Tips for Civ 3?

[A Mad Walrus]

I normally play civ 3 complete, no expansion packs. I dont really like the 4th or 5th one alot cause civ 3 looks so simple . But normally I play on chieftain on a huge world with only conquest (harder than it sounds L) cause after they get infantry it gets annoying because 90% of the time my modern armor die to infantry when they're on defense. But I started playing at higher difficulties. The only reason I didin't before is because on warlord if you go negative gpt you're units get deleted and I hate that, im - gpt because i put science at 100%(too slow otherwise imo ). But I tried playing on deity and I can't get far I capture 1 city of someone then I make peace and they give me a whole list of techs for it. The difficulties lower than deity seem 10x harder and idk how to micromanage workers/cities. I read the articles on site and the worker's guide was kinda confusing I normally automate them and build tons. Does anyone have some tips of EXACTLY what I should do? Like how do I found a city because when my city has 2 people 1 on them is sad then it causes the city riot thingy so I use it to make an entertainer(not sure if im supposed to do that) and after that it won't grow anymore. Half the time I cant even make a settler. Also for deity should I have it on pangea? what age? barbarians? etc. also should i make it so that my cities NEVER produce wealth?

Thanks ~ Walrus L

 

[vorlon_mi]

First off, welcome to the forums!

Next, the biggest difference between Deity and Chieftain is the bonus/advantages which the AI get for building improvements and technology. At the low difficulty levels, the AI have a penalty compared with the human player: they have to expend more shields to build a swordman or barracks than you do. That's why they seldom have very much when offering peace. At the high difficulty levels, the AI have a discount compared with the human player, and they start out with extra settlers and units. That is, on turn 1, they can found several cities, and they have the beginnings of an army. Any city improvements or additional units that they build will cost them fewer shields than you.

Suggestions for managing your empire: Change your government to republic or monarchy as soon as you can. Build lots of roads, since each roaded tile gives more commerce (meaning gold), and no, you won't be able to keep the science slider at 100% all the time. Build more offensive unts rather than defensive, and direct your workers to irrigate or build mines so that the cities can grow to the right size. Expand your empire (either new cities or conquering) so that you get access to luxuries -- makes citizens happy. Build marketplaces in the bigger cities, since they provide a happiness multiplier.
In the very early game, you can use a warrior in each town as military police (MP) that will give you a little happiness benefit. After you get 7 or 8 cities, you may want to consider keeping the luxury slider at 10%, spending some money to keep people happy in all your cities.

 

[CommandoBob]

Welcome, A Mad Walrus!

One thing that will help is to NOT automate workers. The AI is horrible about using them correctly. It will send workers to a place 10 turns away to do a task when other workers are closer. And then send them back. When workers are moving like that they are not helping you improve your empire.

Early in the game, when your cities are still few, worker usage is critical. You won't have many of them and you never seem to have enough. Avoid hills and mountains if possible; roads and mines take much longer on that terrain than flatland. If you move onto a tile, be sure and road it. Connecting your cities is important, too, since that will allow your defenders faster access to them, if and when that is needed.

Improve the tiles you need and then make sure the citizens of your cities are working those tiles.

Look into a Succession Game and pay attention to how the workers are handled early in the game. Try and figure the 'why' of those actions (why this tile, why this action, why not this tile, why not this action, etc).

 

[A Mad Walrus]

Alright thanks, tbh ive been doing most of that, stopped automating but after I get like 10-20 workers I start getting lazy, at what point should I automate them if ever? Cause lots of the time I forget I have to use them XD. On war-lord I put the slider at 100% normally I make a barracks so it puts me at -1 gpt but then I put the slider at 80%, eventually it stays at either 60% or 40% based on my gpt. I stopped doing that until later on though. Should I stay at monarchy? cause depot to monarch makes me gpt going down tons cause lots of my cities are towns at that point but ik depot is bad

One thing ive always been confused about.. say if there are no more buildings a city can make and you're above your allowed troops + you're at 0gpt or negative and there is only 1 citizen, what should you make?

 

[A Mad Walrus]

I remmeber seeing a page with all the sucession games but I can't find it now. Could someone post that link and also which one would be the best for learning about workers? Thanks

 

[Cyc]

Succession Games

If your city is only size one, you shouldn't build anything but a barracks and/or a Temple in it. This will keep its maintenance costs down to a managable level for a size one town. Then just switch it to commerce, letting it generate a piece of gold each turn.

 

[A Mad Walrus]

^ Thanks, I mean't a page with like a list of them, that forum is kinda hard to find a game cause alot of it is like.... advertising for a group etc couldn't find one XD but ill keep looking :>

 

[Squire 2]

From the start of a game I'll typically set the science rate to 70/80 percent and go for the wheel first to reveal horses. Then I'll go for bronze working, then iron working. In the meantime I'll build 5 or more warriors. One stays in my capital, the other 4 explore, and then converge when I've found the nearest enemy. I'll start picking off their outer cities (avoiding the capital) and only make peace when they've got some techs to give me, or ceded one or more of their cities. By then they'll be in a pitiable state and no longer a threat if I keep their expansion in check now and then. Aim for monarchy or the republic next. If monarchy, just go straight for it. If the republic, prioritise happiness before you make the switch

In the medieval age I like to get the Sistine Chapel, J.S. Bach's Cathedral and, at the end, the wonder you unlock with economics (why can't I remember the name? )

I practically always do the same thing in the industrial age. Steam power, industrialisation, nationalism, medicine, sanitation, electricity, the scientific method, and then by building the Theory of Evolution I discover atomic theory and electronics and use that to build the Hoover Dam

The idea of having to micromanage all of my workers is unbearably tedious to me. I typically, at the start of the game, have them automate nearest city (one or two each city, depending on its status) and use excess workers to build roads between cities, resources and luxuries. Other workers (I like to have a lot) build mines around the big producing cities for wonder building

My highest scores have came on monarchy, but I typically play on the difficulty beneath that and keep things interesting by playing with map settings or just randomising the continent shape and climate