The End of Records / High Scores

[photar74]

Here's a real plus to Civ 3:

I have recently returned to the forum after a five month absence. I am posting to see if anyone has ever beaten my 16,513 score, that I achieved only weeks after the original release.

The main reason I am asking about this is to defeat the old Civ2 insanity (still taking place on the Civ2 board), where a record attempt needed to be a huge project, probably lasting six months or so. I hope, as far as scoring goes, that my method will never be bested. I hope this not because I hold the record, but because my method is so easy that almost anyone can do it, and because it is so quick and easy.

Here's how to achieve the highest score:

1. Choose the Persians (on diety, of course)
2. Create a world with a tiny map, 60% pangea, cool temperature, arid climate, etc., etc., the least amount of usuable land as possible.
3. Choose only two opponents.
4. Found your first city whever you start, as long as hills and/or mountains are visible. If this is not the case, return to step one.
5. Go directly for Iron Working.
6. Build a phalanx and then a barracks.
7. If you have time before achieving Iron Wokring, build another phalanx. If you somehow still have time, go ahead and build a Temple.
8. As soon as Iron working is achieved, move to zero science, and start pumping out Immortals.
9. Wipe the world clean.

So there. Now everyone can achieve the Civ3 record for highest score. In fact, this method, with slight adjustments, has even allowd for me to achive an OCC Diety AC launch. Sorry solo-you still remian my Civ idol, however.

So has anyone done better than this? Please don't tell me that milking the game and endless micromanagement has produced a higher score. 16,513 will live forever!!!!! (even though I achieved before anyone bought the game, and now that many of you can do the same or better).

I hope that this will allow everyone to play the game and not really care about the scores they achieve.

[photar74]

I mean before almost anyone bought the game. It was way back in November.

[notyoueither]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but 34,654 is entered at CFC as the highest deity score. It was milked. Other than that, my money is on our boy Aeson to crack 35,000 with the snooze fest he is engaged in.

[DrSpike]

Also things are trickier since 1.07. No perpetual immortal rushes and no infinite forest exploitation. Early conquest/domination games on a tiny pangaea maps aren't that impressive IMO, especially with the 1.07 rushing.

[photar74]

I must admit I am bummed to hear that milking the game results in huge scores, much bigger than simple quickie strategy.

Oh well, maybe I won't ever become good enough at Civ3 for a challenge to the 35,000 to seem realistic. It certainly would be better for the rest of my life if I can continue to not play the game ( and especially if I never become very good).

[photar74]

I knew it wasn't impressive--that was the whole point. I was simply hoping that an idiotic strategy such as Immortal rushes would somehow save us from those six-month long snooze fests. If idiocy had been able to achieve higher scores than painful drawn out games, then none of us, especially me, would ever feel compelled to engage in snooze fests.

Oh well. How long ago was the score achieved? Like I said, it has been five months since I last posted.

[AJ Corp. The FAIR]

Playing against two players on a tiny map is way too easy and unchallenging.

Try again on deity on eg a standard map with the default (8) AI civs included.

I never set up games for too easy purposes. I'd restart if I get a lousy starting location though.

Tell me again if you'd win that easily with normal settings.

AJ

[notyoueither]

SirPleb's game showed up on CFC sometime in March I think.

Aeson is currently playing his. Last I heard it was taking him about 30 or 45 minutes per turn. :yech:

[photar74]

I don't have the game in my apartment anymore, so I won't be able to play again soon, no matter the settings.

Be happy to spank diety sometime later on in May, however.

[Aeson]

SirPleb has submitted a 48k game IIRC that will be in the next CFC HOF update. I probably won't be able to get mine in by then, depends on how quickly Duke can get the update finished. It's hard to predict exactly what my score will be by 2050AD, as I am only at 1300AD and my population is still waiting on hospitals to be built everywhere. If I were to just end turn to the end though, the score would be about 52k as the game is right now.

The CFC HOF only accepts 'default' rules games with the current patch. With Domination turned off, on a 256x256 map, the 'max' score would be insanely high. Just running through the math quickly I got 540k for a max turn score. That would put the overall score at close to 300k. Of course it would take a thousand hours or so to play out... assuming the computer you were on could take it!

My best score by early conquest is a similar game to your's photar74. Only I used the Germans (Spearmen/Archers) against the French with culturally linked locations on a Tiny/Archipelago map. I just wanted to see how well it would work without pop rushing or Immortals. Finished off the French in 1650BC. Really not a very satisfying way to win though. Took 15 minutes to play.

[photar74]

No-I know the whole deal isn't very satisfying. Still, I think that immediately after the game at least I felt better than I did after my five month 2391% on Civ2. I still shudder to think how much of my spring and summer of 2000 were wasted on that game.

I am very impressed by your achievements Aeson, I was just hoping for a way to circumvent even thinking about engaging in a huge project game.

I urge to to set the bar as high as possible, so others will be afraid to even try!

[notyoueither]

1300AD? 45 minutes per turn? See you in a few months.

[Aeson]

Actually it will be done pretty quickly now. The last AI is under wraps and all I have to do is build some hospitals and mass transits. Then clean up pollution and hit end turn till 2050.

I'd say less than 20 hours (playing of course) to finish.

