Are you an evil Dictator?

[Jools]

What is your favorite strategy in Civ?

I dont know about you people, but i always had a strange need to discuss Civ2 Strategies (and dont say its in the wrong forum!).

I usually play Prince/King level (I see no need playing Emperor or higher. Personally, i dont see why i have to send 12 tanks to destroy an Archer Unit).

At the beginning of the game I usually build 8-12 cities near each other. Build City Walls and a formidable Garnisson. I spend most of my time building infrastructure and finally i can be who i want to be. AN ECONOMIST!

I am not the militaristic type. Wars can kiss my ass. I always make sure my cities are defended well, then build caravans and galleons. Colonies are also important, these cities have to extremely well defended (they are far from the mainland and are vulnerable) BUT, they are near other trading patners.

How do I deal with wars? Easy, if you're rich you just bribe'em.

My favorite era is the switch from galleons etc... to electricity.

Thats when i have do to the most work. By that time, my farces usually count 6 or 8 Ironclads, 20 Galleons and Riflemen in towns. My boundaries are protected by a complex network of forts (it really pisses me off when builds a town next to my capital). My army isn't strong, but i can levy troops easily (when the conflict ends, i usually disband the non necasary units).

When I finally invent Electricity, thats when the fun starts. See all this time i've played a weak, fragile and vulnerable empire. Yet by this time, i am democracy, and finally my efforts pays off. My cities are very productive and rich. My taxes are usually low and the people are happy. All of a sudden my Riflemen turn into huge hoardes of tanks and mech Infantry. My Galleons turn into Battleships and Cruisers. Naturally i can afford all of this.

In a matter of turns (hehee) no one no longer dares to play with me, i am no ones maryonnet, i dont have to pay any tribute. I AM INVINCIBLE (note: this is not true, it is known that i have been overun by barbarians, americans and Indians)

My Ascent to power doesnt stop there. After playing the role of an economist (which is pretty fun), it is now MORE fun to be an evil dictator sunovabeetch (i usually play bloodlust). With great joy i watch the earth turn into rubble and my forces overun the enemy (unfortunately i dont always win, but IMHO there aint nothin better than coming out as the victor in a hard situation)

so what about you?

[Mad_Conquest]

Well, during the Ancient era I'm the nice peaceful high tech civ that everyone loves. But once I get to the modern era then well, if they want a war I'll give 'em genocide. Basically I take a "completely destroy the enemy so they don't come back to bite you in the butt" stance. Last game I was nearly to AC and I was unfortunately at war with rather distant civs. I did however, (by judicious nuking and paradroping) completely distroy the Indians for getting themselves involved in my war with egypt (a much closer foe) Of course for most of he conflict I was communist (gotta love the high production and science) but at one point needed to turn fundy just to finance both my war (which had become global) and to pay off the last parts on my space ship. Needless to say the only civ that came CLOSE to my scientific capabilities at ALL was the Chinese (all I had with them was a minor skermish) who were not even modern era yet. That coupled with my not yeally giving a crap during war if one of my cities is starving would make me an evil dictator too i suppose

[Alinestra Covelia]

I always play hard and fast. I go for Deity level, always, and play on Earth. I play only as the Chinese, and select my enemies (for such I do view them, verily forsooth): Spanish, Greek, Roman, Babylonian, Indian, French.

This means that they are almost always stuck in Europe fighting over limited resources. I am placed in Asia with a lot of room for expansion provided that the Indians are willing to make peace with me.

They are usually the very first and last people who ever have a nonlethal relationship to me. I try to build up a huge grid of big cities and research. I always head for Philosophy and Monarchy, and instigate wars with nonIndian civs when I can. I never listen to peace offers, waging wars almost perpetually (although I do consider cease fires if enough money or tech is offered).

Usually, one country will be supreme in Europe. The Babylonians are easy to conquer, and then it's just a matter of fort hopping until Europe falls. If I'm playing well, then I will have cleared more or less all opposition by 1600 AD at latest. There was one time I was playing when the entire European front was indisputably mine by as early as 1400AD and all that was required was a bit of mopping up.

