Regent-Monarch Advice please.

[Zardnaar]

I have just finished the game on Regent with a Cultural win as the Sumerians (I was to lazy for a military win-100+ unused modern armor and 4 armies).

I've only had experience on the regent game having not played on lower difficulty levels.

I started a new game as the Arabs (expansionistic and religeous) and thought I was doing well. In the long run I think I will win and I have just reached the middle ages. I'm considering going for the military win this time (huge map pangea) and are on the verge of getting Ansar Warrior (the Arabic UU) and then going on a little rampage. This well also give me a rather nice golden age.

Anyhow much to my chagrin I have discovered I'm like 3rd or so in the tech tree. The persians and Zulu have 1 or 2 more techs than me. They're far away though but the Chinese and Ottoman are nearby and I have little desire to face riders soon or Sipadi(sp?) in the future.

Basically do I get my UU and try and either win now or weaken them to the point of uselessness or wait? Can the AI fight better on Monarch?

 

[Ision]

The AI fights the same at EVERY level. The AI does not play better with each level, what it gets is bonuses in production and starting units. For example; at Emperor level the AI gets an extra worker at start and builds things in 8 turns that take you 10 turns to build.

As to advice on how you should proceed that is hard to do without seeing a save of the game. From the top of my head I would say 3 things:

yes - attack

don't worry about being slightly behind in tech - trade with others and beat those techs out of your foes - you will soon catch up

don't waste too many cities on Wonders - let the others build them, and take them by force.

Ision

 

[ssvensson]

When u win ur 1st battle with the Ansar Warrior and get into GA - u'll soon catch up in the tech race... and tramble ur enemies.

 

[Zardnaar]

I attacked the Ottomans to grab some Ivory and the Temple of Zeus. Had to borrow money of the Zulu though to upgrade units. My attack has been successful but has stalled at Istanbul which had the Temple in it. Still got several elite units and 3 lots of Ivory. I'm getting civil disorder know So I'll make peace for a bit and see my golden age through.

Just quickly. I'm building Knights Templar and Sun Tzu. Is KT worth it? Sun Tzu will be switched to leonardos workshop. My current paln is.

1. peace with ottomans.
2. Finish Golden Age
3. Seize Istanbul
4. Quick war with Chinese
5. Go say hi to Zulus with Temple of Zeus and Knights Templar running.

Also what do you guys think of the Arabs? In hindsight it may have been better to be chinese of Egypt but I'm sick of Industrial/Scientific/Agricultural type civs. Somehow the Zulus have also got 3000 gold.

 

[useless]

havent u considered making peace with all of them?
because its better then getting distroyed by them!

 

[Zardnaar]

Originally posted by useless
havent u considered making peace with all of them?
because its better then getting distroyed by them!

I'm after a military victory. They're not attacking me yet.

 

[Xether]

if your attack is successful(and you take over a very large portion of their land) you can ask for all their technolgy and most of the time they will accept. (for me they do on regent and monarch). Sometimes i can even ask for their cities for free like in my last game. which was very nice.
Im gonna try out emperor difficulty after christmas..hopefully this will work.

 

[Zardnaar]

Originally posted by Xether
if your attack is successful(and you take over a very large portion of their land) you can ask for all their technolgy and most of the time they will accept. (for me they do on regent and monarch). Sometimes i can even ask for their cities for free like in my last game. which was very nice.
Im gonna try out emperor difficulty after christmas..hopefully this will work.

They don't have any tech and have no/little gold. Only Persia can really keep up with me tech wise.

 

[JustBen]

Originally posted by Zardnaar
Also what do you guys think of the Arabs? In hindsight it may have been better to be chinese of Egypt but I'm sick of Industrial/Scientific/Agricultural type civs. Somehow the Zulus have also got 3000 gold.

Why play the same civ every time? It's more fun to mix it up.

I think the Arabs are great. They may have the best UU in the game. "My Knights move 3 and I pay less for it? Wowee!" Who defends with Knights anyway?

Oh, and the Zulu probably have $3K because of the gpt bug in C3C.

 

[Ision]

"I think the Arabs are great. They may have the best UU in the game"

NO WAY - not even close

Ision

 

[ssvensson]

Originally posted by Ision
"I think the Arabs are great. They may have the best UU in the game"

NO WAY - not even close

Ision

Who has then?