[notyoueither]

I want to see it.

[Aeson]

Screenshots or the actual saves?

[notyoueither]

The score. And a pix of you the moment you finish it. With clothes on please. Wear something orange.

[Aeson]

I'll try to remember about the clothes!

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by photar74


I am very impressed by your achievements Aeson, I was just hoping for a way to circumvent even thinking about engaging in a huge project game.

I urge to to set the bar as high as possible, so others will be afraid to even try!

What is the point to this? Why play the game at all, it IS a huge project game. That is why most people buy it.

If you don't want a huge project game, play RTS games like Starcraft or Command & Conquer.

[Aeson]

Sorry, no picture of me available from when I finished. Seems the cord to our digital camera is missing I was wearing orange though...

Took me a little longer than 20 more hours, but not much. I did fib and just hit shift-p until no more workers would go then the end turn icon for the last 100 turns or so. Probably cost me 2-300 points.

Final score was 63545. Should be in the next update of the CivFanatics HOF (I actually 'won' this time).

[DrSpike]

Awesome.

But the men in white coats will be around shortly.

[Aeson]

I'd be perfectly happy in the assylum as long as I get to keep my computer and internet connection! (with the proper padding of course)

[Arrian]

Aeson,

Err, um, wow.

Looks like you launched your attack in 1500bc and were done around 1300AD? Or did the settler flood start in 1500bc and the attack in 148bc? Just guessin' from the graph

-Arrian

[Dominae]

Well done Aeson!

Now, do it all over again, with the Aztecs!


Dominae

[Aeson]

Well, the first jump in power was purely from peaceful expansion. 1500BC is usually my target date for 'critical mass'. I didn't fight any major wars until ~150BC when the Americans attacked me. After that I was constantly at war with someone until the world was mine, except for a grace period between the advent of Infantry (~700AD) and Tanks (~1000AD).

I should have shown the powergraph, as it is more indicative of what was going on.

By the way, I love the fact that my 26 future techs added a whopping 17.6 points to the score!

[notyoueither]

Well done!

Do you plan on ever doing another like it?

[Arrian]

Aeson,

What was your city spacing? Somehow you pretty much kept up with the AI's in the peaceful expansion phase on Diety, which I find pretty amazing.

Looks like you did get a little lucky with the civs that popped up - no one with a really powerful ancient UU. The Aztecs could have been a pain, but not having to worry about Immortals or Legions must have been nice.

Did you end up fighting pikemen with your MW's? Or did you use your scouts to deny iron?

Having never tried Diety (messed with Emperor once, but I was drunk so I don't really count that), I'm curious as to how one modifies ones strategy to deal with not only the AI bonuses, but the quicker technology pace. I mean, by the time you build up a large attack force... isn't it obselete?

-Arrian

[Aeson]

I doubt it.

It is interesting to try to max things out, but I'm not sure I could do any better (or even as good) in another try. Before playing this game my best guess as to a 'perfect' score (default rules and map types) was 60k. Surpassing that was much more than I was expecting.

If I thought I could do significantly better I would try again though.

[Aeson]

The AI tends to slow down in expansion once they hit a certain number of cities. I just try to stay somewhat even in number of cities up to that point, then I can take a huge lead very quickly. That was why I chose 8 AI, as there is much more open land left after the AI's expansion slows down.

I didn't use my MW's much at all. Just one limited strike against the Japanese to take control of their Iron before they had Samurai. Ended up they had an Iron source flip to them anyways... The English were the only other AI that had Iron. The rest I controled with a combination of Scouts and ROP's. It helped a bit, though the Greeks still had their Hoplites. By that time my Cavalry cut through them very nicely though.

Ancient Era units aren't very important on a Huge/Deity map with 8 AI. They become obsolete by the time you can produce any number of them and walk them to your nearest neighbor. Also for score you want the AI to build up as much as possible before you hit them. Gives more captured workers and terrain improvements are already in place. I used the Iroquois soley for Expansionist/Religious. I wasn't planning on ever using MW's, but was forced into it.

I don't think the AI Civ's I had were very lucky to be honest. Using Scouts to deny the AI Iron means that the Greeks are by far the toughest opponent in the Ancient Era. The Chinese and Japanese are the toughest Middle Ages opponents if they get their hands on Iron. The Germans are the toughest Industrial Age opponent if they have Oil.

If I had chosen the civs (not allowed for HOF) it would have been:

French
Egyptians
Persians
Americans
English
Russians
Romans
Babylonians

Industrious Civs are great to play against, the land is in better condition once I come to claim it. Expansionists do get their Scout, but it tends not to make much of a difference because the AI never builds more of them.

On the other hand, the map was just about perfect. I spent about 20 or so hours just running through Ancient Era's until I found a map that looked good (and practicing my settler flood). Considering how many hours I spent on the whole game, that was a pretty good investment.

[photar74]

Well done Aeson!

Shall we lay bets on how long this score stands?

I'm guessing until late summer-August maybe.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Aeson

By the way, I love the fact that my 26 future techs added a whopping 17.6 points to the score!

Wow, very ivery, mpressive Aeson. In awe. That future tech stuff sucks though. Wonder why they dropped it from the 5 points in Civ2?

I will have to try that scout tactic in my next game.