Rhye's and Fall of Civilization - Mayan strategy
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Mayan Strategy (UHV)
by Pacifist
(I just finished this in Viceroy mode so obviously I'm not expert, but here goes) IMHO the Maya are tough to play to get a high score (I got one step above Dan Quayle) because the cards are stacked against you:
1. you have to end around 1745 AD (too late for a really high score from UHV)
2. the Aztec are a necessary brake on early expansion into North America
3. the whole European continent is going to declare war on you sooner or later.
4. Holkan (the unique unit for Mayans) is a modified spearman, but you don't see any horses until the Europeans come. Some of the barbarians, however, have 100% bonuses against melee units and some have city attack bonuses, so most of the time you are playing a defensive game until gunpowder.
Early game (before the appearance of the Aztec)
You start out with 2 Settlers and 3 Warriors. Found Tikal on the spot (obviously it's full of jungle so keep in mind to develop Biology as soon as you can later). Move your 2nd settler towards Mexico and found Tenochtitlan. Use your 3rd warrior to explore North America (There's at least 2 villages, one in Texas and one in South Carolina or thereabouts). 2 Workers will appear and work on corn and mines. DO NOT FOUND ANOTHER NORTHERN CITY (i.e. Uxmal or Mayapan) UNTIL ABOUT 1300 AD (or you'll regret it when the Aztec appear--remember you cannot lose any cities to anybody, either by secession or conquest). If you don't want to deal with the Aztec secession issue, you can found Oaxaca (on the stone), which is a good spot (like a Panama canal, only in Mexico).
Techwise, you need to get Calendar by 600 AD so make sure you have the requisite techs (sailing, mathematics). Code of laws is also important as you will not make it in time if you don't start the Temple of Kukulkan (with stone I got it in about 10-14 moves). I built it in Tenochtitlan because the stone quarry is just too far for Tikal, so it's important for Tenochtitlan to have a monument early to encompass the stone tile. Build your tech tree to fill out all the pre-Renaissance techs (once you get a Renaissance tech the half price for tech development goes away). Feudalism (for longbowman) and/or Gunpowder are important because you need them to counter the Europeans (and they're so much stronger against the barbarians).
Civics wise, it's too late to found a religion (Islam appears in 600 AD) so do not worry about religion civics or techs (since you have "no state religion" as your state religion). Rather concentrate on getting Music to get your great artist (not if you're playing Monarch), Civil Service (so Tikal has a chance to build stuff among the jungles and lowlands), Hereditary Rule (as you'll need beaucoup Holkan and archers),
Dog soldiers and Jaguar warriors will come from the north (the south is protected by jungle) 2 at a time. With your warriors you can defend in cities, but obviously they will not save your improvements. So build 2-3 Holkan and fortify them in strategic locations around Tenochtitlan to catch these marauders. Obviously a barracks will be very useful.
Mid-game (Aztecs!)
Around 1180 AD the Aztecs appear around Tenochtitlan out of nowhere and you have to disagree with the flip of Tenochtitlan to them (otherwise you lose the UHV). They're really strong (several Jaguar and archers with 2 Settlers and 2 Workers). If you don't quash them early desertions from your army will make them unstoppable. Also, if you keep your strongest units south of the mountains, they will not desert to the Aztecs. So my strategy was to keep 1 weak unit on each tile that is not a hill around Tenochtitlan so that when the Aztec appear I can quash them with my 7-8 musketeers. If you get the group that has the settlers the Aztec will have no chance of founding a city, and eventually when the desertions stop, you can crush them. Do not make the Aztec a vassal (I made that mistake and even though it gave me some stability points with Viceroyalty, foreign relations with the Europeans were totally sabotaged by the Aztec later).
After the Aztecs are wiped out you can start building in Texas and maybe also in southern California. Do not build east of the Mississippi because the (late) Americans will take anything on the east coast, and I would rather have them as a friend and ally against England than a foe (they can trade military tradition and even rifling with you if you have democracy). I chose not to go to the Caribbean other than Havana because the Spanish will eventually get there and I didn't want a flip on my hands. By this time building settlers is actually important until you discover Biology. You can easy get a plague in Tikal due to the jungle and overcrowding (maybe that's how they died out in real history??).
