[Freeciv-Dev] Gregurabi's Twelve-Step Program for World Domination

[Greg Wooledge <wooledge@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Forwarded message from Greg Wooledge <wooledge@xxxxxxxxxxx> -----

[snip]

Gregurabi's Twelve-Step Program for World Domination:

Step 1.  Open the science report and set your science goal to Monarchy.

Step 2.  Set your science rate as high as it will go (60% in recent
         versions).

Step 3.  Move your Explorer first so you get as much information as
         possible.  Use your other Settlers to build two cities about
         4 squares apart.  Set each of them to build more Settlers.
         When you get close to completion of one of them, buy it.
         You need to grow *fast*.

Step 4.  Meanwhile, use your Explorer to explore.  By hand.  Try to move
         outward in an expanding spiral.  Enter all huts you find ASAP.
         If you lose your Explorer to barbarians, you'll just suffer a
         little more, but it's worth the risk.

Step 5.  Whenever you build a new Settler, use it to build another city
         about 3-4 squares away from your growing empire.  Then have
         that city build a Settler.  Use any gold you pick up from huts
         to finish building Settlers.

Step 6.  About 1-2 turns before you research Monarchy, stage a revolution.
         Even under Anarchy, you still pick up 1 light bulb per turn per
         city.  Ideally you want to learn Monarchy right before the end
         of the revolution.  If your revolution ends too soon, start
         another.  Become a Monarchy.  Monarchy is the best government
         form in the whole game for city growth, because you don't suffer
         the food penalty of Anarchy/Despotism, but your Settlers still
         use only 1 food per turn.  Your people will now gorge themselves
         and breed like rabbits, especially near fish/game.  Later you'll
         be irrigating, of course, which helps even more.  Once you've
         learned Monarchy, your science goal is up to you.  It depends on
         your style and/or situation.  Try to pick up the Republic, Trade,
         Seafaring and/or Invention.  Set your science rate to the maximum.

Step 7.  Once you've got about 8-10 cities, you can turn your attention
         to Wonders.  The Pyramids are the best wonder to start with,
         since they'll double your growth rate.  If you get Trade, you
         can accelerate wonder building with Caravans.  Build roads and
         irrigate a few spots.

Step 8.  If you're on an island, or lost your Explorer, then you'll want
         to focus on naval technology early.  Get Seafaring, and then
         Steam Engine within a reasonable time frame.  Ironclads really
         ruin the AI's day early in the game.  Seafaring builds from
         Mapmaking, so you'll have Triremes for exploration and possibly
         transport.  It also allows Harbors (more food = more growth =
         more power) and a replacement Explorer or two.  Put one of your
         explorers on the nearest arctic spot and let him walk around the
         world, picking up any huts.  You want to do this early, though,
         since the AI will build cities in the arctic zones, and your
         explorer could be endangered.

Step 9.  If you're on a continent with AI opponents, then you'll need to
         eliminate it/them.  This demands a rather different early
         strategy (and is much more difficult, since this is where the AI
         does its best work).  Shift your trade balance away from science
         and toward gold.  Build diplomats and your best defensive units,
         and some good offensive units.  If your enemies have lots of
         coastal cities, you can pound them with ironclads.  Even if you
         don't ferry land units over to occupy the enemy cities once
         you've killed all the inhabitants with ironclads, the AI will
         still panic, and build more defenders in the city, which you
         can continue to kill off.  (Of course, only attack if you easily
         win the battles, and never with a damaged ship.  The idea here
         is that you lose nothing; withdraw damaged ships to your nearest
         city so they can repair themselves faster and then kill more
         enemies.)  If you have to fight overland, then draw the enemy
         out.  Fortify defensive units on mountains, hills and forest,
         to hold the AI at bay, and to provide cover for your offensive
         units.  Pick off any enemy units that offer themselves (exposed
         catapults, etc.).  Buy a few enemy cities with diplomats.  Don't
         rush.  Once you control your continent, you've basically won the
         game; the next 3 steps are just mop-up.

Step 10. Don't forget to keep growing, although you can slow down after
         a dozen cities or so (depending on how crowded the map is).
         Expand onto nearby islands, including arctic outposts.  Shift
         to Republic once there's no danger of enemies conquering you
         overland and you've got temples in your larger cities.  Let
         your people have some luxuries, and build trade routes.  Build
         up a treasury.  Stockpile a few diplomats; they have no upkeep.

Step 11. Focus on naval technologies.  Get Amphibious Combat, and build
         some (veteran) marines.  Build good (veteran) combat ships and
         some decent transport ships.  Build Leonardo's Workshop early,
         so your units will be upgraded for you.  Don't learn automobile.
         You can learn *rocketry* without automobile.  Build Magellan's,
         and if the lighthouse is still available, build that.  Don't be
         the first to learn Magnetism if you've got the lighthouse.
         Your attack fleet will now consist of one transport, at least
         one marine, and as many warships as you like.  (By now, cruisers
         are probably best, so work toward them; settle for destroyers
         as long as they'll work.)  Use your warships to empty an enemy
         city you'd like to own, then move your transport next to it,
         and unload one marine who can walk straight into the city and
         take over.  Then move the transport and at least one warship in
         (even if it's wounded).  On the next turn, sentry the marine,
         which puts him on the transport for free.  Use your warships
         to empty another nearby city, then move the transport over
         and let the marine (the same one!) conquer this city.  Your
         warship is defending the one you just took while it repairs
         itself.  At this point, the AI won't retaliate, though, since
         it's now scared to death and is trying to put more defensive
         units into its cities.  Which you're about to take.  When you
         feel ready to move your occupying warships out, you can let
         the occupied cities build defensive units of their own to
         take over that duty.  But you won't need them for long; if
         you take over that continent/island soon enough, you can leave
         the cities undefended.  Whenever you see an AI ship, sink it,
         especially if it's carrying something (has a '+').  If you
         rule the seas, the AI can't get anywhere near your undefended
         cities on your home continent.  You won't be letting the AI
         survive long enough to pick up flight.

Step 12. For variety, especially if you just took over an enemy capital,
         you can buy enemy cities with diplomats/spies.  Spies are better
         at this, of course, since they sometimes survive.  Be sure to
         "home" the spy to a nearby city of yours so it comes back right
         on the front lines.  AI cities are a real bargain, and sometimes
         you pick up lots of perfectly good defensive units and maybe a
         ship or two for next to nothing.  And Leonardo will help you
         upgrade them.

There are omissions here, of course.  I'm sure you can figure out what
goes in the gaps.

[snip]

----- End forwarded message -----

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"Daddy, why do those people have to    |   Greg Wooledge
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