Regent Level

The Pioneer · June 14, 2002, 03:36

Hallo everybody!

Last night I started my first game in Regent Level. Up until now I had played Chieftain and Warlord. I played the Chinese with their worker bonus and expended as fast as I could. Now the continent that I am on has 4 other civilization and all four of them were very advanced, they had the Republic and I was still researching Writing! I switched to Monarch as soon as I could and had my Science up to 80%-90% at all times. I did build Libraries as fast as it was possible. By the way, when I established my embassies and I was allowed to take a peek in their capitals they did not have any libraries themselves. It goes without saying that they build most of the wonders. What am I doing wrong or better said how should one's strategy differ when he gets up to Regent Level, is the AI cheating a little?

Thanks a bunch!

Radiation Zero · June 14, 2002, 03:55

Regent is the highest difficulty I've played, and I usually lose against it,

bvut what I find is, the higher the difficulty, the bigger the AIs production advantage.

Basically, you can't buld things faster than them, so, to make up for it, you churn out a military and try and take any cities that have Wonders.

I love it when an advanced AI civ has a crapload of Wonders in their capitol.. takin an AIs capitol usually humbles them a fiar deal, plus, you now have a bunch of Wonders you didn't have before,.

notyoueither · June 14, 2002, 04:32

There are no AI bonuses in Regent. It doesn't sound as if you are trying to trade for Tech. I also suspect that you did not expand very aggressively at the start.

1. Build cities ASAP and keep building cities until all available land is taken up.

2. Trade Tech. If you are behind, set science to 0 so that you can accumulate gold faster. Buying costs less gold than researching costs beakers. So converting commerce to Gold is more effecient for catching up in tech.

Harovan · June 14, 2002, 05:16

And make contact to as many civs as you can, as early as possible. Trade/buy techs, when most of the other civs have them, this makes the techs really cheap. If you meet a new civ and they have contacts and techs for sale, buy the contacts first, they are probably the most valuable in the early game.

The AI does not cheat at Regent. It's the "fair" level. Above it, the AI has bonuses. Below it, the AI is handicaped.

Solver · June 14, 2002, 05:34

Yes, the posts here are actually right. Expand to take all the land available, so that each tile is occupied by someone - you or enemy.

If you get a tech they don't have, trade. If you're falling behind, set science to 0, and buy techs.

Great Library is of great importance, if you can complete it first, you don't need to research at all till Education.

Next, if you're on a continent with 4 civs, build units early on, Swordsmen, Horsemen and others, and conquer weaker civs. This might make the other civs respect you more, and will also give you cities / free land for new cities.

I found it that moving up to Regent isn't too easy, so you might need a few games till you get a lucky beggining and win it... but then you'll get the idea.

The Pioneer · June 14, 2002, 08:08

Ok, I get the idea. It is a change though, if you come from Warlord. I never really fought early on, not in this Civ neither in I or II. I have also never ever bought a tech, I did a lot of trading but mostly there was no need to buy any since I was up to par or well ahead. I chose the Chinese for my first Regent game because I wanted to expand swiftly, I actually do think that I have the biggest chunk of that continent. But I now understand when some peole where saying they got the butts kicked, I probably am going to get mine kicked as well on this level. I am again hooked on the game after a long break. I guess my wife will have to find a new hobby

!

Ignorance · June 14, 2002, 08:47

Anyone have any figures on how big these AI production,etc. bonuses are on higher levels? 20% 50%?
How many settlers they start with on Deity? Emperor?

Harovan · June 14, 2002, 08:50

You have these figures as well. Double-click the civ3mod.bic file in the game folder. This opens the editor. There all game settings are listed. Look for the difficulty level settings.

Ignorance · June 14, 2002, 09:02

Ah. Thank you. I thought they'd be hard-coded somewhere...