Ok, so we all play Civ to enjoy the game/seek victory. However, many probably do things in the game that they know are counter-productive, strictly for personal satisfaction or stubbornness. What must you do every Civ game, that others probably don't do?

Raze every single city of my enemy and destroy every single of the improvements of my enemies. I've been cutting my path of death and devestation in my Arabia game. I just can't stop....I want to capture cities but I just can't bring myself to do it....I razed Size 15 Berlin to the ground, and Size 13 Hamburg, and size 12 Frankfurt. Its just so fun...they were massive and productive cities....but I burnt them anyway.... And then I burnt Athens which had a couple wonders...soon I'll burn Paris which has at least 3 wonders in it and is size 18. Certainely it isn't helping me much at all but I can't resist.

And I then proceed to pillage every single farm, platation, mine, road, quarry, and windmill of the enemy and leave the land barren and empty.

I like to build forts near busy borders with other civs and staff them with defenders. This is probably a little unnecessary but I do it anyway because I hate barbarians razing my improvements.

I'm very much the opposite of silver_2039. I just can't get myself to raze cities, nor can I bring myself to pillage much.

I try to do it every now and then but it feels wasteful to cause so much destruction :lol:

Given the chance, I like to build Wonders in the appropriate cities. Globe Theatre in London, Hollywood in Los Angeles, Broadway in New York, Eiffel Tower in Paris, and so on. But I've never played as the Egyptians, nor conquered them early enough, so have not yet built the Pyramids in Giza nor the Great Library or Lighthouse in Alexandria.
As for the earlier posters, what weird quirks ! Why devastate conquered areas which you then need to redevelop to gain any benefit ? Why not build the Great Wall and forget about barbarian invaders ?

Personally, I always have to take out London. I don't care if I lose the game because of it, so long as London burns (nuke or raze). Must be my Celtic blood.

Also, I must have all my cities placed perfectly together. I raze all conquered cities that don't match up nicely with my layout, even if they are optimally located.

If anyone 'sneak attacks' me (common Civ 2/3 thing), I raze ALL their cities until they are dead. TREACHERY!!

If someone formally declares war on me, then we war "peacefully" (if that's possible), until one calls for peace. If I am the winner, I leave at least 1 city to preserve their race, and ironically I defend that last city from others, unless they are English!

Why devastate conquered areas which you then need to redevelop to gain any benefit ?

Well for one I don't need to bother with resistance, since every who can resist is dead. I can preserve cultural unity without having to integrate diffrent religons or nationalities. I simply purge the land clean of my enemie, and then I resettle the barren areas with my own settlers. Besides I like to play in characther. If I am the Arabs I burn the cities of all infidel relgions. If I am the Mongols I burn all cities in general. If I am the Germans I burn some cities. The only time I don't burn any cities is if I am India, or France and such. It really depends which nation and which leader I choose to play as. Saladin for instance, Genghis Khan, and Napoleon lend themselves when to conquest and massacre but I refrain from that when I play as say Ghandi, or Elizebeth.

I try to be friends with everyone which usually means no one likes me. Even when a friend tells me to cancel deals with my enemies I can't do it. Also when I am in a conflict I can't bring myself to pillage tiles or raze cities even though I know that I can't hold the city I just took.

Personally, I always have to take out London. I don't care if I lose the game because of it, so long as London burns (nuke or raze). Must be my Celtic blood.

I do that against Berlin, must be my Dutch blood. And i hate the american, i can't stand them.

Oh, I also get PISSED if my workers are captured and disbanded. If they are enslaved, we're at war until my peoples are freed. If my people are disbanded (I look at it as execution/holocaust) then we're at war until the opposition is 'dead,dead,dead!'

I'm not always this bitter!!

If I play Ghandi, I am about peace only! If I'm America (this will never happen, I don't include them in my games, but if...) I try to play like a UN role, liberating conquered towns and returning them to their previous owners. (yeah yeah, old america... the modern age I would just steal resources?) =/

I have to have two archers per city but don't build many axemen for defense.

I stop building military units entirely when

a) my science bar is too low
b) I'm several turns away from researching a new military tech

I'm very much the opposite of silver_2039. I just can't get myself to raze cities, nor can I bring myself to pillage much.

I try to do it every now and then but it feels wasteful to cause so much destruction :lol:

Agreed i don't pillage unless nescessary as it will soon all be under my control either by vassilization or annexation.

