Strategy for Space Race Victory
- Thread starter Psyche
- Start date
Rambuchan
The Funky President
Theory of Evolution isn't a must if you are peaceful but it helps you get to Electronics quicker so you can build the Hoover Dam before others. Building the Hoover Dam is I feel a prerequisite to winning the space race. The extra production from free Hydroplants is invaluable. I personally build the SS as a Democracy - more intensive, core powerhouse cities for super fast builds and the reasearch rate is second to none for getting down the modern age tech tree fast. Many argue that Communism can achieve fast research rates but i've never tried build the SS in Communist govts.
Also make sure you mine the hell out of the highly productive cities you plan to build the space ship parts in (still keeping their population high) and then enhance that production further by railroading the mining.
Needlesss to say you'll need top notch infrastructure to keep research at a good pace.
Also make sure you mine the hell out of the highly productive cities you plan to build the space ship parts in (still keeping their population high) and then enhance that production further by railroading the mining.
Needlesss to say you'll need top notch infrastructure to keep research at a good pace.
You'll want a pretty spread out layout. Depending on the terrain, I find CxxxC is best (where C = city, x = tile in between). It gives cities enough room to get around 75 spt, but also grow past size 12 to get increased unit support, bonus shield if industrious, etc. With this layout you can get a number of powerful cities, with little corruption and less waste.
Scientific civs always help, but if you aren't one, and early library in your capital can do a lot. Timing your golden age for the middle Middle Ages is also nice, especially if you are not scientific, to get your cities to size 12, and build those expensive Universities and Marketplaces so you will be producing the most commerce you can. I think ToE isn't a must, but it is very easy to obtain with a prebuild (ie; a palace in some other city, and then switch it to ToE). Have a similar prebuild (old wonder, expensive improvement) in place for Hoover's if you can, to save you tons of money on commerce.
If you have a smaller civ (ie; you haven't gone in a war / taken many cities), Democracy or Republic is good for the commerce bonus and low corruption. If you have a big civ (you wiped everyone out except for some cities / you have lots of corruption), Communism is good to get all the commerce out of those corrupt cities, but just make sure your core cities have courthouses / police stations so they don't get more corruption than they had.
The Internet is also a nice wonder, especially on a pangea. It'll fill the gap between newly conquered cities which have no culture, as well as speed up research by almost 25% at no cost to you, just prebuild in advance. Sell techs for gold per turn so you can keep your research up high.
Scientific civs always help, but if you aren't one, and early library in your capital can do a lot. Timing your golden age for the middle Middle Ages is also nice, especially if you are not scientific, to get your cities to size 12, and build those expensive Universities and Marketplaces so you will be producing the most commerce you can. I think ToE isn't a must, but it is very easy to obtain with a prebuild (ie; a palace in some other city, and then switch it to ToE). Have a similar prebuild (old wonder, expensive improvement) in place for Hoover's if you can, to save you tons of money on commerce.
If you have a smaller civ (ie; you haven't gone in a war / taken many cities), Democracy or Republic is good for the commerce bonus and low corruption. If you have a big civ (you wiped everyone out except for some cities / you have lots of corruption), Communism is good to get all the commerce out of those corrupt cities, but just make sure your core cities have courthouses / police stations so they don't get more corruption than they had.
The Internet is also a nice wonder, especially on a pangea. It'll fill the gap between newly conquered cities which have no culture, as well as speed up research by almost 25% at no cost to you, just prebuild in advance. Sell techs for gold per turn so you can keep your research up high.
eldar
ChiefTank
If you have a big Civ, and very few competitors, try this on for size:
- Don't build ToE right away. Instead, time its build to coincide with finishing research on your final Industrial Age tech.
- Have a Palace pre-build going for the Internet - if it's a 1000-shield palace (somewhere around 32 cities needed to get it to that size), all the better. Time that pre-build to finish the same turn as ToE & final IA tech. BUT - big important thing to remember - the Palace pre-build must be in a city after the ToE city in the city order.
- When the final tech completes, you get the "new era" pop up, go through that to select the next tech to research. Choose Computers.
