How to get a good start.

Obese Monkfish · November 17, 2002, 15:32

My starts all seem alike. I dash to Monarchy while constructing a road network, mining, etc. Is this the best way to start? Can anyone recommend any good starting goals? What do you do about jungle at the start? If you build in it, the cities are ****, and if you let the enemy build in it, then it's like a thorn in your side.

Wittlich · November 17, 2002, 16:42

Well, my tactics are similiar...but I first try to get the Great Pyramid wonder (free granaries on same continent) - Then I make a bee-line for Monarchy.

Concerning Jungles ... Yes, they are a pain. If I find myself starting out surrounded by jungle terrain, I place a city away from the jungle terrain (preferably with cows/wheat - basically, food production. Then I use this city to pump out workers. To clear jungle terrain fast enough while in the beginning of the game, I have 12 workers in a stack working together as my "Jungle Crew". Once a jungle tile has been cleared, the crew builds a road (and a mine if there is a shield present. This way, as I add more workers to my stack, they can follow the road network to the next jungle tile to be cleared at the optimum movement rate.

Cyclotron · November 17, 2002, 17:36

I always settle jungles, because I hate having the AI settle in the middle of my empire. Occasionally, I encourage the AI to settle there if I plan to go to war with them, because when they place their cities they clear the tile of jungle. I then raze their cities... and free grassland tiles.

ducki · November 17, 2002, 18:42

Try cracker's Opening Play article.
http://www.civfanatics.com/doc/civ3/...r/civ3_starts/

Is this like what you are looking for, or something more like Theseus' "Winning Early..." thread here?
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...threadid=58720

HTH

DrFell · November 18, 2002, 10:32

I don't build as many mines anymore early on I prefer to use my workers to build roads etc to hook up luxuries and strategic resources, and if I'm not playing on deity or going for an early rush I beeline for republic, much better than monarchy in general. If I'm early rushing, I go for the wheel first unless I have an iron based special unit. Hook up horses, crank up taxes, build a load of chariots and upgrade them all to horsemen later on. Then proceed to kick ass.

planetfall · November 18, 2002, 19:15

DrFell,

Didn't you mean to say "crank down taxes" to create funds for your horse upgrades?

== PF