Also, I must have all my cities placed perfectly together. I raze all conquered cities that don't match up nicely with my layout, even if they are optimally located.

If someone formally declares war on me, then we war "peacefully" (if that's possible), until one calls for peace. If I am the winner, I leave at least 1 city to preserve their race, and ironically I defend that last city from others, unless they are English!

I do those same things. I don't care if they have wonders in them or are 1 tile off. They burn if they aren't in a spot that I have designated a city to.

Also, I will never declare war on people that are at "high pleased" status or cancel deals, or stop trading with them - including techs. That doesn't seem too weird but sometimes I run across games like my current one where Japan is in Friendly status and beating me by about 300 points. Actually, they are the leaders of the pack. Followed by India by only 100 points, whom I am also Friendly with. Then Followed by Mansa whom I am at high pleased with. (Almost Friendly.)

They are all almost in the modern age and I am about to finally hit the industrial age. Yet, I don't want to invade. Japan and India are buddies, and my only hope really is that they will start to hate Mansa whom they are across the globe from. (unlikely) I don't think I will be winning this game but maybe I can pull something out of my sleeve. My only real hopes at this point are Diplomatic or Space Race. Although, if invaded either Japan or India my chances for winning would go up significantly.

I rarely make friends with the Arabs or Persians and I always play as Asoka.
I also always tend to become cautious with the Chinese.
Generally, I try to found every religion. A few times in 14 player games I have. (I always play atleast 12 player AI only)

The Great Library was pretty darn powerful in Civ II (Acted as "The Internet"...only much earlier in the game). It's still a good wonder, but not quite as good. I always try to get the darn thing now. I don't care what I have to chop, how much I have to whip, or if my guys have to starve. I want the damn library.

i kill alexnader

My quirk is that, once someone declares a war against me, I'm going to end what he tried to begin. I don't stop the war until my enemy is dead. If someone else joins the fray, I engage them too.

I don't chop really. I do build lumbermills, but I just get so guilty about destroying forests just to rush my luxury forbidden ball with teak flooring. I cringe when the AI clearcuts EVERY forest tile within their borders. Maybe designers could employ a no-chop policy within the Environmentalism civic? Chopping does influence health.

I like to have cities in their "appropriate" locations; no land-locked Boston, Las Vegas is always along desert, Rome set on hills, if possible. I, too, like to build wonders in their appropriate cities. Statue of Liberty always goes in New York.

If I'm playing as Rome or England, then it's a game of "die while I take all your cities and build a massive empire!" but generally I am a peaceful builder isolationist type. Also, if I'm Rome, England, or America, I am compelled to spread Christianity throughout the world.

I also tend to be perfectionist - every building must be built in every city. This is very bad for strategy.

I always play as the Incas. I start every game like this:
found cuzco
move my starting quechua to cuzco (first get any huts visible)
build two quechuas
build a settler
move one quechua with the settler to found tiwanaku
build stonehenge in tiwanaku
build pyramids in cuzco
Then I build the Great Wall in whichever city is done first, then build two quechuas and a settler in tiwanaku, build another city, build two quechuas and a selttler in the new city, build another city, then stop when there is no more room. I always protect my cities with two archers, two axemen, and two spearmen and upgrade them all to the best unit I can when a war starts. I also have recently lowered my tech level so that I always have at least +1 gold every turn, so I have the money to upgrade units. I will not leave my treasury stagnant! I always found Hinduism, then Judaism and switch to org religion, and Hereditary rule from the pyramids, and build the juwish and hindu shrines to make more gold.
Oh, and in my queue with the archers, axemen and spearmen, I always go: Barracks, Axeman, Spearman, Archer, Axeman, Spearman, Archer

I'm always trying to build wonders in the appropriate cities. This becomes especially problematic with wonders such as the Colossus of Rhodes or the Oracle at Delphi.

I also will often try to have the appropriate religion. This tends to result in everyone else being annoyed with me when I play a Christian or Islamic civilization.

I also tend to avoid civics I don't like. Thus, it's quite unusual to find me with Slavery or Police State, and I don't think I ever had Fascism in CivIII.

I also like to have Communism as my government when I play the Russians in CivIII (I have State Property no matter whom I'm playing in CivIV). This one isn't all that counter-productive, though - my best score ever was as the Soviet Union.