The Europeans will appear, sooner or later. (I made sure it was later by building a caravel and circumnavigating around the South Pole (so as not to contact any civs other than the Incan who are truly your companions in war against the Spanish--the extra 1+ movement helps you. I also dropped off an Explorer in South America (where there are at least 3 villages). When you meet any other civ, you'll get the plague (better early than late). They'll appear all cautious, some even pleased to meet you but DO NOT OPEN BORDERS WITH THEM! They're all opportunists and will attack you as soon as it's feasible. Just as an experiment, I left Tikal without any units and sure enough, next thing I know Tikal was captured and I was exiled to Siberia to direct the Russian's civilization which was obviously behind the Mayan :p Most of the Europeans who attacked me did not have gunpowder (but their horses are legendary). So I countered with my veteran musketeers (who had tons of training with the barbarians and a great general) and before long their invasion was crushed.
Late game (till 1745 AD)
Do not get your techs geared towards Democracy until you've built all your important buildings (the 50% hammer with Bureaucracy helps Tikal more than Tenochtitlan which doesn't need any help with its hills and mines). And watch your stability marker because anytime you're unstable the Aztec could turn all your cities in Mexico to them. Economy tends to be important for stability because your trade is limited to the Asian and African cultures (most Europeans except for the Greeks and Catharginians (if they're still alive) are hostile to you eventually) and by choice you had to start with few cities till around 1350 AD. The infamous congresses will appear and the Spanish may ask for your cities (and you can ask for theirs and usually you don't get any as they're all against you)--another way for starting wars with them. Once you get to 1745 AD you win.
Final comments
Playing as a great "early" civilization that petered out (just like the Babylonians, Egyptians, Indians) while combining the difficulties of the colonial world (just like Ethiopia who has to deal with Impi and barbarians early and the pesky Europeans) is tough. History's a bitch and RFC captured it well. :]
Another Mayan Strategy (UHV)
by subanark
Situation Overview
You start with 2 settlers, 3 warriors, a good chunk of gold, and will receive 3 workers 2 turns later. Your power greatly reduces the tech cost until you leave the Middle ages (don't get techs in the Resonance period until you have all the middle age techs you want). You don't have much room to move around in, this does however make defending from land based attacks easier. You will have a good long period of peace to build up your defenses. Around 700(?)AD Barbarians will attack from the North. They will be initially Dog Soldiers (4 power +100% vs melee) but will also add in Jaguar (5 power +10% city attack, starts with woodsman I, can move though jungle). These will usually come in groups of 3. The Incan will arrive at 1150AD in the western side of South America. They are very weak and (at least in my games) ask to be your vassal when they meet you. A weak independent city will form just north of the cotton in south America; the Incan will be just below them. Aztecs will arrive at 1200AD. All units, culture and cities north of the two mountians and stone resource in Central America will be converted to them (make sure you have nothing in their area when that year hits). They will start with a moderate army of Jaguars and some archers along with 2 settlers (and get some workers later). Upon meeting with the Europeans or Africans your cities will fall under plague for a while. You will also receive up to 2 other plagues in this time frame. In the 1500s many European powers will declare war on you and a group of units (2 knights, 3 spearman?, and a catapult) from one of the european powers will appear somewhere in south or central America (this happens even if they don't have astronomy). World congress may also form; if another civ is close to you they may ask congress for one of your cities. America civ is born in 1733, 4 turns before you win.
