I have played this game on and off for the past twelve years, and my tactics have constantly evolved. I have not read through the backlog of dead threads on this forum, and hence some my ideas will have been previously mentioned, however I hope that I can give some insights by sharing a rough outline of the tactics that I have used to achieve results that are both astounding and repeatable. (Playing on Emperor level, I have achieved high scores of over 400%, built my first artillery before 1AD, built the SETI program by 1000BC and discovered 254 future techs by 1900) Bear in mind that these results are due to both my carefully developed tactics and a wealth of experience in making small scale decisions, and so many people may not be able to properly utilise my techniques. I have also not tried playing in this manner on a level lower than Emperor. I play as follows:
Start the game (customise large land mass). Move the settlers one square (inland if near a coast). Save the game. Explore the continent using the settlers. If the continent is too small to accommodate at least ten to fifteen cities, discard and start another game. If not, view the map that you have created, noting enemy locations and good sites on which to found cities. Then load your saved game from after one turn (3980BC).
If there is a hut in the vicinity, enter it, and receive anything other than barbarians at this stage barbarians would mean certain death (ie. load up if you get barbarians). Found your first city on the nearest possible site with good resources and trade (food is less important for this city, although there should be at least one square of grassland). Turn the tax/science setting to 0% one turn after you found the city (a $1/2 buffer zone if you forget to change the tax rate after you build your first building.) Discover the first few techs in the following order (deviating if necessary, obviously). 1. Horseback Riding 2.Alphabet 3.Writing 4.Code of Laws 5.Literacy 6.The Republic.
Having built a militia, build settlers. Then build a cavalry unit. Then build more settlers. Use these settlers to found a city on a previously noted good location. Use the cavalry to invade any other civilisation on your continent, before they have a chance to develop the phalanx. Preferably attack with another mercenary unit if you are lucky as well, if not wait for reinforcements. For every city you found in the early period before you own your entire continent, build in this exact order (militia, settlers, cavalry, and settlers). Swap technology if possible, then attack as quickly as possible defeat the enemy early or this tactic is useless (build more military if needed). The first settlers are always used to build a new city, the second to improve the land and help set up the road network.
As a city finishes building the four units, if there is more room on the continent and food production levels allow, build more settlers. Only build cities where they are adequately defended. After you have discovered Republic, head directly for Railroad. If you have not yet cleared out you continent, then try to salvage it by starting with The Wheel and employing an all out chariot attack. Discover Ceremonial Burial, Mysticism and Bronze Working early. Ensure that your techs are all on the path to railroad.
Once you have cleared the continent, ensure that all military is homed in a city that can support it, and then change government to republic. Build temples in your cities as required, and change tax as required, keeping it as low a possible. Do not build too many buildings (libraries are a good idea though). Build a phalanx in each city. Fill the continent with cites and settlers and roads. Grow strong, but do not grow your cities at the expense of founding new cities (they will grow later). Build a courthouse where you feel it will be a lot of benefit. Build a wonder if you want etc. If others land on your continent, do not allow them to build a city or disrupt your cities heavily, but try not to start a war thus wasting valuable resources.
Once you have discovered railroad, build Darwins voyage and put railroad over your existing roads. By now you should have virtually completed improving the terrain around your cities, as well as having filled the continent with roads, so once you have built the railroad you will have free movement within your continent. Discover religion as fast as possible, and build Bachs Cathedral. Then head directly for Computers and The SETI Project. If you are very efficient you can reach this point by 1000BC. By this time you should be discovering techs at the rate of one every one/two turns. Then head for Automobile (directly via Industrialisation) and build Womens Suffrage. Republic + Womens Suffrage = licence to kill.
Then discover Conscription whilst you build three Transports and sixteen Armours. Load the Armours and eight settlers from your continent onto the ships, and head off to the nearest island of enemies. Do not talk as you will be forced to offer peace; just sweep the continent as fast as possible they will not usually have developed even Gunpowder yet. Develop the continent by building new cities, irrigating etc. Build Riflemen quickly, and then move the Armours back onto the ships. Invade the next enemy continent, and once it is taken, go and collect some settlers from the first invaded continent (that should have built some of its own by now) and the home continent (that should have been completely railroaded etc. by now). Add new Armours or Artillery if needed, and finish off the rest of the world. Then do what you want (either conquer the world or leave them with one surrounded city). For maximum points: Build up your population to its maximum, including colonizing all empty islands and utilising all space available. Make peace with the final enemy city to get peace points. Remove all pollution. Discover 254 future techs, and then convert all science to luxuries and grow via We Love the President Days. Build and sell SDI defences, to minimize tax and maximize luxuries. Launch a full space ship to arrive just before the end of the game. Or just do what you want.
