From: drazil@qiclab.scn.rain.com (Devin Ben-Hur)
Subject: Re: Civililization assistance
Organization: Are you kidding?
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 23:41:35 GMT

In article <0geTRB1w165w@bluemoon.rn.com> griller@bluemoon.rn.com (Scott Hout) writes:
>I have been playing this game for several months now, and am
>curious as to any assistance available for playing the higher
>levels (ie Prince, KIng and Emperor).  I can smoke the
>lower levels, but once I hit Prince and above I am shut down
>big time!!  Things that seem to work for a Warlord don't seem
>to have the same effect at the higher levels.  It almost seems

What specific things do you mean?

>that the computer has a decidedly unfair advantage, as triremes
>can remain away from land, computer triremes take out sail units
>with some impunity, etc.  I'm game for ANY hints that will help

triremes attack with 1, sails defend with one.  It's entirely reasonable
for a trireme to sink a sail.  The computer does get to navigate
open seas with them, but that just makes up for the computer
not being as smart as you.

>me in the higher levels.  Thanks in advance!

There are two fundamental strategies that have been effective for me.
One is the Thundering Hordes strategy.  Discover the wheel, make barracks
and just start cranking out chariots and settlers.  Chariots to capture
enemy cities, settlers to build supply lines and found new cities
of your own.  With this strategy, I usually just stay in despotism the whole
game, though I will research monarchy to get to Chivalry and make Knights.
Chariots are ineffective against walled cities, so use diplomats to
conduct industrial sabatoge until the walls come down, or just incite revolts
of you've got the bucks.  Once you've conquered an enemy's ccapital, it's
much cheaper to incite revolts in his remaining cities.

The second, and more interesting strategy is to out-develope your enemies.
Emphasize research.  Build libraries, make roads like crazy.  Make
caravans and get lots of trade going.  Build Colossus.  Build Copurnicus
(preferably in the same city as Colossus).  Make sure the
colosus/copernicus city gets a library and university and establishes three
trade routes as soon as possible.  Build Issac Newton's college.
Found plenty of cities.  Switch to republic as soon as you have built a
marketplace and temple in each of your cities (and let them grow to size 3),
then crank up the luxuries and celebrate President's Day and watch your
population double or triple in a half dozen turns.  As you discover new
advances (banks, religion, construction), do a round of parralel construction
in all your cities, then do another round of president's days to grow your
cities again using the enhanced luxury generation or pacifying improvements.

Build a moderate military force to defend your civ.  That's a defender or two
per city (more for the frontier, less in the center), and a catapult in
each city.  Add a few chariots to run out and intercept barbarians
and invaders.  If you have a neighbor, build up a conquering force (4-6
chariots/catpults) and take over his cities, then go back to development.
Don't build military except in cities with barracks (except for the first
couple units, of course).  Don't bother building boats until you get
ironclads and transports, unless you have a dinky initial land mass.

Focus on Wonders that give real benefit and last a long time.
Good: Colusus, Copernicus; Bach's Cathedral, Newton's College;
      Women's Suffrage, Hoover Dam, SETI
Don't Bother: LightHouse, Hanging Gardens, Oracle, Great Wall;
      Shaekespear's Theatre.
If you have the time: Pyramids; Magellin's Expedition, Darwin's
      Voyage, Cure for Cancer.
Special cases:
   At Emporer level, the Great library can be quite productive with
      many civs; at lower levels, it's usually a waste of effort.
   Manhatten Project and Apollo program need only be built if you
      need the new element the open up (nuke war, space race);  they
      don't supply much direct special benefit to the builder.
   United Nations can be very handy when using diplomat's as part
      of your invasion force.
   Michaelangelo's Chapel is nice if you can also build all those
      cathedral's, but useless otherwise.  Don't bother if you can't
      also build the cathedrals pretty quickly, because it expires
      with electricity.

Well that's enough for now.  How about specific questions?
-- 
Devin Ben-Hur        [drazil@qiclab.scn.rain.com]
"Your civilization makes us laugh..."
Newsgroups: rec.games.misc