For some reason, I hate founding religions other that my first one. I guess this is because they might spread more quickly than my first one and I have to convert. I try to avoid researching code of laws, theology, meditation, philosophy, and divine right whenever I can, but I have gotten over Judaism because of Organized Relgion. MUST HAVE IT!!!

I can't resist building cities on sites where they create a canal between two bodies of water. With oceans, this is quite sensible, but I do it with lakes as well, just because I think its cool to make them accessible.

I try to found cities on the worst tiles in the area, on the basis that you still get the same minimum output for your city tile no matter how bad the tile is. Often this means a resource ends up being just outside my BFC. But I usually can't bring myself to settle on grassland, or (heaven forbid!) floodplains. Why waste a perfectly good tile when I'd get the same result from settling on desert or ice?

I usually plan to make a GPP farm, 2 big commerce cities and 2 big production cities, and end up with 5 identical commerce cities at rivers with hardly any production.

I'm very much the opposite of silver_2039. I just can't get myself to raze cities, nor can I bring myself to pillage much.

I try to do it every now and then but it feels wasteful to cause so much destruction :lol:

I used to be just like you, prolly because you weren't able to raze in the old versions of civ and because I loved the building aspect of CIV.
Playing has thought me though that CIViv was not meant for players (especially builders) to maintain a big empire in the early game, so you're practically forced into engaging war. In the old days my early wars would give me a bigger empire from a civ (or two) I annihilated or stn, but if you do this in civIV your empire grows too big too fast, so you're practically forced to raze another civ's superb cities, in order to maintain a decent economy.
Pillaging IMO is not worth it (not enough gold/pillaged terrain), unless when you're at war with a civ and you want to take out his key resources (iron, horses, perhaps even luxuries). You could always settle later on terrain that already has farms, towns, etc if your economy can handle new cities being built of course.

I always try to found judaisim because that is the only religion that has music I like. If i am playing someone who needs horses for their UU, and I don't find them I always start over. I tend not to play those people, but I like Cyrus too much. I like to go for cultural or diplomatic victories bercause I think they are mo0re challenging, but if someone suddenly declares war on me or a worker gets taken then I fight until the game is over.

I always build stonehenge and pyramids and if the AI beats me, I seriously consider quitting (except on the hardest difficulties.)

Ya I always try to build every building for each city. For every city I build near multiple hills to turn every city into a production city. Sometimes I'll give up good recourse just to get a hill in my city.

I build a lot of buildings that I may not need just because it's there to build. I could just build wealth or culture but not when my city doesn't have an airport. No, sir.

Oops, wrong thread. Ignore this.

But I usually can't bring myself to settle on grassland, or (heaven forbid!) floodplains.

LOL. I am the same way with Floodplains. I will throw my city scheme out of whack to salvage 1 more floodplains. Grassland I try to avoid but am not too worried about.

I always try to found judaisim because that is the only religion that has music I like.
I actually avoid Hinduism for this reason. I don't like the sound and it is actually the same sound from another game called Afterlife I used to play. It bugs me.

I like to leave my enemies with one city to their name -- preferably on a remote desert island -- so I can gloat and make arrogant demands. This is particularly amusing in my current game, in which five civs each founded a city on the same tiny island (there isn't room for a sixth). The Arabs and Carthaginians have already been exiled to it, and the Japanese will be within 15 turns.

I almost never build wonders until the renaissance era. If I pop a great engineer, fine, but otherwise, it's standard buildings, workers, settlers, and military forces only.

And I never use nukes, even though almost all my games go into the future era.

I will not split a large group of flood plains tiles between multiple cities. I will try to give one city as much of the flood plains as possible and I will base my city placement around giving this city as many flood plains as possible. As long as the city isn't unhealthy at size 1 - as long as there are enough health resources available - it can usually become a valuable commerce city or great people farm.

I tend not to found a religion for the sake of founding a religion. When I started playing CivIV, I - inspired by Sirian and Sulllas' hydra game - would always found as many as possible. It took a long time to break the habit and I don't intend to go back.

I need to see every tile on the map. I won't stop exploring until there's nothing left to explore. I'll build subs to send under the ice caps just to see the most remote sea ice tiles. It's excessive, really.

I'm very much the opposite of silver_2039. I just can't get myself to raze cities, nor can I bring myself to pillage much.