Then it's time to betray the Indians. When I do this is usually a matter of taste. Oftentimes Ghandi obliges by declaring war, usually when I've refused his nth request for a tech. Using the same tactics that conquered Europe (ie mobile horse-riding units, concentrate in huge numbers around city before taking it) I can swiftly absorb the Indian kingdom.

By this time it's usually around 1500 or 1600. Then I convert into a peaceloving Democracy, spurning and decrying the terrible conquistadorean ways of the previous genocidal government, and rake in the happy points.

By ruling happily and Democratically (albeit very tediously) for the next 600 years or so it's possible to get astronimical scores. It is very boring, however, and I couldn't recommend it...

The highest percentage I have ever gotten in a legit non-scenario non-cheat game was 818%.

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"In all creation, there can be no task more onerous or tedious than that of playing God." - Stephen Fry, 'The Liar'.

[Jim W]

My main goals go Bridge-Building-->
Monarchy-->Engineers -->Railroad
-->Space Flight.

There may be a couple of side-trips on the way. to make sure I have a superior army in case of Barbarians or AIs.

I prefer to be a Scienterrific genius, while making sure that the AI or the Brabarians don't do nothing nasty to me.

Jim W

[Comrade Dan]

*looks at tin hat on head*

Errr...yep.

Now, here's my strategy: I normally play on real maps, and either play as the Zulu's on the world map or play as the Brits on the Europe map.

As the Zulu's I colonize all of Africa, making sure there are no Egyptians or Carthaginians or Persians or Babylonians. I have all of Africa under my grip (I even build cities in the desert and send food trains to them for production) so I industrilize the whole continent.

Every square is either irrigated, mined and railroaded, and the coastal tiles have forts. Every city contributes to the defense - 3 mechs, 2 Sth Ftr, 1 spy, 1 nuke, 2 Battleships (if coastal) or 2 howitzers (if inland) and as many tanks are needed. Then I look to the north - always to the north, to Europe. I have an elaborate plan that combines a navy, a huge corps of engineers and hundreds of howitzers. The navy destroys any coastal units and other naval ships. Then the transports invade Italy, Spain and Asia Minor. The corps of engineers buils railroads for the howies, and the howies take care of the units and partisans. I can take over 25 heavly defended cities in two or three turns...

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Comrade Dan: Apolyton Resident Communist.
Reichgeneral of the Anti Demesos League.
Director of the Pokehate Corporation.
ApolytownMayor.
Guy who wishes he could spam like Mao or Djugashvili.
(insert honorary title here)

comradedan@hotmail.com
ICQ#: 66881409

I tend to play on Prince and King level most of the time. I find that they allow for the greatest overall experience of Civ2. In the Emperor and Deity levels, things happen so fast that you miss out on large portions of the game in addition to not being able to experiment with different units and modes of attack as much.

I play on random maps because of the added challenge. Playing on a map of which you know the layout gives you an unfair advantage over the computer IMO.

That said, my favorite strategy involves alternating periods of expansion/development and conquest. My key to victory is to maximize production. High production allows for high science rates and swift mobilization if needed. A key element of maximizing production is keeping your citizens happy...which means putting heavy emphasis on Happiness Wonders.

My games usually play as me expanding to fill all continuous open space as quickly as possible. I then become militarily oriented and build a strike force that takes out enemies at my borders city by city to avoid being stretched to thin in the first half of the game. After clearing my borders, I again expand and begin island hopping to place myself near my enemies to give a good launching ground for assaults on their continent.

I generally have a region of "core" cities near my capital in the center of my empire which have high production and are used to turn out wonders very rapidly. I have more cities building wonders than wonders available so that as I discover new advances, I can build a wonder quickly...which may be very helpful if the effect is badly needed.

I try to keep my science rate at maximum throughout, making Adam Smith's Trading Company one of my key wonders. Maintaining the technological advantage is so important IMO. I reach advances as needed at the moment, but with particular goals in mind. Militarily, I try as hard as possible to reach Flight far before anyone else. This allows me to build an air force that can completely knock out all defenses of all cities and let me walk right in, facilitating conquest. I find that advances allowing pollution reducing improvements are important to reach quickly as well. Having to deal with pollution reduces the amount of time and energy you can devote on expansion and conquest.

