A few questions...

[Chandragupta]

A few questions from someone who has been playing since Civ3 came out and played Civ2 for years before that.

I by nature am a builder. I can sometimes win on Regent with this method (but recently with almost no success) and simply cant win period on anything higher. I find Chieftan and Warlord far too easy and the higher difficulties impossible without playing the extreme warmongering path of the Immortal-rush (which doesnt work half the time). I feel my biggest problem is the (in my opinion) cheting tech-trading of the AI. They're in the Middle Ages while I'm struggling halfway through the Ancient Era, and someone nearly always beats me to the Great Library (typically Greece... dang you Alexander!) Any advice would be appreciated...

More specific question: How can I effectively use nukes without getting declarations of war from most, if not all, of the other Civs on the planet??

Thanks

Oh, and on another note (off topic though this may be) here's a funny link in case you havent seen it yet: http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3clues1000.shtml I recognized several of these, and you probably will too...

[vondrack]

Originally posted by Chandragupta
I by nature am a builder. I can sometimes win on Regent with this method (but recently with almost no success) and simply cant win period on anything higher. I find Chieftan and Warlord far too easy and the higher difficulties impossible without playing the extreme warmongering path of the Immortal-rush (which doesnt work half the time). I feel my biggest problem is the (in my opinion) cheting tech-trading of the AI. They're in the Middle Ages while I'm struggling halfway through the Ancient Era, and someone nearly always beats me to the Great Library (typically Greece... dang you Alexander!) Any advice would be appreciated...

Chandragupta, it is quite difficult to say without knowing more about how you conduct your games, but my best bet is that you are not trading techs enough. I have played several dozen games on Regent and moved to Monarch later, but from this point of view, there's no difference. Most of your techs in ancient and medieval times will come from trade, not your own research. Many veteran players even shut their own research (almost) completely after getting one or two key ancient techs and simply buy their way through the tech tree. It is the late medieval and early industrial times when you start pumping money into your own research.

The key to success is 1) exploration - the more civs you know, the more civs you can trade with, plus you never know what fine scientific goody huts you may find, and 2) trade - do not ever try to "keep" a tech only for yourself for too long. Your potential trading partners will get it from someone else... and you will lose money you could spend on getting a different tech you still lack. Every time there is a tech-oriented deal available, seriously consider it. If your partner has something valuable (like another tech, a civ contact, fair amount of money), try to make a deal. My experience shows that the best tactics in the early game is to keep on tech parity with everybody else. Every time I think I could keep Iron Working or some other important tech for myself, earning an early advantage, I soon find myself behind tech-wise...

I am a builder type, too. I seldom start wars... I usually fight back only. But Regent can be won pretty often even with this approach, believe me...

[alva]

hmm, you start off by using words like builder and not going warmonger and others.
So I'm thinking, ok, peacefull game of civ (not easy btw), then suddenly you're asking about how to best nuke your enemies to the stone age without to much damage and repercusions????

[Jaybe]

Chandragupta,
To use nukes, have everyone else also at war with your target.
One 'easy' way to do this in a peaceful world is to set up MPPs with your future allies, declare war on your victim and wait for him to strike the first blow. Leave a capturable unit on the frontier as bait if necessary.

[Chandragupta]

Thanks for the advice Vondrack. I'm trying out that approach in a game right now, and it's going pretty well (having the Great Library doesnt hurt either).

Clarification for Alva --> By the late (late industrial, early modern eras) game I'm usually well established enough that I can begin taking apart my enemies one at a time. At that point, rather than sit around and wait for the Spaceship techs, and since I play w/o diplomatic victory, I launch wars of conquest sometimes involving nukes. In general, how can you use them without bringing the whole system down on you?

[Chandragupta]

Jaybe: I've tried that, but my allies turn on me anyway after I launch an ICBM or two...

[Jaybe]

Originally posted by Chandragupta
Jaybe: I've tried that, but my allies turn on me anyway after I launch an ICBM or two...

Oh **** (feces)!! I suppose I was just lucky.
I had tops culture, Babylon (my target) had 2nd highest and I had to reduce him to get my culture win. Culture levels may have been a factor.

[Chandragupta]

That's an interesting theory. Never heard that one before, but it's a distinct possibilty. Where you also perhaps the dominant world military power?

[Jaybe]

Affirmative

[Chandragupta]

That may be why then, maybe they were all too afraid of you to backstab you? Maybe?