Starting strategies?

[tuxedo59]

im new to civilization, but im getting really addicted to III. i can always win on chieftain, but i've tried playing warlord and the computer always seems to expand too fast AND have so much more military than me, not to mention tech... always boxes me in, then they all declare war on me and beat me up.

so i must be doing something wrong when i start my civ off... are you supposed to just rush settlers out of your starting cities to try to get as many cities founded in the early going as possible and worry about improvements later? please let me know what works for you at the beginning of the game.

thanks.

 

[cph]

That is my strategy. Get about 5-6 cities, then devote the "best" city to wonder production. But keep expanding until you are near the max. Furthuremore, switch to Republic asap. Reduces corruption, increases production. At least, that is what I try to do.

 

[Malys Faisent]

Depends on the situation actually...

If you have the room for expansion do so, but if you are going to end up having a bunch of underdefended cities the AI will (rightly) decide that you are ripe for the picking. Always send out a military unit with your settler to defend the city when it is first made.

Try diplomacy...I find that trading a single luxury good is enough to get on the AI's good side...heck if you cannot trade it give it to them. The best way to make sure that you don't get attacked by multiple AIs is to make friends with them...trading luxuries, right of passage, mutual protection, trades of a higher tech for a lesser one. Offer something to the AI to see what he is 'willing' to pay (though you can almost always adjust that amount upwards in your favor) then cut him a better deal...ally with an AI against the rival he is making war on (I'd always pick the weaker one in your shoes...) Diplomacy is much bigger in this game than in previous incarnations...

I even like to give gifts to the AI when they are fighting a war that I am not involved in...offer the Persians gunpowder when they are fighting the French or something, makes the Persians happy, helps take the French down a peg or two. Give the Zulus enough gold to enlist someone else's direct aid when they are fighting the English...stuff like that. Afterall, you are most likely going to end up in a war sometime, its best that you've got some friends to help you. I believe I read somewhere that Civs 'remember' things for 100 turns or so, depending on the action.


edit>>>

Furthuremore, switch to Republic asap. Reduces corruption, increases production. At least, that is what I try to do.

I almost never switch to Republic until I've got a great infrastructure. If I am on good food producing areas I rush build like mad in Despotism until every city has a barracks, a temple, a granary, and preferrably a library and a marketplace. Then I go for the luxuries and switch to Republic (you need the luxuries because your military units won't keep the peace anymore and your people will be slightly annoyed with you for the rushbuilding (they stay annoyed for 20 turns/job I think). If I cannot get access to a couple of luxuries I switch to Monarchy instead so that I can keep the peace with soldiers and get the terrain benefits.

For me, switching government types too early actually puts you behind the tech race, especially if you aren't scientific (with the cheap to build libraries!) Its better to spend one population point out of a city of 6 than it is to lower your science rate so that you can afford to rush a library under a different government type. If your city isn't on a river it cannot grow past 6 anyway, might as well turn some people into an aquaduct so that it can continue growing rather than have to wait until you've got several hundred gold to buy one.

However if you have a really good starting location with lots of rivers/roads/luxuries and you are scientific switching to Republic is a good way to go...you can generate the cash you need by trading luxuries for gold/turn and sell off advancements to your 'friends' as you get them for max profit...I just generally am not that trusting and am involved in a war by this point

 

[Gray]

expansion is key. i rush build a granary in my second city if I have pottery, or in at least one city as soon as I get it. This allows the city to grow and you can build workers and settlers quickly. I try to build a barracks in one or two cities early on (usually in third city if second build granary) to produce units.

Remember to rush build units and improvements. under despotism your people are more useful for rushing that for producing and you should not let any city get above size 4 until you have 6-10 cities (or more) depending on your personal preferences. I usually set my captial up as a wonder builder if the terrain is right. I start it out producing units and settlers, then rush a temple and then start with wonders.

Remember, have at least two cities with barracks producing your units, and have those units man other cities---this way your units are vets and you can start your city off with a pre-produced spearman and begin by building temples, workers, settlers etc...

 

[Alphidius]

1) Expansion is a must to keep up with the other civs, even the peaceful fellas like the Indians can expand very largely.

2) When you get the chance, build wonders that do not go obsolete. Eg. Pyramids, Sun Tzu's Art Of War.

3) Discover tech that reveals resources. Really important if you want updated units. Get Iron Working early as possible, find a source of iron and secure it. It will be your main source of power from the Ancient Times right up to the Industrial Age.

4) Always trade, especially technologies and resources. Don't just take their first offer wholesale, make a better deal if you can.

5) Adopt different strategies based on the different civs:

Eg.
Militaristic means sending your boys out there and whack whatever barbarian units you can find, chances of a promotion are high

Industrious means you could build infrastructures real quick and could possibly mean a better government earlier.

Discover new ways of going around a problem that's what this game is about. There is no one strategy that guarantees victory, it's up to you to find out which one suits your civ best

 

[RAL2000]

What worked for me in earlier Civs and seems to hold true in this one as well, is to build a barracks first. Then whack the civ with the nearest city, trying to eliminate or at least cripple them. You can then switch to more peaceful strategies with a stronger defensive force (converted from your attackers) and less immediate geographic pressure from the AI.

Doing this successfully requires more than a barracks, however. Especially in the very early game you have to use every possible advantage in tactics cause a drawn out early war will cripple you.