Ungh. I fail at this game.

[KeytotheDoor]

I tried playing on Warlord, and I'm not sure I'm doing too well in this game. Every game I play seems to bog down to this situation: I can't build anymore improvements in some cities, so I don't know what to do with them, and my economy is/almost in deficit.

I also attempted a war with the Sumerians, which was only partially successful. I hurt them a bit, but I couldn't do crap to their main cities. This also turned my foreign policy to crap, as everyone hated me for the war.

So, I've been playing this archipelago world, and I really don't know what to do. I don't have any goals in mind; I just wanna' finish the game.

My biggest flaw is my lack of micromanagement skills/knowledge. I lack the ability to specialize my games, so every game I play works out almost the same.

What are some things I should prevent myself from doing in the future to make my overall strategy more effective? Of course, a save is attached.

FYI, I'm in the Industrial Age.

EDIT: I have another game I'd like to be critiqued instead. See my last post.

 

[RFHolloway]

I can't build anymore improvements in some cities, so I don't know what to do with them, and my economy is/almost in deficit.

Build only the improvements that you need. Build units with the rest. Then your wars may be more sucessful.

Once you have a reasonable stack, and cities producing lots of units you can go and attack. 8 to 12 swords is enough in the ancient age, 12 knights is plenty in the middle ages.

Try to build up a stack of horesmen early and then upgrade them to knights when that technology comes along, while building more. That will give your army a bit of punch. You can repeat the process when you get military tradition and upgrade all your knights to cavalry.

In general you need an idea of which win you are aiming for by the time you end the ancient age. It may change but you need a target.

For your current game (which I haven't looked at so most of this is guess work) I would try for space. No more fighting you just need to research and build. Sell off everything that isn't beneficial (granaries from cities that aren't growing, cathedrals from cities that are happy enough, barracks from cities that arn't producing military etc.). Make sure every tile is fully improved (railled and irrigated or mined) create more workers if you need to. Once all that is done join the workers back into the cities

Try to research a tech every 4 turns (you might not manage it, but that is the target) Build factories and powerplants in your big cities. Keep building military so that you military advisor says that you are average or strong against your nearest neighbours. hope you have aluminium and uranium (you need a trade or a war if you don't) and build your space ship.

 

[dark_pretender]

just as a expand of what holloway already said.

Read the articles on the war academy related to the topics u lack of knoledge here is the link to the war academy

http://civfanatics.com/civ3/strategy/

Have in mind that some cities become corrupted so building as holloway says all the improvements in each city is a waste of shields and money because u have to pay upkeep for them, so basicly u will build some improvements only in ur productive cities, in the corrupted cities u can set the production to trebies/cannons/arty since they dont need tons of shields nor barracks. In ur producitive cities u dont actually need temples or cathedrals, since u are playing at warlord lvl happines is not a problem so getting few luxes and markets, only in the cities with good shield/commerce production should keep ur population happy, with banks, librarys and universities is the same u must build them only in ur productive cities, since u r playing warlord u must make ur own research but remember libs and unis only in productive cities, granary only in ur capitol to build setlers faster in the rest of ur cities u dont really need a granary and barracks only as I said before in ur productive cities. when going to war u must have a goal before declaring, are u going to fight for a lux or a resorce, more land? if u have a goal then u know when to stop the war, when building ur cities aim to lvl 12 cities, bigger are not really productive as u can iniatially think, also I think u must stop playing archi, better go continents, being isolated in an island can give u a sense of security but if u go continents trading techs and war is easier

 

[Kool Keith]

If your strategy is to win by domination, you probably only want to build barracks, aqueducts, and marketplaces, and only in your core cities. Some effective players will only build barracks and units the entire game. There are always exceptions, but in your case, I would try to learn how to play with only those improvements for a while.

Try to understand the true costs and benefits that an improvement will add to your civilization. For instance, if you tend to have the science slider at 80% and above, your markets and banks are giving you almost no financial bonus, because they only add to the cash that goes into the treasury, not your revenue as a whole. Likewise, if you decided to build a library in a corrupt city far away from your capitol, there would be no increase in beakers because you didn't have any to begin with. Temples are almost useless. NEVER build Colliseums.

 

[KeytotheDoor]

Haha, I've been told to never build colloseums.

And, I've never actually sold improvements. That's definitely something to try out.

 

[civverguy]

Why not build coliseums? I always build a coliseum instead of any other happiness buildings and I always have an even number of happy and unhappy citizens in a size 12 city (I didn't have many luxuries).

 

[MAS]

a colloseum cost 120 shields and 2 gpt upkeep, for 2 content faces. (or 1 gpt and 60 shields per content face, the same as a temple)

You could also build 4 horseman for 120 shields, and conquer a lux resource, that could give you 1 (and maybe even 2 or 3, with a marked) happy faces for no gpt upkeep. And you'll gain land under your control, and a new city.

I do build colloseums when I'm alone on an island, and no other civ can reach me, and I'll have to wait till magnetism before I can reach them safely. In that case, I would hardly build any military.

