Strats for Catching Up From Island Starts

[cgannon64]

Here is where I have much trouble in Civ3. When I get island starts, which are usually rare (but I got in my last TWO games!!!!) for me, I have trouble catching up in the tech race. Even with the latest patches, the civs seem to rob you blind for backwards techs (in my latest game, I had to give WM, half my gpt, all my gold for a 6th tech!!!). It seems the AI acts like a human now---keeping you down when you're behind in techs, milking your economy for all its worth. The most I can usually do is get the AI's last tech when they get a new one---which doesn't get me anywhere.

I was hoping that people could help me (and others) on catching up from island starts (especially cramped iceballs that give you 5 cities with your capital at size 6!!!! )

Thanks in advance. My last two games have been iceballs and desert islands---despite my map tweaking trying to lower the tiny island factor.

Oh, I hate Pangea, so please don't suggest that!

 

[KDan]

Patience and perseverence.

They're milking you, sure... slowly, if you gear your civ towards pure money, you could catch up enough to make it worth it to do your own research... then you can beeline for a tech they don't have and trade it for most of what you don't have.

Daniel

 

[Hawkster]

Beeline for map making tech as early as possible! Get off the island and settle other areas, great library can help early on.

The AI will always try to keep you down if it gets well ahead - I find researching techs that the AI doesn't bother with give a trade advantage (literacy is one that often gets a high trade value).


Sometimes it is impossible to catch up from a very bad start position - reloading is probably the best option then.

 

[Hurricane]

You have to get mapmaking as fast as possible. Put everything on research towards that goal, and start prebuilding the Great Lighthouse. Also make sure you finish some Galleys the same turn you get Mao making. Start exploring, and make suicide runs over the ocean if that's the only way to find new land.

Your goal is to be the first one to make contact with new civs. By finding a new civ first, you can start a very profitable contact and map trade with everybody. You can also usually act as the middlehand in trading techs between the civs. This way I have been able to get from last in tech to equal with the best in tech and still make a profit.

 

[scooblerboy]

i always researche map making and any technology that gives u a better hand at exploring, and it will work if u do it fast enough

 

[bbaws]

I agree with the literacy tip. Build as many libraries as you can after trading literacy around then aim for a tech two levels up. Even if the AI gets the intermediate tech and you have ten turns to go for it, don't trade for it, just up your tech rate rather than giving the swine money. He will trade the intermediate tech around which makes it easier for you to discover. You will usually beat the AI to the higher level tech as they seem to explore all the techs at the same level first b4 jumping up. If you are careful that one tech should get you all the techs below it (provided there are a few other civs to trade with)
If the leading civ gets into a war with anyone else who isn't a direct threat to you get a military alliance with the strong civ against the weak one. Try and get everyone else to declare against the wee enemy as well. This slows everyone's tech way down. Except yours because you don't fight the war. Keep the alliance going for at least 20 turns. Divide and conquer. The more long and undecisive wars the AIs fight the better it is for you.

 

[Perfection]

I'm going with hurricane on this one, I kinda like having my own island. I play as british on archipelago to do it. I get map making very quicky build the lighthouse and CACHING MONEY AND TECH GALORE, Plus you can grab all the little islands.

 

[scooblerboy]

i also love taking over all the litle islands, its fun!

 

[Cort Haus]

Lighthouse Lighthouse Lighthouse!

full details beyond the link ...

Lighthouse Rex Island Strategy

 

[Zachriel]

This is a walk-through of a game played as Egypt on an archipelago map:

http://www.zachriel.com/gotm9/

 

[Perfection]

Yeah The lighthouse rules

 

[cgannon64]

Yes, I always get the Lighthouse and beeline for mapmaking, the problem I get is that after I do this, I'm missing all the early techs, while the AI as all the early ancient and middle ancient techs....thanks for all the tips---I'm just not patient enough!

 

[Hades]

Stop researching and start buying. Pound your neighbours with your acient navy of gallery and your relentless production of swordsmen. With the lighthouse, they are actually transporting faster than on land.

 

[cgannon64]

Like I said, once I find other civs, I stop researching immediately, sometimes even a little before. My main problem is just the ridiculus (sp?) prices they give---even my 5 gems didn't make much of a difference in their offers. In trading, is it better to have a bunch of one resource (as in 5 gems) or a few mixed (as in, say, 2 gems, 3 spice?)

 

[Bismarck]

Originally posted by Zachriel
This is a walk-through of a game played as Egypt on an archipelago map:

http://www.zachriel.com/gotm9/

Great walk-through, Zachriel. This reads like poetry.

 

[hr_oskar]

For trade with one AI civ, it doesn't matter how many surplus resources you have for trade, as they only need one. If you trade one of your five gems, you'll have four left to trade with other civs.

Try to trade all your surplus luxuries as much as possible, to keep the AI happy and your treasury full. Make sure the powerful civs pay dearly for your luxuries, otherwise withhold them. Puny civs might as well have your luxuries for free, if there's no other use for them. Just make sure you're using those surplus luxuries for something, if possible.

Strategic resources should of course not be traded as readily. Don't trade useful ones to the strongest civs, especially your neighbours. Ideally supply your weak allies to strengthen them in war. Also consider the usefulness of resources given circumstances - e.g. Horses in a mountainous archipelago map, "obsolete" resources (e.g. Iron in the late game), Saltpeter before Military Tradition.

 

[cgannon64]

Zachriel---I've got to read your GOTM 9 game, I've some others of yours, I really like them.

I think the main problem I have is that I don't really pay attention to whether a civ is powerful or not.

Do you think I should trade for contact, or just find them myself (I usually have a sizeable fleet when I start on achipelago).

 

[cgannon64]

Great read, Zachriel, I see the strategy you used (and I often use) is going for the Great Library and switching to cash---I like this too. It was smart keeping contact with the Japanse to your self---you got to limit their trading ability.

 

[Bismarck]

Well, this is turning into a Zachriel thread, but I've got to say that I've read all of Zachriel's GOTM walk-throughs and enjoyed them immensely, especially the Jeanne D'Arc one.

Blow-by-blow accounts of Civ games can be boring, but this one is well-written, judiciously edited and imaginative enough to pull it off.

 

[scooblerboy]

ok, this should be enough for me to take anyone on