I try to do it every now and then but it feels wasteful to cause so much destruction :lol:

Same... I only destroy things when I'm really, really poor

Which I'm not usually

With me, It is very hard for me to just wage war, even when I've been planning to for the whole game. I don't know why... I just like to not.

I actually avoid Hinduism for this reason. I don't like the sound and it is actually the same sound from another game called Afterlife I used to play. It bugs me.

Hooray, another Afterlife fan! However, I *like* the Hindu music. It's my favourite of the religious tunes, and it was my favourite music in Afterlife's soundtrack too. :) Hinduism also gets a cool icon. I'm always pleased when it's worth my while to adopt it; normally I end up with Confucianism and Taoism for some reason.

I always build large late-game navy. And then it bugs me, when AI don't have any ships to sink. Luckily BetterAI is better with ships too.

I don't chop that much, I like forest and later lumbermills. And I don't specialize my cities that much.

Hooray, another Afterlife fan! However, I *like* the Hindu music. It's my favourite of the religious tunes, and it was my favourite music in Afterlife's soundtrack too. :) Hinduism also gets a cool icon. I'm always pleased when it's worth my while to adopt it; normally I end up with Confucianism and Taoism for some reason.

Hehe, I am seriously amazed someone knew what game I was talking about. :) Hinduism does have a cool symbol. I like Buddhism's sound, Christianities, and Taoisms. Those are my favs.

I like the Hindu sound. Taoism's creeps me out.

What I do is God awful... I build no military... at all, except for maybe the one per city to avoid my citizens from becoming angry. I really don't think that I need to go into an explanation as to why this isn't a good idea... I tend to set all of the AIs as peaceful ones, but even still, if they decide to declare war on me for whatever reason then I'm toast.

I just love to spread onto other continents. I'll often charge to Astronomy and settle on another continent...resulting two weaker groups of cities. But if I stay alive, I'm usually kicking ass on two fronts resulting in huge tracts of land under my control!

Also, I hold grudges forever...any civ that declares war on me gets put on the **** list :)

if i don't know what to build i usually take the second "Recommended" one

I like to leave my enemies with one city to their name -- preferably on a remote desert island -- so I can gloat and make arrogant demands. This is particularly amusing in my current game, in which five civs each founded a city on the same tiny island.
I've done this a lot back in Civ3. If I had a tiny island that was unstable, I'd give an enemy civ one of the cities, to appease them while I'd mass an army -- then I'd wipe them off the mainland, leaving them on the island. Once I had 4 civs on that island, leaving an entire continent to me, and the other the final battleground with the 6th civ.

speaking of civ3...

I used to plant forests on any tile that was unused within my borders, just to appease my treehugger side I guess? I dunno, but my lands always looked nicer, lol.

Same... I only destroy things when I'm really, really poor

Which I'm not usually

With me, It is very hard for me to just wage war, even when I've been planning to for the whole game. I don't know why... I just like to not.

I don't enjoy waging war that much either but I do love to reap the benefits of it.

Thinking of warring as a way to expand and obtain new resources has helped me break the habit a bit. I go to war not to kill, but to build ;)

In the late game when my workers have nothing to do I have to railroad every single piece of land that I have cultural influence over. I think it looks untidy otherwise. I think this comes from Civ3 where railroads gave bonuses to all tiles.

i'm somewhat stubborn in regards of researching. rarely i chose different paths than the one i'm used to and that works well most of the time. guess i shouldn't focus so much on all of those nice little techs ^^

I always end up going insane (playing Stalin) and nuke everything.....I think those nuke mushroom clouds are so nifty....

"Well, they glowed nice....."

- Stalin

Micromanaging. Especially workers. I know that using automated functions for cities and workers will make the game much quicker (and maybe make some better decisions), but I can't bear to give up the control!

Micromanaging. Especially workers. I know that using automated functions for cities and workers will make the game much quicker (and maybe make some better decisions), but I can't bear to give up the control!

Never automate your workers! It gives too many farms and workshops and too few cottages.

Oh, and I thought of another thing I like to do; When playing world map I alwas name the cities after their correct modern name according to their location. Sometimes I have to look in an atlas to get the correct name.

I'm not a bitter man, really. Early in my Civ IV career I was patently victimised and largely humiliated by Montezuma and his apparently limitless supply of elephants. Never one to hold a grudge. If he appears in any game, no matter how far I have to travel, no matter who gets in the way, no matter how difficult the challenge... I will destroy him.