But then, cathedrals would get priority, as they cost 53,33 shields and 0,66 gold per content face. (0,33 gpt if you get Sistine's)

 

[civverguy]

a colloseum cost 120 shields and 2 gpt upkeep, for 2 content faces. (or 1 gpt and 60 shields per content face, the same as a temple)

You could also build 4 horseman for 120 shields, and conquer a lux resource, that could give you 1 (and maybe even 2 or 3, with a marked) happy faces for no gpt upkeep. And you'll gain land under your control, and a new city.

I do build colloseums when I'm alone on an island, and no other civ can reach me, and I'll have to wait till magnetism before I can reach them safely. In that case, I would hardly build any military.

But then, cathedrals would get priority, as they cost 53,33 shields and 0,66 gold per content face. (0,33 gpt if you get Sistine's)

But you need a temple to build a cathedral. In one of my games, I just built a coliseum in my size 12 cities to prevent them go to disorder since I got 6 happy and unhappy citizens. You will need four maintenance for a temple and cathedral.

 

[Delphi456]

1. Don't rely on governor to manage your empire. That's your job. Look at Haarlem - 141 turns to build a cathedral!?! That's crazy! Work the 'shield heavy' tiles instead of the coast if you want something built. Kish should not be building Wealth - it is a highly productive city. Why are you building a granary in Utrecht? It's already at 12 and can't grow until Hospitals are available.

2. Build embassies in all the AI capitals.

3. Don't skip Military Tradition, even though it's optional. Cavalry is the best offensive unit until tanks. Go back and get it.

Here's your new plan. You need horses as a resource so you can build cavalry, so start building longbowmen (lots of them) and get ready to invade Kufah so you can get horses. You can squeeze more low-corruption cities near your capital, so get some settlers built. Place cities CxxC.

Let me know if you're onboard with this plan and we'll move forward.

 

[KeytotheDoor]

Oops. I've never actually managed what tiles were worker myself.

Why build embassies though?

And I can get more cities in!? Wow, I thought I had no more room.

 

[Kool Keith]

Building embassies allows you to have diplomatic agreements with other civs, like military alliances, and mutual protection pacts. Perhaps the most important ability is simply the knowledge of other civs' diplomatic status, i.e., are they at war or peace, do they have a MPP with another civ, etc. That knowledge is crucial. Imagine declaring war, only to find out your enemy had a MPP with two other civs. You need to know these things.

 

[Delphi456]

It's common knowlege that the AI is a poor manager of the civs you will be fighting - this is the same AI that you have let manage YOUR cities - there's no reason to think the AI will do a better job managing your cities than it does it's own. Personally, I think micro-managing is the single most important thing you can do to achieve victory, but that' just my opinion.

In addition to Kool Keith's explanation, sometimes you also get a better attitude from the AI once you build an embassy, giving you better trade deals. And speaking of trade, you do have some lux trading options open to you. Might want to check them out. I suggest downloading a copy of CivAssistII to simplify spotting trade deals.

Any reason why you have workers working tiles that are outside of your borders, yet you still have undeveloped tiles that your population is working? I suggest you view each of your cities carefully and see what tile improvements need to be made.

 

[vmxa]

Why not build coliseums? I always build a coliseum instead of any other happiness buildings and I always have an even number of happy and unhappy citizens in a size 12 city (I didn't have many luxuries).

Unless you have hospitals, you do not need the waste time and shields making colosseum's. You want to make units to attack at that stage instead.

Even if I had a hospital, I won't spend time making a colosseum. You will soon have plenty of specialist to maintain happiness.

 

[KeytotheDoor]

Um, I started another game, with the Japanese, also on Warlord.

I've really barely built any improvements at all, however, I did fight a much more effective war, and I've secured quite a bit of land. Would anyone like to critique this save, and offer some constructive criticism/future strategy?

I'm in the MA.

 

[vmxa]

First I would suggest you start new threads for new games, so people do not have to look at non germaine posts.

I barely peeked at the game, becasue the first two things I saw were enough.

1- too many jokers and you are in a GA? Get them back to work.

2- you are still in depostism, ouch.

 

[Abegweit]

Second game: Everything is fine. Kyoto and Osaka need granaries soon. In fact, I recommend building one right now in Kyoto right now, Osaka can finish its worker first. Don't forget to get water to Osaka.

 

[Abegweit]

First I would suggest you start new threads for new games, so people do not have to look at non germaine posts.

Good point.

I barely peeked at the game, becasue the first two things I saw were enough.

1- too many jokers and you are in a GA? Get them back to work.

2- you are still in depostism, ouch.

What game are you referring to? I only see two and this describes neither.

 

[vmxa]

How about this one?

 

[Abegweit]

Sumpin' weird here. First time I downloaded that, I got a game from 2470BC. Not even the same map. Maybe I did something wrong.

 

[vmxa]

I am glad you think things are great, but I just looked at the capitol and that is not so great IMO. Size 7 and no growth. Put up 10% lux and put the joker back to work and you grow.

You are depsotism and you have irrigated several tiels in that town and they are not even being worked. So what was the point of doing that on grass? Mine them in despotism.

I would be at size 12 in many places this late in the game and all else woudl be easier. You are making lots of troops, but you are not at war.

I would not have 15 archers in any game, unless it was AW and I had no choice. At this level, no need for archer or at least no more than a couple.

Too many warriors and spears as well. You did a good job of making workers and spacing looks ok at a glance.