Strategy
Found one city where you start, and another west on the stone. Although the northern area looks better, that will be Aztec territory and you will lose that city to them if you found it north of the 2 mountains there. Build up your defenses with archers to fend off the barbs to the north (position your units just outside the workable tiles and build forts there). Just make sure you get calendar by 600AD, and the wonder by 900AD. Once you got those two done you will start a golden age allowing you to change your civics without anarchy (you should have caste system and Bureaucracy by then, and Monarchy by the end of the golden age) and avoid the stability hit. Get Feudalism to build longbow men. By 1200AD you want a sizable army (9 long bow men should be enough) to destroy the Aztec as soon as they appear. Make sure that at 1200AD none of your units are north of those two mountains. When the Aztec arrive all of your culture will be theirs and if you don't destroy, your second city will lose a good chunk of tiles and will have almost no production. Taking the culture back will take a long time, and they will probably declare war on you anyways. When you have time, build a city in the northern part of south America to the right of the gold. Have a ship ready to transport units between the cities since your archers and longbow men can't go though the jungles. Pay Europe a visit once you get the tech. Once you do you will get the plague, but it is better to get it now than when they invade in the 1500s. Keep a good defense when they do invade and ask for peace asap. Go for Musketeers and hold out until 1733.
Worker orders
Have the workers improve the small amount of terrain they can. When your workers don't have anything left to do create forts at the 3 choke points just north of your second city's workable tiles. When Calendar is done to build a plantation on the dyes by your main city. Do the same for your second city when you get bronze working. After that build at least 1 fort in the jungle south of your main city to allow ships to sail though (the jungle prevents many of your military units from going though). Also build a road into South American to allow settlers and workers to get there faster.
Build orders
In your main city, build a barracks then 3 archers. After that use your judgment. In your second city, build a monument, barracks, then archers. Build the Temple of Kukulakan so finishes by 900AD (might as well delay it as long as possible). After that use your judgment.
Research order
Sailing (trade with your other city), Archery (archers), Math (pre-req), Calendar (plantation, goal), Code of laws (Wonder goal), Bronze Working (chopping), Civil Service (Bureaucracy), Monarchy (pre-req), Feudalism (Longbow men), ...
UHV on Monarch
by Virdrago
1. Tikal looks good, but food and production are key on the higher levels. I moved down S of the gems and founded Olximche as my capital, with Oaxaca as my second city (E of the Stone). You will get to mine the jungle, and also receive fish. On a side note, both cities now connect to the Atlantic and Pacific. Useful later, when you need to patrol both sides with ships.
2. Go straight to Code of Laws. The Temple of Kukulcan can been built while you are still researching CoL. If that happens, switch to another civ, or restart. I built the Temple in Oaxaca, while Olximche built a fishing boat, then barracks, walls, and military.
3. Calendar is easily attainable. After CoL, go straight for it.
4. Research Optics early, build a caravel, and beeline for Europe. Make sure you have Longbowmen by this point, and catapults (three should be enough). You will receive an early plague, and I had the Portuguese land by Olximche. Since they were backward, they didn't have anything more than Crossbowmen and Knights. I held them off (catapults!), and learned Gunpowder in time to mop up the last of them. Europe was never a problem again. Switching to their religion helped.
5. Keep building military in all cities. The Aztecs are coming, and Europe gets strong after you reach the Renaissance Age (you can keep up with your UP before then). I built some culture in Oaxaca, to help with the Temple's effects, and to buffer against the Aztec's culture.
6. I built one more city in Colombia (8-8-9 from Tucume), but that was it. Again, Dog Warriors will periodically come from the mountains. Have three units to defend (2 longbowmen, 1 catapult).
7. My lowest score for a UHV by far, but turtling did help.
Yet another Mayan Strategy for UHV
by Squirrelloid
You've got a pretty tight UHV, but a UP which will help you out enormously. If you play viceroy you can seriously out-tech the europeans to gunpowder. If you're sensible and play monarch you'll find the europeans are ahead in tech when they reach you.
