Getting The Jump On The Wonders Game!! HOW??

[John L K]

Here's another thing that I learned to do that this new game will not allow me to do. In order for me to get a good jump on all the other civilizations, I found a wounderful way to get those necessary Wonders. I would go for trade as soon as possible, by hitting the Goodie Huts, and then build "Food Caravans". When the camel appeared, I would gather them in one town together. When a wonder came available, and I wanted it, I would activate the camels, move them out of the city, and then back in. When the AI would ask me if I wished to help build a wonder, I would choose that. Presto, within one turn, I had built a wonder. This way one city didn't have to shoulder the total burden, thus allowing all the cities to gt on with their own development.

Now, since the trade rules have changed, I can't do this. I have tried to get more than one city to pay into a wonder. but to no avail! Surely there has to be a way to accomplish this.

I have found that my favorite way of winning in Civ II was through domination by building as many as 150-200 towns, and gettng my enemies by having a diplomat/spy to incite revolts. This can only be done at the Emperor level if I can take control of the Wonder's race. Does anyone have a way around this thing? It sure would be nice to know. I am beginning to like this new rendition of Civilization less with each road block.

[Sevorak]

If that's the way you like to play, and the only way you want to play, Civilization III is not for you.

1. There is no way to hurry wonder production other than a Great Leader. Chopping forests won't do it. Disbanding units won't do it. Cash and people won't do it. Only Great Leaders.

The wonder race isn't so critical in Civ 3, though. I'd classify only one wonder (UN) to be of truly monumental importance. The rest are throwaway, even the incredibly handy Hoover and Sistine. You can live without them.

2. Inciting revolts/bribing cities has been toned down. The costs are likely to be high and chances are likely very low. AI loves Democracy, too. Bribes can pick off fringe cities of civs in anarchy, but that's about it. I suppose you could go for further-in cities, but they'll just defect back.

3. 150-200 cities is a sure recipe for rampant corruption. Expect at least 50 of those cities, despite FP, to be stuck at 1 shield 1 commerce for the rest of the game, regardless. Large empires just don't work.

-Sev

[Dis]

150-200 cities

micromanagement hell

to have multiple cities build wonders, have them build palace. This is a high shield improvent, and you won't lose any shields when shifting to a wonder. Just don't forget to switch like I did last night- unintentionally built a palace

[Dis]

hey got the P.M. but I'll respond here.

It is pretty much impossible to build wonders like in civ2. This is a different game, and will require different strategies to play. There really is no way to build all the wonders or even most of them. Having multiple cities build palaces and switching over to the appropiate wonder is your best bet. You sound like a builder, so getting great leaders would be difficult. But warfare is the other method to getting wonders. Take them by force or try to get great leaders to rush wonders.

I do hope you give the game a chance. It would be nice if there was a mod you can make to help the human player obtain wonders. Because I realize there are people that like to build nothing but wonders. But I just don't see how. You are lucky to get 1 or 2 in ancient age. maybe 2 or 3 in middle age (less on emporer/diety).

[MadWombat]

Hmmm. I just finished an Emperor game...
I managed to BUILD (I won by conquering, so I ended up with all of them ):
Colossus
Sistine Chapel
Newton's University
Smith's Trading Co
Hoover Dam
Theory of Evolution
United Nations
Manhattan Project
SETI program
I won before Cure for Cancer and Longevity became available, but they would have been mine too. I used a leader to hurry only once, and that was for Forbidden Palace (I only got 3 leaders all game).

What I'm saying is that it is POSSIBLE to get wonders by building them, even at high levels. You have to keep a tech lead so that you get a head start, and you have to be prepared to not get some as well. There is no need for an advantage to the player, Emperor level is already eminently beatable. I have yet to try Deity.

[MadWombat]

Oh yeah, and the multi-city-build-palace bug is fixed in the patch. I didn't realise I could do that anyway; just assumed palace was like everything else, and I couldn't have multiple cities building it.

[MarshalN]

Yup, you can't just build every single wonder in sight like in Civ2. I remember usually only missing maybe 3 at most in a game. Now? Expect to miss the larger part of all the wonders and building only maybe 8-10 max.

But I think a lot of the wonders aren't worth the shields anymore. The only really good thing is the culture, but even that, a university can counter the culture from one of the lesser-culture-wonders.

[sophist]

It depended. Sometimes you could build it in multiple cities, sometimes not.

Originally posted by MadWombat
Oh yeah, and the multi-city-build-palace bug is fixed in the patch. I didn't realise I could do that anyway; just assumed palace was like everything else, and I couldn't have multiple cities building it.