Not such a hard game after all! And my newest game may well beat my previous best achievements I am aiming for 500%.
Start the game (customise large land mass). Move the settlers one square (inland if near a coast). Save the game. Explore the continent using the settlers. If the continent is too small to accommodate at least ten to fifteen cities, discard and start another game. If not, view the map that you have created, noting enemy locations and good sites on which to found cities. Then load your saved game from after one turn (3980BC).
If there is a hut in the vicinity, enter it, and receive anything other than barbarians at this stage barbarians would mean certain death (ie. load up if you get barbarians). Found your first city on the nearest possible site with good resources and trade (food is less important for this city, although there should be at least one square of grassland). Turn the tax/science setting to 0% one turn after you found the city (a $1/2 buffer zone if you forget to change the tax rate after you build your first building.) Discover the first few techs in the following order (deviating if necessary, obviously). 1. Horseback Riding 2.Alphabet 3.Writing 4.Code of Laws 5.Literacy 6.The Republic.
Having built a militia, build settlers. Then build a cavalry unit. Then build more settlers. Use these settlers to found a city on a previously noted good location. Use the cavalry to invade any other civilisation on your continent, before they have a chance to develop the phalanx. Preferably attack with another mercenary unit if you are lucky as well, if not wait for reinforcements. For every city you found in the early period before you own your entire continent, build in this exact order (militia, settlers, cavalry, and settlers). Swap technology if possible, then attack as quickly as possible defeat the enemy early or this tactic is useless (build more military if needed). The first settlers are always used to build a new city, the second to improve the land and help set up the road network.
As a city finishes building the four units, if there is more room on the continent and food production levels allow, build more settlers. Only build cities where they are adequately defended. After you have discovered Republic, head directly for Railroad. If you have not yet cleared out you continent, then try to salvage it by starting with The Wheel and employing an all out chariot attack. Discover Ceremonial Burial, Mysticism and Bronze Working early. Ensure that your techs are all on the path to railroad.
Once you have cleared the continent, ensure that all military is homed in a city that can support it, and then change government to republic. Build temples in your cities as required, and change tax as required, keeping it as low a possible. Do not build too many buildings (libraries are a good idea though). Build a phalanx in each city. Fill the continent with cites and settlers and roads. Grow strong, but do not grow your cities at the expense of founding new cities (they will grow later). Build a courthouse where you feel it will be a lot of benefit. Build a wonder if you want etc. If others land on your continent, do not allow them to build a city or disrupt your cities heavily, but try not to start a war thus wasting valuable resources.
Once you have discovered railroad, build Darwins voyage and put railroad over your existing roads. By now you should have virtually completed improving the terrain around your cities, as well as having filled the continent with roads, so once you have built the railroad you will have free movement within your continent. Discover religion as fast as possible, and build Bachs Cathedral. Then head directly for Computers and The SETI Project. If you are very efficient you can reach this point by 1000BC. By this time you should be discovering techs at the rate of one every one/two turns. Then head for Automobile (directly via Industrialisation) and build Womens Suffrage. Republic + Womens Suffrage = licence to kill.
Then discover Conscription whilst you build three Transports and sixteen Armours. Load the Armours and eight settlers from your continent onto the ships, and head off to the nearest island of enemies. Do not talk as you will be forced to offer peace; just sweep the continent as fast as possible they will not usually have developed even Gunpowder yet. Develop the continent by building new cities, irrigating etc. Build Riflemen quickly, and then move the Armours back onto the ships. Invade the next enemy continent, and once it is taken, go and collect some settlers from the first invaded continent (that should have built some of its own by now) and the home continent (that should have been completely railroaded etc. by now). Add new Armours or Artillery if needed, and finish off the rest of the world. Then do what you want (either conquer the world or leave them with one surrounded city). For maximum points: Build up your population to its maximum, including colonizing all empty islands and utilising all space available. Make peace with the final enemy city to get peace points. Remove all pollution. Discover 254 future techs, and then convert all science to luxuries and grow via We Love the President Days. Build and sell SDI defences, to minimize tax and maximize luxuries. Launch a full space ship to arrive just before the end of the game. Or just do what you want.
Not such a hard game after all! And my newest game may well beat my previous best achievements I am aiming for 500%.
).