Early Game: Found Tikal on the spot and send the other settler to found Tenochtitlan above the dye on a hill. Tenochtitlan should immediately build a monument so it will get the stone hooked up for the Temple. Your tech path should grab Sailing/Mathematics/CoL in some order (it doesn't really matter) followed by Calendar, and Tenochtitlan should start building the Temple of Kulkulcan no later than when you start researching Calendar. Once Tenochtitlan starts the Temple, you should chop all forests next to Tenochtitlan (mining as appropriate), and can chop most of the others - i'd leave one north of the mountain to your north and the one on the game to the west. This will be important for when the Aztecs spawn.
When Calendar finishes you'll get to see the year. Chances are you'll be pretty close to 600. I've done the Mayan start about 4 times with this research path, in 3 i made it to Calendar in time, and the last was 610AD. So some focus on commerce in tiles used by your cities is a good idea, because it really is that tight. If you missed, start over - its not that painful. The Temple should finish shortly after Calendar - i'm usually done by 750AD - which is plenty of time. Enjoy your golden age, and finish any other infrastructure you need. You'll also need a military force - archers are the best since there will be tons of dog soldiers from the north. For this reason, after Calendar you should grab archery next, followed by Bronzeworking for Slavery.
Until the Aztecs spawn, you shouldn't found any other cities in north america. Any close (and easily defended) cities will also try to flip to the Aztecs, which is bad. However, settlers and your UU Holkan (req:Bronzeworking) can travel through jungle, so you might decide to colonize venezuela, colombia, and brazil (but i haven't done so). Shortly before the Aztecs spawn the wave of native and barbarians slows down; move all your forces south of the dye near Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs will spawn near a forest, and move into the forest and sit there. Since those forests are next to Tenochtitlan, they won't actually make any move to take the city. Wait ~10 turns to make sure your units won't change sides, then send your army and destroy them.
After the Aztecs its time to expand. You'll want to expand up into the US heartland and to its West Coast - i like to found (approximately - Mayan names will be different) Los Angeles, Seattle, Santa Fe, I think its ~ houston (grabs the corn and spice just outside Tenochtitlan, but also gets the fish near the New Orleans spot), and somewhere near Chicago (make sure you get the iron). In fact, i'd found up near the iron first thing after the Aztecs, because you'll need it for military units. These will ensure you have access to coal, iron, marble, oil, and uranium (not that you'll get *that* far). This is far enough west that America won't flip your cities.
Now you just have to survive the european onslaught. Expect them in the mid 1400s. Quite honestly, trade for engineering as quickly as possible so you can build pikemen (probably from your *second* european contact, but I had the Persians settle in SAm in the game i played to completion, and they aren't a colonial power so we could be friends from the get-go, and they were in SAm centuries before the europeans found me, so i traded for engineering shortly before europeans arrived). Until then, garrison your strongest unit (probably longbows) in Tikal in large numbers. They'll probably get 2 cannon, a musketman, 2 knights, and 2 pikemen near Tikal. Sit tight, weather the attack, and make peace as soon as they get bored. Make friendly with the europeans, adopt their religion when it spreads to you. Shortly before you win your UHV, America will spawn. Make friendly with them too. You're a lover, not a fighter - let the europeans squabble amongst themselves and leave your cities alone.
Emperor strategy
by Pacifist
Well, as of right now (1/08) there is NO strategy. I have partial solutions but until Rhye decides in his infinite wisdom to get the research discount back to 50% AND delay the AI's pursuit of the Temple of Kukulcan (just like he delayed the Statue of Liberty for the Americans), there's is no win. You can start out as Hammurabi and kill the Indians with your first warrior, send out archers to kill Egypt and Greece and at least harass, if not destroy, the Chinese. Rome you can't do much about since their Praetorians are too powerful, but you can declare war on them. This will reliably delay the Temple of Kukulcan at least till 600 AD. The problem is that right now, no combination of city founding (Tikal/Oaxaca; Oaxaca between the corn and stone/Tlaxcala up north on the coast; Olximiche is even worse because you don't have time for iron working to build a mine in the jungle) will allow you to get Calendar by 600AD, even if you take the straight route of Sailing/Math/Calendar. The closest I got was 3 moves (after building libraries in both cities and hiring 4 scientists). Trying to bulb Math with a scientist is impossible because you cannot build the library in time. I tried Bronze working first to chop forests up north but that leaves you 6-8 moves to Calendar.