- When the ToE completes, you'll get the message that you've learned Computers, what next? Choose Miniaturization. You'll then learn that, and be prompted for the next tech. Choose the "What's the Big Picture?" option, and from the Tech Advisor screen, press F1 to go to the city screen.
- In the city screen, find the city building the Palace, zoom to it, and change its build to the Internet!
- Now because the Palace/Internet city was after the ToE city in the city list, you'll get the Internet on the same turn you entered the Modern Age.
If you're not too confident you can pull off the timing for the above, try staggering each stage a bit. You'll maybe get a one or two turn delay in getting the Internet, but it's still going to be a huge boost.
The key is using ToE to get two Modern Age techs, and then get perhaps the key Modern Wonder to boost research, as quickly as possible.
- Don't build ToE right away. Instead, time its build to coincide with finishing research on your final Industrial Age tech.
- Have a Palace pre-build going for the Internet - if it's a 1000-shield palace (somewhere around 32 cities needed to get it to that size), all the better. Time that pre-build to finish the same turn as ToE & final IA tech. BUT - big important thing to remember - the Palace pre-build must be in a city after the ToE city in the city order.
- When the final tech completes, you get the "new era" pop up, go through that to select the next tech to research. Choose Computers.
- When the ToE completes, you'll get the message that you've learned Computers, what next? Choose Miniaturization. You'll then learn that, and be prompted for the next tech. Choose the "What's the Big Picture?" option, and from the Tech Advisor screen, press F1 to go to the city screen.
- In the city screen, find the city building the Palace, zoom to it, and change its build to the Internet!
- Now because the Palace/Internet city was after the ToE city in the city list, you'll get the Internet on the same turn you entered the Modern Age.
If you're not too confident you can pull off the timing for the above, try staggering each stage a bit. You'll maybe get a one or two turn delay in getting the Internet, but it's still going to be a huge boost.
The key is using ToE to get two Modern Age techs, and then get perhaps the key Modern Wonder to boost research, as quickly as possible.
I posted this a while ago If it's of any help to you Psyche:
Huge pangaea (*) Deity C3C SS victory.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Deity newbies ONLY:
This is was my first attempt on a huge pangaea map with 8 other random civs on Deity C3C spanish V.1.22. SS victory was the goal. Played with the Iroquois (nice UU for warmongering and Commercial trait is huge at upper levels to reduce corruption= 25% up optimum amount of cities. And of course being Agricultural is just unpayable in C3C)
I had already won many deity games on archipiélago maps with the Dutch and it was about time I tried a huge pangaea.
Basically what I did was find a good location. On the third map attempt I came after a river and two cows, just perfect for Salamanca.
1. I built the GL without any need for a prebuild at max research. Completely out-REXed by then. 5 AI in my continent and 3 on another continent.
2. Once built, I put research slide to zero and after attaining Republic I rushed libraries. On the meanwhile I stashed all my gold. My banker loves me.
3. Once I had learned Education (bye bye GL) I trigered my Golden Age immediately that same turn with my UU MW against the Russians. I used all the extra shields to build universities and then banks. On the meantime the 30 MW's I had Liberated the oppressed Russians and had them join my thriving empire, with two luxuries added (3 dyes and one incense)
4. Put my research to a maximum, earning as little as 17 gold per turn or actually losing money. I had quite a fair deal of cash saved so I could afford to lose money every turn. I became the techleader. I prebuilt Adam Smiths. More gold, meant faster research.
5. I researched techs that I knew the AI would not go for, you know, the typical ToE--Hoover gambit.
6. I sold them to the AI that very same turn and was raking in from some of the most powerful civs 223 gpt. Obviously I increased my research slab to the max possible yet again.
7. Killed off the pesky Spaniards and took their coal and my first source of rubber. They had one elephant luxury.Their land was liberated.
8. Didn't trade Electronics until I was certain I was only 8 turns away of Hoover Dam. I had done a prebuild on it with palace in the city I had my FP.
