Hi, have been reading this and other threads since I started playing Civ3 through Steam for the first time in 15+ years. I have a couple of questions I haven’t been able to figure out.
Current game is Regent level, playing as the French. I share a continent with the Incans and Iroquois (and until this turn the Mayans but just took their last city.) I should have my choice of paths to victory at this point - I’m ahead in tech, population, land area, etc and am on good terms with almost all of the other civilizations. I’m still at war with the Iroquois and have a question about how to minimize culture flips in the newly conquered cities. I know I take a big reputation hit if I raze or starve out cities. Is there a big hit if I were to instead park a big stack of artillery outside of a city and bombard them to population 5 or 6 before taking them? That seems to be the sweet spot for minimizing culture flips but it could take a turn or two longer with a big city and if it would be faster to take the city quickly and starve them down that’s fine too. I’d like to at least keep the option for a diplomatic victory open if possible though.
To that end - I have to either go through the Incans or use a sea invasion to get to the last Iroquois cities. I don’t think a right of passage is an option - in fact they’ve given ROP to the Iroquois so I’ve dealt with a stream of attacks through their territory. Am I better off sucking it up and taking out the Incans too? I’m stronger than they are by far. Question is how much of a diplo hit do I take by starting another war because with my relative strength it will be hard to get them to start it? Other civs are all polite or better except for the Aztecs at annoyed.
Sorry, long question for a new guy.