How to reach a score over 180% in Civilization. 1. Choose Level: Emperor. The game will be more difficult, but the final score will be greater (and 7 civilizations: the game will be more enjoyable). 2. The starting land is VERY important. You must have supply of food and ore. A river with one hill (or more) is the best. Note: this is a critical parameter. If your opponents take an advantage too wide, you will have enormous troubles to match them. If after a few moves you see that the land around your settlers is not very good, you will have to restart the game (if you do not want to waste your time). The civilizations controlled by the computer usually exchange their technology advance among them, so you cannot allow yourself to remain back (otherwise you will be -sooner or later- wiped away). Even if you use ALL my suggestions, if you do not start with a good land, you will never reach a great score (there is another way, though: load a Civilization patcher program, like Civedit or Civil-you can find them on Aminet- and choose to start with 4 settlers. Use 1 for creating the town and the other for making roads and irrigation. This might be a good compromise). 3. Set (for the moment) the Tax Rate to 0% (100% Science) and keep it as long as you can. Science is EXTREMELY important in Civilization, especially at the beginning. When the requester appears (after a move or two), choose Bronze Working or The Wheel. 4. Build a Militia and send to explore. Then begin to build (when your technology has advanced) a Phalanx (to defend your capital) and a Chariot (to explore the continent). Now build many Settlers and send them outside to create new cities. You will need 7 - 8 cities. Do not make buildings in this moment, or you will have to lower your Science Research Rate (and, I have to repeat, this is not good). Wait until your cities are bigger, then you can start to build temples (one for every city). Set the Tax Rate to 20%. 5. This is the MOST critical moment of the game. You have to discover: THE REPUBLIC (and -of course!- everything is needed for it, like Literacy, etc. Then claim a revolution and choose Republic as Government. You can also defend your borderlines with Diplomats). ASTRONOMY (you can build Copernicus' Observatory) - NAVIGATION TRADE (build some Caravan and send them in far and big cities. Playing this part is quite boring, since the Caravans are quite slow, but this is the surest way to boost invention - and money!- up.) But you MUST absolutely discover RAILROAD (and INDUSTRIALIZATION) before the year 20 AD. If you can, you are in a very good position. Use your settlers to build railroad. IMPORTANT. There are some technologies you do not need and that you should not develop (you cannot afford to waste your time!!!): Horseback Riding, Monarchy, Feudalism, Chivalry (and even Conscription, thought it gives very good units). 6. When your cities become bigger (5 or more) you should build a Marketplace, then a Bank. You should also increase the Luxury Rate (to 20%), if you see that many of your cities are revolting. You can also begin to build libraries and some Universities. You should NOT build Colosseums (since they are expensive to keep) and City Walls (except you have a town close to the opponent land). Wait to build Barracks (until you have discovered Combustion). 7. Build soon the Woman's Suffrage wonder. This is probably the most important wonder in Civilization: you can be at war with Republic. IMPORTANT: this is the greater advantage in Civilization!!!! 8. Discover ELECTRONICS and build the Hoover Dam wonder. Now you can breathe a little and (if needed!) you can increase a bit the Tax Rate (to 30%). 9. Now you have to wait for many turns, since you have developed new inventions. You can probably wait a bit before discovering Automobile, since you do not need to fight against pollution too early. You can build many Bombers, in this moment. 10. When you have discovered new inventions, you can begin to build many armies and send them to invade the land of your opponents. IMPORTANT: you should try to concentrate your attacks against only one town for every time. Begin, if you can, with the capital (once you have taken the capital, you can buy some of the other cities at a smaller price, using Diplomats). 11. Attack the cities with cities walls especially with Veteran Bombers and invade them with Armors or Mech Infantry. 12. Invade the whole world. You would need some time, but this should not be too difficult. 13. Leave only an opponent city (if possible you should pillage the land around it, and surround it with your troops. 14. Begin to expand your cities, and to found new ones. Let the Science Rate around 40%, so your scientists can develop Future Tech (you will earn 5 points for every new one). Sorry. This part of the game is quite boring, but it is essential to reach a great score. 15. When you have a huge population, you can begin to build the SpaceShip (make it bigger as possible, of course!). Then you can launch it. 16. Once the SpaceShip has arrived to Alpha Centauri, enjoy your name in the highest place of the Hall of Fame. You should have a score around 180% or more. You should be compared to 'Sol...' (discover it yourself!). That's all. I hope you will enjoy this tips... Thanks to all the guys that created Civilization, the best game I ever seen (up to now, of course!)... For comments, suggestions, etc. (or even if you want to test some strategic game of your own), please e-mail to: Luca Bazzoni bazzoni@aconet.it