9. Tried to liberate the Ottomans à la Moonsinger with 80 artillery. Errm, that didn't go very well. I only took 4 cities but incorporated 3 gems (the fourth was left in their land) and second source of rubber which I left unhooked which I traded with the help of new techs for other luxuries with Aztecs (spices), Vikings (silk) and Americans(wine) Japanese (furs). I had 8 luxuries finally. I guess I have to polish up my warmongering skills.
10. Entered the Modern Age and went peaceful. I kept signing RoP agreements since the very beginning with embassys except with those I planned to invade (Russians, Spanish and failed attempt on Ottomans).
11. I had no aluminium. Thre were only two alluminium on my continent and they were both very deep within Viking territory, the most powerful nation in my continent and would not trade it unless I threw some new tech at them. The Aztecs could also trade Alluminium.Traded my second oil to Japanese for 220 gpt and furs with their endless war against the Vikings (my strongest neighbours) which I of course fueled all the time. I had my first oil unhooked.
12. On the other huge continent the americans were getting beaten by the Aztecs and ....pink French ( ). Sent 5 settlers and 5 armies to settle right beside New York, because they had alluminium. Later on, I airlifted MI Aand three workers.
13. The French took over New York which had two wines AND most important of all, alluminium. I placed five settlers surrounding New York. I rushed libraries and then Universities in all five. French had a MPP with Aztecs and the Aztecs in turn had a MPP with the Vikings on my continent; so there was no way I was going to start a war with the French. Shame on me. I culturally bombarded NY and they were reduced to one tile, the city itself. I spied on them and they were building a library, 33 turns to go. They were never culturally assimilated by me, must've been the Guggenheim or the Metropolitan museums at work . That is incredible. Didn't fire a single shot and everyone is happy with me safe the Ottomans.
14. With the War Academy I was building prebuilds with Armies for SS parts.
15. Sent the SS on 1810 A.D.
Piece of cake. 41 hours and a half it took me.
Main point is that I did tech surf all the time and then cashed in on it:
1. Built GL: research to zero and stash gold for future research at a loss.
2. GL expired. Trigered my GA straight away that same turn in Republic. Built banks, universities and Adam Smith. Put research slab at a maximum, even at loss.
3. Tech bartering all the time with the other civs. Very few wars and only for luxuries and strategical resources. Researched techs derided by othr AI's civs. Raking in massive amounts of gold from AI civs. Waited 20 turns until cashflow was liberated to strike a new deal for another tech. Didn't trade If they had no gpt to offer or luxuries.
4. Fueled wars between AI civs (namely Japanese and Vikings to buy me time on my continent). Hoover Dam.
5. Ended up with 70-80 cities and SS victory on 1810 A.D. Flawless reputation and polite attitude by almost everyone except the Ottomans, of course.
Not bad for first attempt on huge pangaea map on Deity. The point was to always surge ahead techwise and sell them the techs I discovered hampering their own research. Many good articles on this on the War Academy.
*= (EDIT: I've just checked over the weekend that is wasn't in fact pangaea but rather huge continents. No wonder I was puzzled why there were two huge continents and not one huge uniform landmass, sorry about that.)
Huge pangaea (*) Deity C3C SS victory.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Deity newbies ONLY:
This is was my first attempt on a huge pangaea map with 8 other random civs on Deity C3C spanish V.1.22. SS victory was the goal. Played with the Iroquois (nice UU for warmongering and Commercial trait is huge at upper levels to reduce corruption= 25% up optimum amount of cities. And of course being Agricultural is just unpayable in C3C)
I had already won many deity games on archipiélago maps with the Dutch and it was about time I tried a huge pangaea.
Basically what I did was find a good location. On the third map attempt I came after a river and two cows, just perfect for Salamanca.
1. I built the GL without any need for a prebuild at max research. Completely out-REXed by then. 5 AI in my continent and 3 on another continent.
2. Once built, I put research slide to zero and after attaining Republic I rushed libraries. On the meanwhile I stashed all my gold. My banker loves me.
