Help me please!

TheHobbit · November 22, 2001, 21:41

I've played 3 games so far on the easiest level and I just cannot win any of them. I'm looking for some tips on how to get a treasury going AND doing good at science at the same time. Doing science research fast takes so many resources it sucks you into debt...

I need some tips on how to keep the income coming while also researching faster...any way is needed. I learn more every game I play but I'm so far behind in history if I keep it up I'll only know the basics in a year :|!

Sevorak · November 22, 2001, 21:50

Hmmm, well...I could help you a lot more if I knew exactly what you were doing. If you could provide some specifics, I could point out things that are non-optimally played, or places you could look to find more tips.

But keep in mind strategy for winning at the easiest level is different from strategy winning at the higher levels.

-Sev

TheHobbit · November 22, 2001, 21:58

I usually have my science at 10%, but it takes forever to research things. To get any faster research you need at least 70% and it costs you so much you can't possible pay for it and make a profit on gold each turn. That doesnt even count for your army or for your peoples happiness. I can either get money each turn and have a civilization that buys research from others. Or I go into debt and research at the same speed as the computers. I have no idea how to make gold each turn while still keeping up with everyone else in the world. I also find it hard to not declare war when those big civilizations keep insulting me and asking for free stuff!

Monoriu · November 22, 2001, 22:15

General stuff:

1. Build roads in all tiles your city workers are working on.
2. Get out of despotism as soon as possible, I reommend switching to republic if you play peaceful for the time being.
3. At chieftan you don't need to have any luxury settings.
4. micro-manage the science rate. If you notice that it takes 32 turns to research a tech, chances are, you can decrease the science rate to 10-20 % and it will stay at 32. If you notice it takes 4 turns to research a tech, chances are, you can decrease the science rate and it will stay at 4 turns. This is because of the caps.
5. Trade techs among AI civs.
6. The focus of the early game is to build a ton of cities and expand fast.
7. The mistake a lot of new players make is not micromanaging enough. Never ever use city governors and never automate workers. Don't press the end turn button before you have moved every unit. Periodically check your cities to make sure the tile workings are in the optimal position.

Sevorak · November 22, 2001, 22:19

It sounds to me like you're not building enough cities.

On Chieftain, what you have the freedom to focus on is city building. The AI won't have any serious military challenges until well into the middle ages, and they'll generally stick to building up their own areas, which should be just fine by you.

Found your capital immediately, preferably near food bonus tiles (cattle, wheat). Then build warrior (and get him to go explore), then a settler. Search for good city sites with your warrior, then found cities there. Build settlers with your capital and with all the other cities you found. Repeat for...a while. Seek to establish a base of ten to twelve cities before 1 AD at the most. Remember that science and gold come from having more cities (up to a point, but in the early game you don't need to care). Keep your science low for the first two advances, and by then you should have enough cities to pick up and run with it. If you are close to another civ, expand directly towards them and fill up the space in between later.

On Chieftain, getting techs from other civs (and making vassal states of them) is somewhat pointless: they have such crippling production penalties that you can outrace them easily.

Basic point: before the Industrial Ages, BUILD CITIES.

-Sev

Lord Cannager · November 23, 2001, 16:29

i kno how u can build a big treaury. first DONT GO TO WAR WITH ANYONE. then fotify one unit in each city. then build all the improvments in all of ur cities after a city has built akll the improvements make it do wealth. i did this and eventually got 11000 gold!when u have a desired amount of gold build units like crazy!

________________________________________
"Friends, Romans, Countrymen lend me your ears"