Ision - I like ur reviews on the different civs so I'm very curiuos who u think has the best UU?

 

[Zardnaar]

Persia, China, Celts, Romans.......

The Ansar is good though. Verygood and you get anicely timed GA.
What is the GPT bug I've heard about. The Zulus hit 5000gp and in 1 game theGreeks paid me 6000,8000, and 16000 gold for some of my techs. I've also started another game on monarch with the Maya.

 

[ssvensson]

Zardnaar - Coincidence my current game is monarch with the mayas - Good traits agri and indu but i'm not impressed with their UU although the enslavement feature i nice.

Sorry OT..

 

[Xether]

All UUs have a advantage and its your job to use these advantages over the AI. If people can't then they will say the UU will suck, simple as that. But theres a few UUs that people say are the best because it doesnt take much skill and thinking to charge legionaries or immortals right into bronze age units and easily win.

 

[ssvensson]

About the gpt bug - it means that if u trade something for eg. 5 gpt u'll actually get 10 gpt - but i'm not sure that it is why the other civs got so rich as u say! maybe it because the gpt bug accumulates when they are trading with each other??

 

[JustBen]

Suppose the Dutch are paying the Sumerians 1 gold per turn. Then at the end of each turn, 1 gold is deducted from the Dutch treasury and 2 gold are credited to the Sumerian treasury. That's the gold-per-turn bug. Nitpickier details explain exactly why this translates into huge AI bank accounts, but you can see what the problem is pretty easily.

Yeah, Immortals are insane and Sipahi are insane -- that's why the Ansar Warrior only may be the best. But the Chinese Rider was best before any expansions came out, and the Ansar Warrior is just better -- buy 6, get 1 free. The 1 defense isn't worth paying 10 shields on a fast unit you'll be using to swarm enemy cities. 3 movement is just absolutely huge.

You can argue that the Militaristic trait makes the Rider better, and you wouldn't really be wrong. I just don't see it as being as important at that point in the game.

This is, incidentally, the same logic behind the decision between Iroquois Mounted Warriors and Gallic Swordsmen: is the 1 defense worth 10 shields? I'd usually prefer to have more units sooner and eat a couple extra losses than pay 10 shields to improve a unit's ability to do something I don't want it to be doing in the first place.

But I'd still play any of these civs. Playing a variety of civs makes the game more interesting than playing the same UU every single game.

 

[Zardnaar]

Originally posted by ssvensson
Zardnaar - Coincidence my current game is monarch with the mayas - Good traits agri and indu but i'm not impressed with their UU although the enslavement feature i nice.

Sorry OT..

Heres how I used mine. I built 6 or so and used them to beat on barbarians. That gave me 3 workers which were added to my cities.

I lacked horse. The Zulus were near by. Everyone had started the middle ages. I took 3 medievil infantry, 2 pikemen and my 5-6 Javelin warriors. Militarily I was pathetic. Grabbed 2 Zulu cities and enslaved 5 workers from destroyed Zulu units (Impi suck). Cut a peace treaty after 5 turns (at the same time Zulu swordsmen reached my underdefended cities)

I figure they'll hang around until most AI teams have Gunpowder. Even then I might keep a few around to mop up obsolete stragglers or longbow men. Incidentally (and my main reason for going to war) I had a perfectly timed Golden age. Jumped to the tech lead and now most of the decent AI are paying me for my techs. I' running at 80% research, 20% luxury and are still making money. Currently considering wiping out the Zulu and seizing the last 2 luxuries I don't have/import. Maya kick ass.

I'm starting to rate it as a great UU.

 

[ssvensson]

My game is completely different - My millitary is strong! I was sandwiched between Incas, Aztecs and Americans. Aztecs asked for a dance and declared war at the end of ancient times - they are now reduced to one city with the help of my ancient cavalry (the coolest of all cool units early on) this has given me 30+ cities and a lot of enslaved workers

The incas are nicely boxed-in with only 10 cities or so.. and the americans who have spread out all over during my war with the aztecs are next to get beat up. This has cost me tech-wise but I keep up due to good trading with the other civs.

I've got all 4 types of luxuries on my continent - but nobody on the other continent can trade with me??? no harbors I guess.