3. Once I had learned Education (bye bye GL) I trigered my Golden Age immediately that same turn with my UU MW against the Russians. I used all the extra shields to build universities and then banks. On the meantime the 30 MW's I had Liberated the oppressed Russians and had them join my thriving empire, with two luxuries added (3 dyes and one incense)
4. Put my research to a maximum, earning as little as 17 gold per turn or actually losing money. I had quite a fair deal of cash saved so I could afford to lose money every turn. I became the techleader. I prebuilt Adam Smiths. More gold, meant faster research.
5. I researched techs that I knew the AI would not go for, you know, the typical ToE--Hoover gambit.
6. I sold them to the AI that very same turn and was raking in from some of the most powerful civs 223 gpt. Obviously I increased my research slab to the max possible yet again.
7. Killed off the pesky Spaniards and took their coal and my first source of rubber. They had one elephant luxury.Their land was liberated.
8. Didn't trade Electronics until I was certain I was only 8 turns away of Hoover Dam. I had done a prebuild on it with palace in the city I had my FP.
9. Tried to liberate the Ottomans à la Moonsinger with 80 artillery. Errm, that didn't go very well. I only took 4 cities but incorporated 3 gems (the fourth was left in their land) and second source of rubber which I left unhooked which I traded with the help of new techs for other luxuries with Aztecs (spices), Vikings (silk) and Americans(wine) Japanese (furs). I had 8 luxuries finally. I guess I have to polish up my warmongering skills.
10. Entered the Modern Age and went peaceful. I kept signing RoP agreements since the very beginning with embassys except with those I planned to invade (Russians, Spanish and failed attempt on Ottomans).
11. I had no aluminium. Thre were only two alluminium on my continent and they were both very deep within Viking territory, the most powerful nation in my continent and would not trade it unless I threw some new tech at them. The Aztecs could also trade Alluminium.Traded my second oil to Japanese for 220 gpt and furs with their endless war against the Vikings (my strongest neighbours) which I of course fueled all the time. I had my first oil unhooked.
12. On the other huge continent the americans were getting beaten by the Aztecs and ....pink French ( ). Sent 5 settlers and 5 armies to settle right beside New York, because they had alluminium. Later on, I airlifted MI Aand three workers.
13. The French took over New York which had two wines AND most important of all, alluminium. I placed five settlers surrounding New York. I rushed libraries and then Universities in all five. French had a MPP with Aztecs and the Aztecs in turn had a MPP with the Vikings on my continent; so there was no way I was going to start a war with the French. Shame on me. I culturally bombarded NY and they were reduced to one tile, the city itself. I spied on them and they were building a library, 33 turns to go. They were never culturally assimilated by me, must've been the Guggenheim or the Metropolitan museums at work . That is incredible. Didn't fire a single shot and everyone is happy with me safe the Ottomans.
14. With the War Academy I was building prebuilds with Armies for SS parts.
15. Sent the SS on 1810 A.D.
Piece of cake. 41 hours and a half it took me.
Main point is that I did tech surf all the time and then cashed in on it:
1. Built GL: research to zero and stash gold for future research at a loss.
2. GL expired. Trigered my GA straight away that same turn in Republic. Built banks, universities and Adam Smith. Put research slab at a maximum, even at loss.
3. Tech bartering all the time with the other civs. Very few wars and only for luxuries and strategical resources. Researched techs derided by othr AI's civs. Raking in massive amounts of gold from AI civs. Waited 20 turns until cashflow was liberated to strike a new deal for another tech. Didn't trade If they had no gpt to offer or luxuries.
4. Fueled wars between AI civs (namely Japanese and Vikings to buy me time on my continent). Hoover Dam.
5. Ended up with 70-80 cities and SS victory on 1810 A.D. Flawless reputation and polite attitude by almost everyone except the Ottomans, of course.
Not bad for first attempt on huge pangaea map on Deity. The point was to always surge ahead techwise and sell them the techs I discovered hampering their own research. Many good articles on this on the War Academy.
*= (EDIT: I've just checked over the weekend that is wasn't in fact pangaea but rather huge continents. No wonder I was puzzled why there were two huge continents and not one huge uniform landmass, sorry about that.)
