What will your strategy be in your first Civ3 game?

Ilkuul · August 24, 2001, 18:28

(Assuming you only know what you know now!)

Will you choose a militaristic civ and try to conquer the world? This will be a lot more difficult in Civ3, from all we've heard! You may suffer trade embargoes, not have the raw materials to produce your units, fall hopelessly behind in culture and be unable to hold onto conquered cities...

Will you go for a tech win (first to AC, if that's still in the game)? Risky, as you'll still be relatively unfamiliar with the new tech tree - and you could easily fall prey to militaristic neighbours in the early game, or have all the other civs gang up on you and slap on a trade embargo...

Will you try for one of the new routes to victory - diplomacy or trade? Again, perhaps the same sort of risks as for a tech win.

Let's compare our ideas and approaches for that crucial first-ever game of Civ3!

For myself, I know I won't go for a military victory first time round. I'll maybe try for a tech win, to familiarise myself with the tech tree, while at the same time exploring the trade and diplomacy possibilities. I probably won't win first time! But it'll be great fun. Can hardly wait...

Diablo, Bro. of Mephisto · August 24, 2001, 18:43

Well, I have no idea, since i have never played it.

what i will do, is the first time I stick in that wonderfull CD, I will probably just get familiar with the game. maybe try a couple different civs or whatever. then, after I THINK I know what I am doing, I will go after a specific victory.

but if I was forced to choose now, I would probably choose conquest (I admit, I am a war freek

). or I think the trade and diplomatic victory sounded interesting. I never really did get all caught up in the space race thing in civ2, and I probably won't in civ3.

so I guess my answer is militaristic. though diplomacy is close behind.

p.s. maybe you should list at least a small idea of what the diplomacy and trade victories should be. I know myself that the diplomacy will have to do with you making yourself popular enough to win the head seat of the UN, and getting the rest of the civs to join it.
I don't really know anything about the trade victory yet.

Ilkuul · August 24, 2001, 18:53

Quote:

Originally posted by Diablo, Bro. of Mephisto
p.s. maybe you should list at least a small idea of what the diplomacy and trade victories should be. I know myself that the diplomacy will have to do with you making yourself popular enough to win the head seat of the UN, and getting the rest of the civs to join it.
I don't really know anything about the trade victory yet.

Neither do I, which is why I would go first for something I do understand -- which would be a tech win, while at the same time just getting a general idea of what trade and diplomacy involve; and if I find it easier to switch to one of those routes to victory, then I would do so.

I know it's rather unrealistic to talk about deciding strategies now before we've seen the game and the manual -- but I thought it would be interesting to see, on the basis of what we do already know, how many people would go for war and how many for peaceful means of winning.

So far we have one warmonger and one 'peacemonger'! Maybe others have picked up a few more hints about the diplomacy and trade routes to victory, and can enlighten us...?

Immortal Wombat · August 24, 2001, 19:16

Attack 'em all.

Inverse Icarus · August 24, 2001, 20:05

being a war monger, as i have obviously proven over the course of my stay here at apolyton, this may sound odd.

i actually will try to see how smart the AI is my first game, by trading resources with as many as possible, and seeing how complex the trades can get.

i would like to learn the infastructure / resources part of the game before i go out and destroy them all.

in SMAC, i never leared the infastructure stuff, i just put my formers on auto and my cities on govenor until i got planet busters.

then i just got the whole world to declare war on me and nerve staple them all.

monolith94 · August 24, 2001, 20:06

CULTURE!!!

I shall be the mighty Babylonian culture! the pinacle of civilization! A mighty utopia of enlightened citizens!!!

Darkknight · August 24, 2001, 20:37

Kill Kill them all

Then maybe alittle trip through .gif lane with a shortcut off .txt avn.

ixnay · August 24, 2001, 21:02

Seeing as how I seem to be better in all civ games at building up my civ as opposed to war, I'll build up my culture and see which peaceful victory would be the easiest to achieve.

Pythagoras · August 24, 2001, 21:07

I will die a lot figuring the game out. Im not one to read manuals (other than cassually in 'private' moments)

(btw Kyller, very cool avatar)

Skanky Burns · August 24, 2001, 22:08

I will attempt a 'peaceful' conquering of my enemies through superior culture!!

Muwahahaha

DarkCloud · August 24, 2001, 22:25

Military Conquest as Mongols... Scratch that... Spanish... D***!... Vikings... S!(!

no fun

I suppose I'll conquer the world as the Chinese or Germans then

War4ever · August 25, 2001, 01:55

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkCloud
Military Conquest as Mongols... Scratch that... Spanish... D***!... Vikings... S!(!

no fun

I suppose I'll conquer the world as the Chinese or Germans then

well put....especially as a fellow warmonger and MONGOL player.. iwill attemp military victory the usual way..... attempt to land all resources and then

MAUL

jerkwaterbox · August 25, 2001, 02:13

i think i will check out the culture feature, it seems usefull since i am a pansie when it comes to war. i prefer to build things up and i hope culture will let me take over my enemies without fighting them.

