Hello guys, I recently got Civ 3 complete and love it. But I find that I'm learning things very slowly (on the tech tree that is). For example, I was in 1990 AD and just learned steam power. Do you have tips on how to go through it fast?
Tech-tree progression
- Thread starter qwtzrl
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Fiddlin Nero
Prince
I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for slowing down the AI Tech Advancement. I've seen some mentions of bottlenecks (getting a Tech and not trading it???) that can hold up the AI. Can anyone expand on this or other ways to slow down the AI Tech Advance?
TheOverseer714
Overseer
Get a big, nasty world war going, then withdraw from the conflicts when your reputation allows it. Keep stirring the pot without committing any real troops. Avoid wars with dangerous neighbors, make sure they are allied on your side. To slow the tech pace, war is good. To speed it up, war is bad.
Northen Wolf
Young Hunter
Trade with them asking gold-per-turn, if you manage to ask enough gold per turn, they can't maintain either libraries or their science slider or happiness.
Declare war on them - you do not have to attack, drag as many other civs with. AI "mobilizes" itself into "war mode" and once it starts losing troops, it produces more and lowers science
Declare war on them - you do not have to attack, drag as many other civs with. AI "mobilizes" itself into "war mode" and once it starts losing troops, it produces more and lowers science
Also, if you find yourself at war with the civ you're looking to slow down (obviously incompatible with trading for gpt), and you have an army suitable for pillaging detail, go pillage their luxuries. The AI doesn't use the lux slider effectively and this may force it to hire clowns. Cutting their trade routes to other AI nations should have the same effect, if you can cut enough to prevent them from importing luxes.
I thought I read that the AI CANNOT use the lux slider. Am I wrong about this?
I've read that and also read that the AI does use the lux slider, just not very well. I seem to recall screenshots of the AI using the slider, but I'm still a bit fuzzy on this issue, I must admit.
Perhaps someone who knows better than I can shed some light on this?
Perhaps someone who knows better than I can shed some light on this?
Boss Tweed
Warlord
I'm not sure if the AI cannot use the lux slider, but I know they use clowns quite a bit, or at least it would seem it, like when I conquer a territory after being at war for a while, and when I enter it there are already clowns, before I starve the city down.
But when I try to slow down the AIs tech rate, I usually set a huge war going on, trying to get as many civs involved (the more advanced ones first) as possible, as I guard myself and set out to advance as fast as possible.
Sometimes when you only have a few civs, keeping the civs far enough apart from each other on the tech tree prevents trading.... or weakening enough that they cannot trade for the techs
But when I try to slow down the AIs tech rate, I usually set a huge war going on, trying to get as many civs involved (the more advanced ones first) as possible, as I guard myself and set out to advance as fast as possible.
Sometimes when you only have a few civs, keeping the civs far enough apart from each other on the tech tree prevents trading.... or weakening enough that they cannot trade for the techs
NickyH
Bismarck with lipstick…
I've seen them use the lux slider at 10% once when I opened an embassy. I think I posted a screenie, which possibly hides many pages back in the "interesting screenshots" discussion.
I remember someone confirmed that it actually does happen on rare occasions.
I remember someone confirmed that it actually does happen on rare occasions.
Crowqueen
Token forum woman
Sometimes if I'm in the middle of a huge war and don't notice it, I will find that one city where all the population are clowns and stuck at 1 pop going nowhere.
Perhaps that's where they breed them though?!
Perhaps that's where they breed them though?!
capnvonbaron
Democratia gladii
they're clowns because the city governer automatically makes them that to keep the city from rioting. When you take the city its citizens are, generally, fairly cheesed at the new ownership. You can just as easily change them to beakerheads manually and at least get something out of them.
Bowsling
Deity
the worst though was the aztecs surrendering a city with 1 pop totally isolated from my empire that had one clown in it. that was it. since i wouldn't spare any cash for the lux slider while every other city is partying, i just had to wait the 20 turns for the city to grow.
capnvonbaron
Democratia gladii
Those are the kinds of cities we abandon for just that reason, unless it had a source of coal or rubber or oil or something badly needed. And you could have turned the clown into a taxman (or happy'd him up with a garrison) and gotten something out of him at least.
PaperBeetle
Emperor
^ But note that if that citizen was a clown because the town had been whipped or drafted, disbanding the town transfers any 'negative smiles' to your nearest town. So in fact, if the town in question is actually hiding several negatives smiles underneath that one specialist, it will be better to leave it as it is.
I don't know if the same mechanic applies to negative smiles which are nationality specific (i.e. "stop the aggression against our mother country"). I would hope not.
I don't know if the same mechanic applies to negative smiles which are nationality specific (i.e. "stop the aggression against our mother country"). I would hope not.
It can help to build markets and banks as well. That gives you more gold from a lower tax slider, and lets you set your science slider higher.
Bowsling
Deity
It had great potential, as it was near fps and hills. it was early ancient, and the war was to stop their expansion. as it was, once that citizen became happy, the city slowly grew to pop 12 (maybe more, as it is my current game and it is still pre-sanitation), and once I had fully conquered the Aztecs, it became a core city away from the core.
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