In terms of my Governments, I head quickly for Monarchy. Then I go for the Democracy Advance ASAP to get to the Statue of Liberty and switch to Communism as early as possible. The combined high science and production of Communism, as well as the ability to field a military make communism the best choice for most of the game. Once I have nearly conquered the planet and begin building my space vehicle, I disband my excess military units and switch to Democracy to pick up extra points for Future Techs and maximize happiness.

My Military strategy is simple. I always use units with 2+ movement for attacking purposes...chariots and elephants early on, then knights, and onto cavalry and mech inf. They are also key because they allow you to provide some adequate defense after you take a city. Early on, I usually pile up about 6-10 units (and often some diplomats to sabotage walls) and just throw them at the city until it gives in. I then replenish my force and head to the next city. Once I develop Flight, I build a huge airforce to knock out all opposition. It then becomes a matter of holding the city after you march in uncontested. Eventually, I expand to other continents to attack them on their home ground. I find a suitable coastal city to launch an attack on, usually with a couple of naval vessels. I try to target the capital in hopes of fragmenting the country. Once I take the city, it becomes my doorway to the continent. I build an airport to airlift troops and bring in a huge army on my transports. Along with some planes, I again go about attacking city by city until the country falls.

[Jim W]

I get the impression that at least some of you play on something resembling the map of our world (references to Africa, etc.)

I've never tried that, and though it works fine for some, I probably wouldn't care for it.

For my own part, I play on randomized maps, and I've changed the names of over half the Civs, and their cities as well. I just don't care for havinmg the Babylonians and Romans and Spanish starting up civilizations at one time.

I haven't messed with any of the attributes of the Civs, though, since it's only the names that bugged me.

I had been playong on a small ma, which theoretically gives you a shorter game. That, however, is true only if you're playing "Stomp out every last vintage of every other Civilization in the world."

Myself, I prefer to head off to AC.

I am not a determined peacenik, however. I will not let other people park themselves on my irrigated fields, just because they've paid me tribute. And last night, in my present game, one of the AIs built a city in a place that would have interfered with traffic along a road I had already built.

Not only that, it was going to interfere with the area of production of one of my major cities.

I stomped them before they could get to size 2. Mind you, if there were any way of demanding that the AI pull out of my territory, I might have tried that.

Oh, yes, one other thing. The latest game is on a "normal" sized map. One interesting thing about this size of map is that you don't necessarily get pushed up against the other players quite so quick. This makes aiming for Scientific Excellence a lot easier.

As an example, I didn't even find the Sioux (one of the ones I haven't renamed yet) until last night, at about 1300 AD.

On the other hand, I've had to build a whole lot more triremes than previously, first for exploring, then for trading. Just very recently, Leo has changed them all to Caravels for me.

And I, in my current incarnation as Gwantesh, King of the Balheri, am doing quite well, thank you. The nasty Diltharbi on my southern border are occasionally getting a little pushy, but nothing I can't handle (Muskets and Cannon against Legionaries, Chariots, and Archers).

Jim W

I've got a fellow commie

Jim W - You must be getting a lot better. What level are you playing at

[Jim W]

I'm still playing at Warlord. I want to make sure I can win with some regularity before I go up a level.

I mean, good grief! I have troiuble with 3 Civs at Warlord. If I were to go up to four, it'd be worse. And to jump to the next class, when things are tougher for me, that would just be looking for trouble.

Jim

[Comrade Dan]

Try this power rush...

Deity
7 Civs
Raging Hoards (sp?)
Large map
And change the rules so that each tile ives out 3 food, 9 proc and 9 trade. Make sure that all citizens eat one food under all govts and settlers eat 1 food.

That, is a power rush...survive it and there is no higher challenge.

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Comrade Dan: Apolyton Resident Communist.
Reichgeneral of the Anti Demesos League.
Director of the Pokehate Corporation.
ApolytownMayor.
Guy who wishes he could spam like Mao or Djugashvili.
(insert honorary title here)

comradedan@hotmail.com
ICQ#: 66881409