Lemmy · August 25, 2001, 04:16

Culture, that's in my first game, just to see how it works, and explore the tech tree and units a bit. I also want to try the new diplomatic model and the AI off course, but i will definitely try a peacefull approach first.

star mouse · August 25, 2001, 05:38

I'll pick the Babylonians with their Religious and Scientific abilities, and go for a culture victory with good science. The science is to get new culture buildings faster and so the enemies don't gain a military advantage.

Tventano · August 25, 2001, 05:52

The first game is mainly checking everything out, how all the new stuff works. Having chosen for the Zulus this means fast exploration in the beginning, knowing there the needed resources are, making contact with others asap. If the first contact should be smothered or loved I don't know yet, normally depends on geography and other contacts.

So probably mainly military and finding out how much of the culture stuff you really need. Of course trying out lots of the diplomacy. For the second game a pure cultural approach can then be chosen.

Nikolai · August 25, 2001, 08:19

I will most problaby try to win by technology, or maybe culture.

I know that conquering the world aren't my way, I hav enever been good at it.

I have managed one time in Civ2 and a couple of times in SMAC(SMAC is easier, though

)

JosefGiven · August 25, 2001, 09:22

A combination of machievellian diplomatic wheeler-dealing backed up by some ferocious military might should bring the world under the shadow of the Soviet hammer and sickle nicely.

Ilkuul · August 25, 2001, 11:49

Well, from the above responses we get the following results:

7 military strategies for the first game; but

9 peaceful approaches!

So it looks like most Apolytonians are going to ease into Civ3 peacefully before starting to throw their weight about!

Beware, warmongers -- if you play with the new fire of Civ3 without understanding it, you're liable to get burned!

The diplomat · August 25, 2001, 12:02

Make that 10 peaceful strategies.

In my first game, I want to explore the new tech tree, and the new diplomacy and trade. I want to see how the new strategic ressources and diplomacy fit in. I'll take a good look at culture too. I'll probably go for a space race or diplomacy victory first.
There will be plenty of oportunities later to conquer the world!

splangy · August 25, 2001, 12:32

BURN!! PILLAGE!! DESTROY!!!!

Sitting Bull · August 25, 2001, 12:49

I will try for a tech win, because I don't think my playstyle will change. The idea of world conquest is very tiresome. The idea of a diplo win is suspicious to me, I wonder how much butt-kissing that will take. But my mind is open.

dainbramaged13 · August 25, 2001, 13:11

I thihnk that I will go for a tech win, while exploring the other peaceful options on my way. The second game will be my first conquering game because i think its just silly to try to conquer the world if a complet++++new game.

BTW, sitting bull
I think (its just my opinion of course) that a diplo win will not involve so much kissing butt as just being powerful, but non-agressive. You know, if you've always kept good relations with people, but youre basically stronger than everyone else, not so much as to take over the world, but enough just to have them repect you for your greater prowess.

SSBLoveU · August 25, 2001, 14:18

I like the peaceful solution, and I will hope to be able to fly into space

hetairoi22 · August 25, 2001, 15:00

I will play peacefully in my first game. I will negotiate all kinds of deals with my opponents and explore the techtree. I will also try the new features (e.g. strategic resources, stacking and culture). I wont try so much to win as to try out the new features and get familiar with the game.

When I have made myself familiar with the techtree/units I will try the conquest win, and later I will try out the new ways to victory.

(I can't wait to play the game

)

Provost Harrison · August 25, 2001, 17:02

I reckon I will probably start as the French as I like the look of their attributes. And I will just go on from there depending on the situation. Try and build a reasonable number of cities and just try and play a fairly hybrid game...and assess the situation...

Provost Harrison · August 25, 2001, 18:24

I'll probably be peaceful but want some opportunities for war so I can put the new combat system to the test. But I would be more interested in building up my civilisation...

Ilkuul · August 25, 2001, 18:41

OK, the score now stands at:

8 warmongers in their first game; but

14 peacemakers

(...omitting those like Provost who sat on the fence and refused to commit themselves)!

When we've all actually had our first games we'll have to compare notes and see who came out best -- the warmongers or the peacemakers!

My bet is on the peacemakers...

cyril25376 · August 26, 2001, 11:49

My strategy will be a peaceful one (Building a space ship). I will also try to dominate by culture in order to conquer cities in a quite peaceful way.

Inverse Icarus · August 26, 2001, 11:56

me and my fridns have it all worked out.

our first civ game is going to be an all night multiplayer fest.

4 of us banding together and 4 AI civs, on the world map (now 6x larger)

i am germany. william is france. arthur is rome. geoff is england.

the AIs will be castoff Euraisa, the Americans, the Iroquois, the Aztecs, and the Zulu.

we really want to see how this resource trading and culture works out, and if the AIs can handle it.

we can also test the war model, all four of us ganging up on those poor zulu