I'm not bitter, really. :nuke:

As for the earlier posters, what weird quirks ! Why devastate conquered areas which you then need to redevelop to gain any benefit ?

Because if you can destroy a road that leads to a horse pasture or copper/iron mine, you can severely cripple your opponent.

I'm sort of addicted to diplomacy and balance of power instead of conquest. I can never bring myself to conquer unless I'm attacked, unless I definately need the resources and land of a weaker opponent to defend myself against a stronger. Space race is getting boring, though.

In the late game when my workers have nothing to do I have to railroad every single piece of land that I have cultural influence over. I think it looks untidy otherwise. I think this comes from Civ3 where railroads gave bonuses to all tiles.

Oh yeah speaking of roads, I don't road all tiles. I make specific routes throughout my empire. If I take new land where the AI has roaded a tile I don't like, after I make peace I go into WB and delete any of the roads I don't like. I have done this for so long, I can tell you what a road will look like on what tile before you build it. :crazyeye:

In further news:
Also, I will never declare war on people that are at "high pleased" status or cancel deals, or stop trading with them - including techs. That doesn't seem too weird but sometimes I run across games like my current one where Japan is in Friendly status and beating me by about 300 points. Actually, they are the leaders of the pack. Followed by India by only 100 points, whom I am also Friendly with. Then Followed by Mansa whom I am at high pleased with. (Almost Friendly.)

They are all almost in the modern age and I am about to finally hit the industrial age. Yet, I don't want to invade. Japan and India are buddies, and my only hope really is that they will start to hate Mansa whom they are across the globe from. (unlikely) I don't think I will be winning this game but maybe I can pull something out of my sleeve. My only real hopes at this point are Diplomatic or Space Race. Although, if invaded either Japan or India my chances for winning would go up significantly.
I actually got both victories. I got diplomatic first, then reloaded and never opted for diplomatic victory again to see if I could beat everyone to the sapce victory and I did. :goodjob:

BTW does anyone know how to remove victories from your HOF screen? I really don't want the space race from that game on there. I just wanted to know if I could get it.

Never automate your workers! It gives too many farms and workshops and too few cottages.

Oh, and I thought of another thing I like to do; When playing world map I alwas name the cities after their correct modern name according to their location. Sometimes I have to look in an atlas to get the correct name.

I thought it was too many farms and towns and too few workshops, that's what happened when i automated my worker.

Automated workers hook up resources, then go farm and windmill crazy and never build cottages or mines.

I must have elephants.

I always try to be the first to circumventing the globe, get Liberalism, build the Oracle and get all the other "free things".

Also I like to try to build the Great Wall, because I love how it looks on the map.

I seem to be hooked on Bismark. The combination of an explorer to get those goody huts right from the start and fast wonders is to much to resist.

I don't chop either, I love those forests and lumbermills. I always go for the enviroment civ and build hospitals wheither I need them or not. I work at a hospital, so there. :p

I try to get astronomy as soon as possible so I can colonize those out of the way islands. If they have a barbarian city, that's fantastic because then I can just sent a few Knights to take the city and don't have to waste turns building and shipping a settler.

Early game: Stonehenge, always, always. It sure helps get those early citys to expand out.

Middle Game: Astronomy and ships to expore

Late game: if I am not bored and haven't quit yet, try to build cities in the last few remaing spots and just turn them on automatic so I don't have to screw with them. I just want the population points to help if I have to go with a UN victory.

I always hit the Oracle as soon as possible and use it to get CodeOfLaws, founding Confucianism (Playing Elizabeth and Caesar mainly so not man chances for the really early religions.). I usually also found Taoism and Christianity, but for some reason I hate founding Islam. I never, never search Divine right if i have a sensible choice.

I hate Montezuma.

I... never build workshops. I really hate them.

I chop. Like hell. All forests not within my small X (four squares ,directly ,around the city - 7,9,1 and 3 on the numpad. This is the only places where they grant health in Vanilla 1.00.

I am nearly always the loner. - Last to hit the caravels, simply because I dont care about them. Also, I dont care about The Pyramids (stupid, I know, because that means my enemies gets Architects to finish more wonders I want!) or the Globe Theatre. I've never built the Globe theatre yet.