And this is not even researching important defensive techs like hunting and archery for those tons of dog soldiers later...
Generic strategy
by Tijn Vaassen from The Netherlands
Hello. As a huge fan of playing the Maya's. Because of the underdog-position. I would like to give a few hints to try at the early start to make them as powerful as the European civs as soon as the industrial era. You can't combine this strategy with the historical goals.
Start to found Oaxaca as your capital NEXT TO the stone resource. Don't found Tikal, instead build a workshop at that tile if you can to have some hammer for the city of Chichen Itza. As your second city found Olximché. Later you can found Chichen Itza for the dye and crab resources. Be sure to have feudalism before the Aztecs and conquer them as early as you can with your longbowmen before they have them too.
With expansion focus on the northwest and also try to colonize the Caribian. I advise to found a city on the island below Cuba for the sugar later in the game. On the tile for Havanna, build a workshop for your one-tile-island-city. The plantation of spices on Cuba gives some extra money and food. You already would have a spice-resource near Tuitán. Also try to found a city on the island that would otherwise become Santo Domingo or Saint Domingue. Leave south-America alone, otherwise you can't reach it to the Seattle-Vancouver-site before the English.
Hold of the Europeans and later the Americans on the mainland with expansion to the north, but focus especially on the rocky mountains and the west-coast, where the Spanish and English want to settle Seattle, Vancouver, Los Angeles and San Fransisco. Be sure to take this area, which is very useful, before they do. I have made some great Mayan Empires with this strategy. Only downside is the Aztecs who sometimes 'come back' and take your very productive cities, like Tenochtitlán and Tuitán.
Also try to have libraries is all your cities as soon as possible for research, but also culture. Which will be important when the American civilization will be your neighbour. Later also try to start with a forge in all the new cities as the Maya's always have to build them, because otherwise the progress of city-development will be too slow. You need to have powerfull buildings of your empire becomes big, like courthouses and markets, because of the stability becomes fragile in the late game. I learned that the 'cities' rating in the F2-screen is very influential.
I hope you can enjoy this strategy as I have numerous times.
BtS UHV 1.186 (monarch)
By The_K
This is actually very simple now. So just a few general guidelines to help you make this a nice and enjoyable experience.
Build capital on the spot (Yax-Mutal). Build second city (Huaxyacac) on the stone (west of capital).
As for research, go straight for calendar. That means sailing-math-calendar. After that, go for code of laws and after that bronze working. Send a warrior to explore north america and get 2 goodie-huts.
You should build a library in both cities. Also, cultivate the area around your cities (see picture) for best effect. Have a scientist as well. Following this strategy you should easily make calendar by 600AD. When you develop code of laws start building the Temple of Kukulcan in Huaxyacac. As soon as you get bronze working get the Temple finished faster by cutting down the nearby forests.
Use the opportunity to switch to slavery and hereditary rule.
Now you should research archery. After that it doesn't really matter. You need Feudalism to get longbowmen and vassalage (civic bonus). Also, stay in the middle ages technology wise.
Build archers (later longbowmen) to defend from barbarians from the north. They will probably pillage your improvements a few times but that's not a problem since your workers will have no more work. Build Uxmal when you can. That city will have a lot of food and using the whip it can end up quite nice.
When the Aztecs appear get ready to fight. They will probably declare war at one point but they can't hurt your longbowman. You'll need a few longbowmen and perhaps a catapult or two to destroy them. I attacked them with just 3 longbowmen just as the plague finished. Destroyed their capital and they collapsed a few turns later so I picked up their cities. You really only need Tampico, feel free to destroy anything else (you don't even need Tampico but it's nice to have it as a defense outpost).
That's all there is to this. When the europeans come be nice to them. Open borders, trade technologies, give in to their demands... All in all, you should be at peace for the rest of the game. The only problem will be barbarian privateers.
