Why chariots?

[Jim W]

In all the time I've been playing the game, I've very seldom built a chariot. I've bribed a few, or got them from huts, but practically never built them.

Do they have any real advantages? I've found, for instance, that a horseman can often defeat a chariot, so what's the deal?

Jim W

[tonic]

It's the Chariot's attack factor of 3 that you're paying the proportionate 30 shields for cf 20 shields for the Horseman's attack of 2. The odds on your knocking off an archer with a Chariot are better by that attack ratio cf a Horseman.

As I mostly play OCC nowadays I only get my two-move units through hut-popping and then it really doesn't make much difference because it's the mobility rather than attack strength that matters in this context.

[Dr.Oogkloot]

I never build chariots at all because I get Polytheism before The Wheel anyway (to get to Monotheism/Michelangelo's Chapel).

[Ming]

I have NEVER built a chariot.
I will build horseman for early exploring, and will build Elephants or Crusaders for mobile attack. The extra cost for the one attack point never seemed worth it to me.

[SCG]

My habit of building chariots goes back to my Civ I days when chariots were 4/1/2 and legions were 3/1/1. I would use 1 to defend every 3-5 cities for millinia. When I started up Civ II, old habits stuck with me for a while (massive trade, build the pyramids, defend cities with chariots). In normal games now I'll just build a couple of whatever >1 attack unit i happen to have able to build if i haven't gotten anything useful from a hut if i need one. I do get a little worried sometimes when uprisings begin and I still have warriors as my preemptive defence force. If its a chariot, so be it, its only temporary anyway until i have gold for my diplomat or techs for more modern units. As for elephants (the Civ I chariot), I keep managing to lose polytheism in the shuffle, so if i need an attack unit, its not often an elephant before they are obsolete. Of course I generally don't build much of a military anyway. A couple well placed defensive units with a diplomat fits my style more

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April Cantor: Sire, in order to expand further we must first gain favor of the King

SCG: darn, I've never really got the hang of that tribute thing, guess it will be a long time until i make prince

*goes off and starts gifting gold and techs*

[Tom DeMille]

Yes, I remember the chariot was a far more useful unit in CivI. I guess The elephant usurped its role in CivII.

[Jim W]

quote: Originally posted by Ming on 08-15-2000 07:51 AM I have NEVER built a chariot. I will build horseman for early exploring, and will build Elephants or Crusaders for mobile attack. The extra cost for the one attack point never seemed worth it to me.

This is curious because I very seldom build elephants, either. I suspect I ought to be building the occasional elephant instead of continual infantry or horsemen. Just think; my game might improve drastically.

I haven't been paying close attention to attack/defense numbers, I confess, and all I can say is that I'm not numerically oriented. I've gotten to the point now of noting whether or not a city has lots of little blue thingies in the bottom row (just kidding, I know, shields ) and whether it is producing sufficient food to keep growing.

I also have some notion as to what is "better" militarily, say, Phalanx vs Legion, Warrior vs Phalanx, but the numbers don't stay in my head.

And the only way I know I got a good trade deal is when I see what I get paid for the delivery of the cargo. Trying to work out by city size and distance just what is the best is not something my mind handles with any facility.

Given all this, I think it will be a long time before I try to play MP. I'd make a right mess of it against one of the types who have all the numbers and so on right their in their little brains.

Jim W

[Scouse Gits]

Jim the quick reference for attack/defence/movement are displayed in the city screen. However, this only gives the units which are available to you, at whatever stage of the game you've reached.
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SG (2)

[Caesar]

Nope, never built a chariot, completely useless, maybe a vet chariot attack in certain stituations when you can't get poly for one reason or other VERY uncommon... Of course free chariots are a bit different

[jpk]

If memory serves me, in CivI a chariot had exactly the same properties as a elephant in CivII.

[DaveV]

Why build them? Because you need some firepower, and they're the best unit available. The times when this happens are rare, but I have built a few in my games.

[SmartFart]

I've never build a Chariot in MP games.
I also remember I said 'I've never build an Archer in MP games' some time ago and now I build them like hell.

[Jim W]

quote: Originally posted by Scouse Gits on 08-15-2000 03:14 PM Jim the quick reference for attack/defence/movement are displayed in the city screen. However, this only gives the units which are available to you, at whatever stage of the game you've reached. ------------- SG (2)

Very useful, if I happen to be attacking an enmy unit which I already possess. Let me rephrase that; suppose I'm attaking with a legion, and the AI is defending with a phalanx. If I also have a phalanx, I know what the defensive numbers are, otherwise, I'm guessing.

Ah, well. Could be worse.

Jim W

I build em, for the horses. Its always nice to have someone to chat to when you are working.

[Scouse Gits]

Jim - you don't need to have a phalanx, merely the ability to build one to see the A|D|M (attack|defense|movement) values in the build list of any city ...
Good civin'

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Scouse Git[1]

"CARTAGO DELENDA EST" - Cato the Censor

[Ming]

Yeah... but the build menu only shows the non vet values of the unit. Now granted, you know if your unit is a vet, but you don't know if the defending units are