I backstab. Theres only a very few AIs I care for. Ghandi and Roosevelt, maybe Catherine aswell... In my first game I took to the end, I played the Inca. I was allied to France (Napoleon) and waging war with Tokugawa as usually. The was lived on and then, in 20-something, I finally completed The Manhattan Project. When I play Time victories, I unleash a serious wave of nukes on all threatening my score in anno 2049.

I always hit the Oracle as soon as possible and use it to get CodeOfLaws, founding Confucianism (Playing Elizabeth and Caesar mainly so not man chances for the really early religions.). I usually also found Taoism and Christianity, but for some reason I hate founding Islam. I never, never search Divine right if i have a sensible choice.

I hate Montezuma.

I... never build workshops. I really hate them.

I chop. Like hell. All forests not within my small X (four squares ,directly ,around the city - 7,9,1 and 3 on the numpad. This is the only places where they grant health in Vanilla 1.00.

I am nearly always the loner. - Last to hit the caravels, simply because I dont care about them. Also, I dont care about The Pyramids (stupid, I know, because that means my enemies gets Architects to finish more wonders I want!) or the Globe Theatre. I've never built the Globe theatre yet.

I backstab. Theres only a very few AIs I care for. Ghandi and Roosevelt, maybe Catherine aswell... In my first game I took to the end, I played the Inca. I was allied to France (Napoleon) and waging war with Tokugawa as usually. The was lived on and then, in 20-something, I finally completed The Manhattan Project. When I play Time victories, I unleash a serious wave of nukes on all threatening my score in anno 2049.

I love workshops! Those and watermills are brilliant in production cities when running State Property, the only real economic civic I tend to run except for Decentralization of course.

Chopping is something I also do a lot. I tend to think too little about what the hammers are going into and more about getting forests chopped so I can improve the land.

I also skip the Pyramids, simply because I think it's just too many hammers. Also, in Vanilla I was constantly beat to them so I mostly left them alone. I have noticed that the AI places much less emphasis on them in Warlords so maybe I should try building them more often. With that being said, I am not very comfortable with SE, one of the reasons I tend to skip them.

With all that being said, I probably build too little military early on. I rarely manage to annihilate my neighbour in the BC years, something I hope to work on because I have noticed how much of a huge difference it makes. I just can't help constructing all those shiny buildings instead ;)

The most stupid thing I've done is to make a revolution in a golden age. How can someone be so stupid?!

The most stupid thing I've done is to make a revolution in a golden age. How can someone be so stupid?!
Yes, I can. :sad:

I visit every city every turn and carefully consider if micromanaging is needed. I build less workers than I need, because they will take so much of my time in the endgame, when they really have nothing usefull to do.

I try not to found any religion, I only build missionaries in cultural games and I have yet to build a Shrine. And of course, I have never sent a missionary to foreign lands. Not only that: I even go as far as to consider other people founding religions a mistake, and I tell them so in the GOTM spoilers.

I absolutely love the fact that some people (sort of) role play CIV and aren't obssessed with finding the best possible strategy all the time. This is so refreshing to hear. It's not Chess. Here's to all those who just play for playings sake :thumbsup:

My only rule (when playing standard personalities, which I don't do anymore), is:-

1) If Isabella exists anywhere in the game, she must be utterly destroyed without mercy, even if she (heaven forbid) wishes to be your best friend.
2) You must then take off and nuke her from orbit (hey, it's the only way to be sure)..

Its in THE RULES you see ;)

...
BTW does anyone know how to remove victories from your HOF screen? I really don't want the space race from that game on there. I just wanted to know if I could get it.

There is a folder called replays that contains your HOF games. If you move a file out of there then it won't show up. Their names aren't very helpful, you'll have to experiment to remove the one you need.

C:\Documents and Settings\yourName\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Replays

I never built stables, their got obsolete. all building that are going to be obsolete are almost never build.

I name my units! Espiecally boats, but if I start early enough, sometime I do ALL units "5th Thebes Defense Division" "AES Montezuma CV-01" "32nd Fighter Squadron". Hehe. I'm a nerd.

Also, I build Coloseum's alot, because I like that noise it makes.

I get really annoyed if someone beats me to building Stonehenge.

I also have to discover Confucianism and Christianity.

mattr0cka


Ok, so we all play Civ to enjoy the game/seek victory. However, many probably do things in the game that they know are counter-productive, strictly for personal satisfaction or stubbornness. What must you do every Civ game, that others probably don't do?

