Civilization III

[Micaiah]

In my humble opinion: The Greatest Strategy Game ever created.

Officially: The Best All-Around Game of 2002.

If any of you have played this you know it, to coin a phrase, "truly rocks."

I am currently playing as the Americans on the actual world map. I have disposed of the arrogant Aztecs who were consistently plauging my southern territory and verbally harassing me. I now, however have no buffer nation between me and South America (which can easily be called Barbaria because it is INFESTED with nothing but Barbarians.)

Long before I rid the world of the Aztecs however, I was forced to destroy my dear friends, the Iroquois. I and their leader Hiawatha had become best friends and commonly traded technology, commerce, etc. But my nation was rapidly expanding and they were concentrated from the Great Lakes to the Mid-West. Since I couldn't bring myself to attack them without cause, I declared that their recent stationing of troops inside American territory was a threat to American sovereignty. The war was very dynamic, (if you like, I could give you the details) but I came out the victor.

At present, I am claiming all of North America (some tundra regions in Canada excluded) and the connecting land between North and South America. I also have cities and colonies established in Greenland, as well as one in disputed European territory. I am expanding to the Hawaiin isles and intend to try and settle Australia.

After typing all that, I forgot what else to say.
If you would like, I could keep you informed as my Empire progresses.

[Nivoraw]

Yea it is a rocking game, but I got it when I had my old slow computer and the game I was playing, I was doing well, but because I had the map seeting on Giant it made gameplay slow as I explored. So now with my new computer I may play it , you have just inspired me.

[Figgy]

I've got Civnet...go me. I haven't had a chance to play Civ. III yet, but it looks good.

[AgentLane]

A few pet peeves before I get into the good parts:
Firstly, I was a bit disappointed that Civ3 didn't have multiplayer built into it when it was released.
Secondly, seeing my WWII era battle ship get sunken by a Civil War Iron Clad...angers me. So too, does seeing my nuclear submarine get blown out of the water by the very same Iron Clad...what, did they have underwater cannons back then??

Needless to say, the game needs some serious balancing. If other civs can't advance fast enuf, tough luck.

Anyway, I was playing as the Americans as well, although I started off in South America. I quickly took out two civs (the Germans and the Romans) to the north in a massive horseman rush, my hastily built roads and resource-laden cities aiding me, and secured all of North and South America by the early stages.

With dozens of cities slowly spreading culture boundaries like a blanket of doom, barbarians were never a problem (for the fog of war was nearly eliminated in my empire). Needless to say, my empire, with its high science, culture, army, and isolation, quickly became twice as powerful as the other civs. I haven't finished this current game yet, but I imagine once I start churning out the tanks and transports, the world is mine. Muhahah!

BTW, great tactic, surround a civ's cities with tons of artillery and defensive units and pound them into submission. Then, even better, negotiate with them. If you outnumber their forces, you can get them to give you almost anything! I got one civ to give me all their gold and every city they had left except their capital for a few advancements and some trade goods. Then it was only a matter of time to finish them off...

[The Jacket]

Just last night, the very first World War ensued after I attacked Germany for settling on Greenland which I had already claimed. I persuaded Japan, France, Greece, Russia, and Rome to join me who proceeded to convince Persia, Zululand, and India to join the fight against Germany, England, and the two weakest civilizations - Egypt and China.

I came out the victor as I removed Germany from Greenland, though losing several of my own cities there to the English, I forced Germany to surrender and made them give me 7 or 8 of their cities. I also defeated the English by bombarding one of their biggest cities' improvements and means of navigation. I found out later that Egypt and China had not directly declared war on me. If I do not secure a victory by military, cultural, space race, or diplomatic means then I have a Histographical victory locked with nearly double the second place nation's score.

I might note that the World War (which is now over for America but still being fought elsewhere) has so far knocked Germany out of 2nd place and replaced them with Greece. Last place is China who only has one city and a worse score than the Aztecs and Iroquois which no longer exist.

I now intend to regroup, make a few deals, get my scientists back to work, and see if I can't remove the Barbarians from Australia so that it can be settled by America. Manifest Destiny is complete, and isolation may not be a bad idea while the rest of the world rages in war.

[Figgy]

I started playing CivNet again. I've just started so they're not much to say about my 'empire' at the moment...I haven't even found any other civilizations...

