Some Guidance Needed

[BlackMax]

Hi,

I've just started playing Civilization III and am new to the game. I've read through many articles in the War Academy, but I keep running into the same issue when playing. Perhaps someone can give me a couple pointers to help me out.

I always seem to start out very well with my civilization ranked at the top or very near the top of all the other civilizations. Then once I start entering the middle ages I usually find myself constrained either for geographical reasons (on an island) or because I am boxed in by other civilizations. Then my progress begins to slow and inevitably another civ will demand all my available gold plus gpt as tribute, which I usually refuse. They declare war. Then within 10-20 turns the other civs, one by one, will join the first civilization in a military alliance, trade embargo or both against me. Next thing I know I'm fighting everyone with the result of my civ going downhill fast.

What can I do to avoid this situation?

Thanks for any tips you have.

 

[Jokeslayer]

What difficulty are you playing on? It sounds like what happens on higher difficulties (emperor, deity, maybe monarch). You might want to win a few games on lower difficulties before moving up.

Do you have a save game from just before or just after you're getting crushed? That's probably the most helpful thing.

Building your military might be a good move. Something I didn't know until a few weeks ago but that's been very useful is that the AI will have more respect for you if you have offensive rather than defensive units. You'll still want some defense, for when they attack, but build offensive units too.

See if you can trade for gpt deals before the war gets underway. It might be enough to keep some civs out of the war, or get them on your side.

 

[Jazzmail]

Bribe other civs to ally with you against the agressors, before your enemies can do this to you.
Establish an embassy in a neutral civ. Then offer gold or techs for an alliance treaty.

 

[Ringo Kid]

Expand early. Expand in the middle, and expand late.

When you get a new Military unit- build about twenty of them and go whack somebody. Asap. Destroy a few of their cities, sign peace.

Then expand some more into the newly available territory. The more real estate you control, the stronger you are.

 

[MAS]

A problem in a later age/turn is caused by mismanagement in earlier ages/turns.

If you follow the advice in the war academy and the advice posted in many. many threads here in this forum, then you should know this probably:

Expand, expand, expand.
Build lost of settlers and lots of workers (1.5-2 workers per city)
Focus on growth in the early turns, don't spend time improving the city or building wonders, just settlers and workers.
specialize cities for unit production, give them barracks, and specialize cities for settler production, give them granary. But do not build a barracks and a granary in every city.
Build fast moving offensive units (horseman/knights/cavalry) do not build defensive units (spearman/pikeman/musketman)
Do not build temples/cathedrals/early wonders. Use the lux slider in the F1 screen to keep your core cities from disorder, use specialist (scientist and taxman) in the corrupted cities far away from your capital.

Expand peacefully until your borders meet the borders of a rival civ, then collect your military build up and start conquering that rival. (start building this military a little bit before borders meet, so that it is ready when it needs to be, a wise sage once said: "if you want peace, be prepared for war!")

If a hostile civ sends units to attack one of your cities, attack and kill those invaders with your fast moving offensive units on your turn, before they have a chance to attack on their turn. This way, you will not need the defensive units.

 

[ALA Gator]

#1 The AI doesn't like to hear "NO" from you. If they ask for lots of gold click the counter offer button and give them a small amount of gold (5-10lump sum). Then start building your offensive military capability as much as possible. They might leave you alone for a little while but they will come back. Mutual protection past is good in this situation too.

#2 The best defense is a good offense.

 

[BlackMax]

Thank you for all your responses. You've given me a lot of good idea that I am about to put to good use.

 

[gmaharriet]

If you're playing at a high level, it's usually best to give in to all demands until your military is strong enough to take them on. At lower levels, you can often get away with saying "no", and they aren't as hard to fight off if they do declare.

 

[ecuwins]

I will give into AI demands early on if the AI is close by. What is the deal when an AI that is far away starts barking demands? I say No and hope they declare on me.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

I saw this:

Then once I start entering the middle ages I usually find myself constrained either for geographical reasons (on an island) or because I am boxed in by other civilizations.

If you are on an island, you need to get off the island But you are also lucky - the AI sucks at invasions, even at deity and Sid. UNLESS, of course, you are facing vikings or marines - then things get a little dicey.

if you are boxed in, then it's easy - pick one that is behind you in tech and build your best offensive unit and go beat it up!!

If you don't have horses or access to fast units, you might want to build some defenders to keep counterattacks from taking out your attackers. if you are facing better defenders (archers on hoplites/pikes, or swords on pikes/muskets), build some cats/trebs/cannon.

I

 

[MAS]

#1 The AI doesn't like to hear "NO" from you. If they ask for lots of gold click the counter offer button and give them a small amount of gold (5-10lump sum). Then start building your offensive military capability as much as possible. They might leave you alone for a little while but they will come back.

There is a difference between the AI wanting to make a deal and the AI making a demand.

If they make a demand, meaning they want something but offer absolutely nothing in return, then you have only 2 choices. You cave in, or you don't cave in.
Counter offer is not an option, demands can not be negotiated.

Mutual protection past is good in this situation too.

If you mean Mutual protection pact, then: absolutely not!
You do not want to be drafted into pointless wars on AI terms.

 

[Delphi456]

If you mean Mutual protection pact, then: absolutely not!
You do not want to be drafted into pointless wars on AI terms.

Anyone who's ever been stung by an "MPP gone bad" would agree with MAS; but I've also wondered if MPP's affect whether an AI will declare on you. Ex: if I have an MPP with A, who is providing a lux to B, then B would be foolish to declare on me. Also, if A get's dragged into a war, there's no law that says I have to send troops.

I have a feeling that if MPP's are tailored correctly, their benefits could outweigh their limitations.

 

[bradbowen]

use specialist (scientist and taxman) in the corrupted cities far away from your capital..

This was the advice that moved me from Emperor to Semi Deity. Also, using the fee download, Civ II assistant, helps in doing things to tedious to do otherwise.

Thanks MAS

 

[iambenben]

always try to get easy access to the resources, importantly horses and iron

usually i wont carry on a game if i have to trade to get horses and iron, since those two are the most important in the ancient/middle age eras and you cant really start wars without either of the two unless you rush build loads of units and then go to war but you haveto make sure that you dont lose too many of the units.

 

[Rising Star]

You can go to war without horses or iron. Just build a "poor man's army." Works beautifully.

 

[gmaharriet]

You can go to war without horses or iron. Just build a "poor man's army." Works beautifully.

For detailed information on building and using a "poor man's army" and more great info on learning to warmonger well, check out this link to "Warmongering 101" by scoutsout in the Military Academy. http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3/strategy/warmongering101.php

 

[BlackMax]

For detailed information on building and using a "poor man's army" and more great info on learning to warmonger well, check out this link to "Warmongering 101" by scoutsout in the Military Academy. http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3/strategy/warmongering101.php

Thanks for this link. There is a wealth of great information here!

 

[ALA Gator]

There is a difference between the AI wanting to make a deal and the AI making a demand.

If they make a demand, meaning they want something but offer absolutely nothing in return, then you have only 2 choices. You cave in, or you don't cave in.
Counter offer is not an option, demands can not be negotiated.



If you mean Mutual protection pact, then: absolutely not!
You do not want to be drafted into pointless wars on AI terms.

The button says something like here is my counter proposal, which is not "NO" rather "no, but ___"

Thanks for checking my spelling for me. MPP are good in certain situations but they can get you into trouble. If used properly you can drag the AI into war on your terms...