Starting positions

[CivFan2k1]

You start a new game and get spawned in the middle of a desert, the next time you make a new game, you get spawned around rivers and beautiful grassland. Now... maybe I'm wrong and it's calculated the way so that every civilization gets some grassland, some desert, some snow and hills and mountains EQUALLY? If not, do you start a new game dozens of times till you finally get a good place to start from? but then your enemies may get poor territories and it would be unfair and relatively easy to kill them since their development would be slower than yours...

Somebody could explain this issue please?

P.S. - Do you hate desert, plains, snow and mountains? cause I do. They don't give food, production or commerce, and they're USELESS... terraforming is not allowed in Civ3 and I don't get it why they ommitted it. (in Civ2 terraforming was possible)
I also hate global warming, who doesn't?! It's depressing how your cities start to starve and lose food, production and commerce. and when you get to the industrial era, you get like 10 pollution fields each turn and it's so annoying to remove them non-automatically. If you set the worker to work automatically, he'd change all the fields the way he likes, won't he? A lil off-topic, sorry.

 

[gonzo_for_civ]

It's actually very good that all starts are not equal! Sometimes it makes the game a little more challenging, sometimes a little easier. Either way it helps you learn how to adjust and even though it can be a slight disadvantage sometimes a good civ player will always come through

 

[cracker]

CivFan2k1,

Forget anything you think you know from Civ2, this is a different game.

I think you need to read the "Improving your Opening play sequences" articles to get your game on track with understanding how to make it more fun. You are probably being abused by the in game features on warlord and cheiftain and that can color your experience. You can find the link to this article in the Civ3 Academy as well as the strategy articles forum.

Pollution and gloabl warming are your fault for not understanding how to play the game. If you look at the city display screens to see the pollution icons you are generating in each city you will see that these are cause by having too many people too early in the game without building the improvements that control pollution.

It is not necessary to build hospitals in any cities in order top win the game easily by conquest, domination, or culture (perhaps even SS under many conditions).

Some start positions are tougher than others. Jungle without a river may well be the ugliest if you are not expansionist. If you do not understand the basics of using your workers wisely in Civ3 then you will be victimized on a regular basis. Read the articels on Improving your opening play and forget Civ2 and then enjoy the gusto of your new found power.

 

[Vedder]

Originally posted by CivFan2k1
You start a new game and get spawned in the middle of a desert, the next time you make a new game, you get spawned around rivers and beautiful grassland. <snip> If not, do you start a new game dozens of times till you finally get a good place to start from? </b>

But isn't this realistic? Also, if you were given a standard and equal starting point, early game moves would become more of a formula and less of an art.

<b>P.S. - Do you hate desert, plains, snow and mountains? cause I do.

You shouldn't hate plains. Irrigate it and it's the same as a mined grassland yet irrigation takes fewer turns. If anything, I prefer a mix of plains and grassland for the early game shield boost.

 

[cracker]

Vedder,

Your comments and thoughts are right on track. plains next to a river in the early game can be a great kickstart.

See if you can read the "Improving Your Opening Play Sequences" and the "Forestry Operations" articles to get even more power out of your early moves.

 

[cymru_man]

Originally posted by CivFan2k1
If you set the worker to work automatically, he'd change all the fields the way he likes, won't he? A lil off-topic, sorry.

Press Shift-A instead of A and he wont change any existing improvements. Also (on 1.29) pollution is his main priority

P.S. - Do you hate desert, plains, snow and mountains? cause I do. They don't give food, production or commerce, and they're USELESS...

A healthy mix of plains is good as once irrigated, they give 2 food and 1 shield, although I'll admit its annoying early on when you encounter an expanse of plains. Desert ins't to bad, provided your city isn't surrounded, once mined you get 2 shields. Tundra is difficult but I mine and and build cities by the sea for food, and the odd mountain is useful for production, resources and maybe even a fortification for defense.

No, the only terrain that I hate is jungle. It spreads disease, generally spreads a large area, gives no prod or commerce, 1 food, and takes 24 turns for your non industrious worker to remove it. I prefer settling anywhere to starting on the borders of a huge jungle . Its not so much the lack of prod, food and com, or even the 24 turns clearance, its the fact that it sprawls on and on for miles and miles and oh...damn I hate the stuff.

 

[Chieftess]

I've noticed that the game tends to cycle between good and bad starts... I've had streaks of starting near rivers and lakes, then near jungle and desert...

 

[wargasm23]

i've had games where i start near NOTHING. Even had games where i explored the map with 17 units and could not find the enemy quick enough because both enemies where hiding in the very bottom corner of the map. -------It sucks

I agree with the host of this topic, there is a problem with the computer's ability to produce equally balanced start positions. The cpu often starts near iron, and other essential resources.

The maps might have 8 civs, but all 8 civs have to fight over 3 iddy biddy iron deposits which are used up eventually anyway lol

bah never mind, i am too frustrated right now

 

[sealman]

i think it is fine... starting positions should not be equal. nothing in this world ever is anyway.

My 2 cents: if you get stuck in a crappy local, play it out instead of starting over. It will improve your game play, even if youdon't win. one of my favorite games was when I was placed in the midst of a mountain range my largest city was about 9 or 10. Needless to say I lost, but fought one hell of a defensive war

 

[wargasm23]

See if you can read the "Improving Your Opening Play Sequences" and the "Forestry Operations" articles to get even more power out of your early moves.

cracker, thanks i will read it in the war academy


sealman, perhaps you right, i'll keep that in mind

 

[stalin006]

well i have started in BAD places like the midle of a jungle! tahts the scariest place foe me to start

 

[cgannon64]

Bad starts can be challanging, just need patience. Once, I started in teh middle of a desert. I quite the game right away, but then, when I retired, I discovered I was on a small island, only desert, with one river, miles away from other islands. I wish I finished that game, so I could win like Aeson in his ice start. Fun to overcome challanges.

CG

 

[CivFan2k1]

Cool. thanks guys. perhaps you're right. I'll read the article.