.