[AgentLane]

Heh...don't you just love it when one seemingly isolated incident escalates into World War? Gotta love those secret treaties...

[The Jacket]

I just realized that my west coast is quite vulnerable should my Japanese friends betray me. (They are currently 'annoyed' with me.) Yikes.

Not to fear though, my east coast cities of Washington, Trenton, and New York City are reeling off Destroyers like there's no tomorrow. *whisper* But there IS!

[AgentLane]

Of course, you could always bribe them to stay friendly. Give em a good deal on resources or some gold and BOOM, back to polite...that is until your army is ready to go over there and crush em.

[The Jacket]

Japan and I are currently more relaxed, we just helped eachother destroy the Chinese who for some reason, never established themselves as even a Mid-Major world power. Egypt is down to one city, and could be gone tonight.

I am dominating the Histograph and on the verge of doubling the second place Greek score. But they can't seem to stay out of conflict with the Persians, thus opening a chance for Germany to re-assert itself after it's post World War decline.

As for America, I am currently at war with England. They insisted upon stationing troops in the U.S. so I am bringing them down with a MASSIVE naval bombardment. Not to mention the Bomber and Fighter I have stationed in a city I apprehended from them, who have been and will be striking at the English cities (which are now down to 4 or 5.)

I may be able to win by diplomatic means if I can win the Presidency of the United Nations when I finish building it. But there are only around 55 years until I can win via histograph. I recently learned that every other leader was annoyed with me, so I began giving cities that I took from Germany, who took them from other nations, BACK to their original owners, and some originally German cities to Rome and Greece.

I just forget what else I was going to type so I'm going to stop.

[AgentLane]

Hahah! Giving cities away to win the election huh? Now that's some bribery... ;D

Hey, ever noticed how awfully annoying it is when you tell some country to get off your land and then they move right back into it the next turn? Or how about the AI building cities within your empire in every little tiny dot of land you DIDN'T think to cover...or worse, using your own "Get-off-of-my-LAND!-treaty" to speed their movement to the last portion of un-used land on YOUR landmass!

I've had cities starved to death because some other civ establishes a city cutting into your culture zone (thus cutting off needed food squares) and then they get pissed at you for being on THEIR territory...almost makes you want to take them out if it wasn't for all their dang allies.

[The Jacket]

I made peace with England last night before I went to sleep at the computer. I got two cities as well as 90% of their gold. I didn't get to recheck the histograph, but I'm no doubt standing on the edge of doubling the Greek score.

I've got no quarrels with any other nations now.

Formerly, I was on the same page as the other world powers as far as technology goes. I usually had one thing they didn't have, and they had one I didn't have. But now, I am beating the pants off of the other scientists. I have flying, rocketry, and other high advances. I'm the only nation in the modern age.
Much like in real life, noone attacks continental America because of my huge defense.

I am sending some Riflemen into South America because there is much gold, aluminum, rubber, silk, etc. to be taken. The only problem is the massive amounts of Barbarians.

And one more note: I have made all of this progress with NO HORSES.

[AgentLane]

That's pretty cool. Although if you're in the modern age, tanks come in handy, as do railroads. Usually I make sure to set up continent-spanning networks so I can bring tanks to the front with all possible speed. Airports are great too.

Another quirky thing that happened: My army of tanks was somehow repulsed by a city of musketmen, even after bombardments from my battleships and B-17s...whatever. Like that would ever happen.

[The Jacket]

I'll have another update to do, but I just bought the Civilization III: Play The World Expansion Pack and I;m going to install it. Do you have PTW? If so, could you explain how I would go about playing online with it?
Thanks for any help.

IN THE NEXT UPDATE: The Americans discover Nuclear Weapons before the rest of the world even has Flight.
;D

[AgentLane]

Unfortunately, no. I didn't really agree with paying money for something that should have been a patch or a free add-on. As for my update...the dang UN is taking forever to build and I fear that the game might be over before I can try and win by diplomacy. I disabled everything but the diplomacy, conquest, and culture victories (mainly due to the fact that no other civ seems capable of actually winning by science). And as I'm playing on the largest map type possible AND am stuck on N and S America, I don't think that I'll be winning by conquest any time soon. Oh well...guess I might have to settle for victory by histograph.