Archived from groups: alt.games.civ3 (
More info?)
On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 19:18:57 GMT Phil Wells <phil-m.wells@ntlworld.com>
wrote in message <BGl2d.290$YE3.41@newsfe6-win.ntli.net>...
> Anyone got any tips for managing science at deity level.
>
> The start of the game seems straightforward.
>
> Research the first few techs at 90% science. As soon as you have contact
> with several AI civs put the slider to 10% science and accumulate cash.
> When you have a decent cash stockpile, (500+ gold), trade cash + world map
> to as many civs as possible during one turn. This nets about 4 - 5 techs
> each time and keeps you in touching distance of the AI during the early
> game.
I normally put the slider on the lowest it can be to give me my one
lightbulb per turn - That's usually 20-30% at game start, dropping to 10%
later. I also research the most expensive tech available to me, usually
alphabet or a second level tech for which I have the prerequisites.
During the rapid expansion phase, you don't need tech, as you can make do
with warriors and need build no improvements, although spearmen, temples,
and granaries are nice if you have them.
When rapid expansion ends, you should have made contact, and can trade for
tech.
> After this the AI seems to gallop over the horizon. I can't generate
> enough cash to keep up in techs. I can't research fast enough to keep up
> with the AI, and I'm not usually militarily strong enough to extort techs
> as part of a peace deal. I've not really experimented with turning
> citizens into scientists.
>
> Thoughts welcome.
Let them gallop. While in despotism, accumulate cash. Use it to buy
workers whenever they are available, and tech *only when you need it*, i.e.,
when you run out of improvements to build. As soon as you change
governments, use your cash to rushbuild improvements, concentrating on those
that most improve the shield- and commerce-productivity of your cities.
Note that this includes improvements that help your cities to grow, and
support them when they get larger. In fact, it includes all improvements
except science and military. Scientific improvements are valuable for the
culture, and should be built next (or perhaps earlier in culturally
vulnerable border cities). Military not at all, unless you are planning a
war, (see below).
Treat your civ like a corporation that reinvests all its profits into
increasing it's productivity - squeezing every last dime out of its current
technical knowhow, before acquiring new knowledge.
Depart from this plan if a neighbour is on the ropes and you decide you want
a piece of the action. Also keep an eye on even distant civs to see if any
are on the brink of elimination. (The easy way to check this, if you can't
see all of their cities, is to see what cities they have on the trade
screen.) Then 1. Renegotiate the peace, and see what you can extort. 2.
Buy as much tech from them as possible, paying by the turn. Chances are you
won't have to pay for very many turns.
Also depart from this plan if the next available city improvement is many
techs away, for example, after you've acquired monotheism. As each city
completes it's cathedral, build walls (on your borders) and barracks, then
switch to your best mobile attacking unit, which at this stage is horsemen
(or an equivalent or better UU) in preparation for attacking a powerful
neighbour.
Here's where all that investment pays off. Your high shield productivity
enables you to ramp up military production. Your high commerce productivity
means you can buy allies. You may have to hunker down for several turns
until his offensive capability is eliminated. Then you start taking him
out, one city at a time. A dozen horsemen will easily take out cities
defended by pikemen. Fifteen or so will take out most defended by
musketmen. Most of your losing units will survive and you will easily be
able to replace the rest.
Don't eliminate him. Make peace before he is eliminated (even if it means
blockading your allies from his last city, until you can cancel your
alliance). Then you can extort. You've got two choices. If he's not at
war with anyone, or if he is, and you're prepared to maintain the blockade
to keep him alive, then you can keep him as a tech cow, for as long as you
can continue to milk him. Alternatively you can buy as much as possible
from him, paying by the turn, then leave him to his fate.
The techs you want during the middle ages are all along the top branch of
the tree. Banking is crucial. Democracy is wonderful, though C3C has
trimmed its benefits to a considerable degree. Education will give give you
a useful cultural boost. When this branch is exhausted, you may want to go
to war again. If you have managed to acquire Chivalry, then use knights,
which in sufficient number are good against even riflemen. Otherwise limit
yourself to an opponent who has only musketmen, and get chivalry from him.
> Phil.
--
Daran
The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that
English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words;
on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them
unconscious and riffle their pockets for new vocabulary. -- James D. Nicoll
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