(August 11, 2014 at 12:49 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Yeah, probably time to take the training wheels off, Napo. Prince difficulty isn't really much different. (Confession: I occasionally play at the easiest difficult when I just want to roll the map.)

Like Chad said, one of the main reasons I don't like Civ at higher difficulties is that it seems to give the CPU bonuses, thus leaving you at a disadvantage. Just seems a really cheap way of increasing difficulty. Having said that, I know I'm playing it too easy, I'm only playing my 3rd game though. I've messed with all the time settings so it plays a fair bit longer now, I can produce units within a couple or so turns but tech takes about 15 turns on average. Makes the game play a lot better IMO, you actually get to use those specialist units without them becoming obsolete after 5 turns.

(August 11, 2014 at 1:20 pm)Chad32 Wrote: There is an option in advanced settings to turn barbarians off, but then you won't have the exp, gold, and culture fodder.

I would expect anyone's early game to be weak, and their late game to be strong. That's the reason some civs have special units in the ancient age.

I feel like my early game is really fucking bad though, the extra/stronger barbarians really fuck me up. The other CiV's seem to more aggressively try to settle near me too. Usually I at least have a little space to get going.

I didn't want to turn them off for similar reasons. In long periods of peace the bandits are good if only to keep things going. They add a lot to the game with the city state relationships, gold, exp and peacetime entertainment.

I think I just need to take the time to figure out a better way to sort out my early game. Perhaps play more aggressively early on and go straight for a domination victory.

So I've successfully downloaded the game (game of the year edition) from piratebay (as I usually do), the game came up fine and is running perfectly. Two questions:

1 - Can you give any beginner tips? Just the basic

2 - Is there a campaign mode?

(August 11, 2014 at 7:30 pm)Blackout Wrote: 1 - Can you give any beginner tips? Just the basic

2 - Is there a campaign mode?

Look back through the thread for question 1, I posted what I think would be a good set up for a newb. I guess just keep the tutorials on and play on Chieftain/Warlord, you'll get used to it soon enough.

As for 2, not quite sure what you mean... there's expansions and scenarios that give you certain... well... scenarios to play through. But I've only ever bothered with the normal game.

(August 11, 2014 at 7:30 pm)Blackout Wrote: So I've successfully downloaded the game (game of the year edition) from piratebay (as I usually do), the game came up fine and is running perfectly. Two questions:

1 - Can you give any beginner tips? Just the basic

2 - Is there a campaign mode?

There is no campaign mode - but there are an enormous number of unique scenarios you can set up even without mods.

It's a very complicated game, there's any number of ways to achieve victory, and how you play it will depend on which victory condition you want to achieve.

Basics: don't build more than four cities or you'll have trouble keeping your civ happy (later you can learn how). If you capture a city that has no strategic value, raze it, otherwise make it a puppet or annex it. Number of cities and high population leads to unhappiness. You need to balance economy, science, happiness, and culture - and faith if you go that route. Don't fall behind in technology. Try to control strategic resources, by owning the land they're on, or through alliances or trade.

(August 11, 2014 at 7:45 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Don't fall behind in technology.

Easily the most important thing.



Check out this too: http://www.reddit.com/r/civ/

Specifically: http://www.reddit.com/r/civ/comments/dh62q/

(August 11, 2014 at 7:30 pm)Blackout Wrote: So I've successfully downloaded the game (game of the year edition) from piratebay (as I usually do), the game came up fine and is running perfectly. Two questions:

1 - Can you give any beginner tips? Just the basic

2 - Is there a campaign mode?

No campaign.

If you're starting in the ancient era, which you will by default, you should choose archery first. Archers make good support units, but keep them behind melee units. Animal husbandry and iron working will show horses and iron. Unlock that, and let the resource locations determine where to start placing other cities.

Know your civ, and play to its strengths. You may want to choose Rome first, because its bonus towards buildings make it a good all around civ to play. Just decide how you want to win, and make buildings in the capitol according to that. You want high production, so finding an area with lots of hills and forests is best for Rome to start at.

A late ancient era tech will allow you to increase production in forests, so don't cut down any forest unless it's right next to a river or lake. Hexes next to rivers and lakes are best for farms.

Units move two spaces per turn, so you can move your settler one space and still put down a city on turn one. It would be best to save the game right away, so if you discover something nice you may want to reload the save to start going for that. You can buy hexes three spaces away from a city, but the border will expand past that. You want to spread cities out, probably at least seven spaces. Try not to box any cities in, like surrounding your capitol with satellite cities.

Roman legions, which you get in the classical era with iron, can build roads and forts, which allows you to keep settlers near cities for protection.

Having one luxury resource gives happiness. Having more than one means you can trade that with other civs for their extra resources.

Units that require strategic resources will suffer a penalty if they lose those resources due to pillaging. protect your resources and target theirs.

The policies you take will be determined by how you want to play. Just read them carefully and make your own decisions.

Booyah! Just finished my first game at Emperor difficulty, managed to get a time victory with a healthy lead. Took the two most powerful civ's capitals, but did not have enough time to take the other three. Given 20 more turns, I could have done it.

When the game was over, it showed me the "pointiest sticks" rating - I was dead last, 5th was more than twice as powerful and 1st and second (whose capitals I took and held) were 7 times more powerful. Moral of the story: if you use good strategy, you can beat any civ.

Nice. I have been able to defend from superior forces if the terrain is in my favor. Rivers, mountains, and so forth. Building cities near defensible areas may be just as important as grabbing resources.

Does anyone else have trouble using cavalry units? They attack well, but tend to die right after. Despite being able to move after attacking, I never seem to be able to move them enough out of the way. About the only use I get out of them is scouting open terrain. I could have them attack a unit just outside a city, but if you have units standing right next to your city, you probably have other problems.

Are they worth it? Am I missing something?

I never use cavalry (or other mounted units save tanks), but then again, I never play Pangea maps, I mostly play maps geared towards naval warfare.