<snip>
I... never build workshops. I really hate them.
<snip>
Hey, that's not because you're stoopid, that's because you have common sense.

There is a folder called replays that contains your HOF games. If you move a file out of there then it won't show up. Their names aren't very helpful, you'll have to experiment to remove the one you need.

C:\Documents and Settings\yourName\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Replays

Thanks a ton for this info Welnic. :goodjob:

1) If Isabella exists anywhere in the game, she must be utterly destroyed without mercy, even if she (heaven forbid) wishes to be your best friend.
2) You must then take off and nuke her from orbit (hey, it's the only way to be sure)..


How dare you!

Isabellas' a babe, in fact I always give her the gift of music.

Man I need a life.

mattr0cka

LOL. I always try to get her to be my ally. I find she is the hardest one to do that with though. That's one of the reasons I always play Random Personalities though. :)

LOL. I always try to get her to be my ally. I find she is the hardest one to do that with though. That's one of the reasons I always play Random Personalities though. :)

She's quite the character. She always seems to discover Buddhism. I'll take her over that harlet Catherine any day.
:lol:

Sometimes my units decide what to do on their own. I have a pair of Samurai who insist on scouting as a pair when I know one would do. I think they're in love or something.

I always f**k-up pre-chopping by forgetting to tell my worker to stop chopping, meaning that I end up chopping hammers for something that I don't really want (or at least don't want to build quickly). Must be about 80% of my "pre-chops" end up as actual chops through forgetfulness and stupidity!

I always f**k-up pre-chopping by forgetting to tell my worker to stop chopping, meaning that I end up chopping hammers for something that I don't really want (or at least don't want to build quickly). Must be about 80% of my "pre-chops" end up as actual chops through forgetfulness and stupidity!

You know i've got to say that i never chop. I like the health onus, and the fact that you can build lumbermills in those cities. Plus you get that extra hammer of production the entire game, and not just 90 or whatever to build the oracle. I only play on noble so far, so maybe it is more useful in the higher levels, but I just can't do it.

I'm a pacifist and don't like to see all I've worked for being laid to waste, so I usually play Always Peace and No Barbarians. This lets me focus more on improving science, culture, and health.

If playing a standard game, I don't like to be the one to declare war. I believe ethics and moral accountability applies whether or not it is "real life" because what is in the mind and heart is "real life". I believe what is done in a game is a reflection of who we are inside, and who we are and what we become inside can last forever.

(I'm a long time veteran gamer and had to toss out most of my games when I came to this stark realization.)

I try to found most of the religions and pick one to spread (usually Christianity since that is my background) to make my people and neighbors happy. I usually go for Astronomy and Physics as techs once available since that is my BA.

In my Hawaiian heritage, use of the stars for sailing was crucial. Hawaiians had their own constellations too. For example, the Scorpio constellation was seen as the demigod Maui's fishhook with which he pulled the islands out of the sea.

I like to go for Judaism, also, as someone else mentioned, I like to get the free things like Circumnavigating, the Oracle, etc.

Always adopt state property. On another note, a friend who also plays never goes for state property, doesn't even discover communism, he is British and always wants to get stonehenge, and found christianity, and gets upset when other religions start spreading.

Isabella must be destroyed, I try sometimes to be friends, but, she is too much of a pain in the arse. 1 game, she happened to be the same religion, we even shared common enemies, i felt dirty the whole time.

In civ 3 I LOVED Fascism, would always used it as soon as I could.

Found as many coastal cities as I can, I prefer coastal cities for some reason.

I also tend to 'roleplay' depending on which leader I have, always choose random and there must be raging barbarians, makes the early game rather hectic.

This is really hard to do, and it is a throwback to earlier civs, I try to get EVERY wonder, only I may possess wonders, no one else. I usually fail miserably and I tend to suffer for it.

All my early units have guerilla promotions so they can move through the trees and explore, while still defend like mad when they are exploring.

I rarely pillage, and usually only resources, it pains me to reduce towns to nothing, I can't help but feel it is like shooting myself in the foot because that will soon belong to me and I will have to redevelop it, and every tree must go.

It is good to see some other people have the same quirks, I don't feel so....special :)

In civ 3 I LOVED Fascism, would always used it as soon as I could.
Um... Fascism wasn't represented in Civ III. Did you mean Civ II?

I always f**k-up pre-chopping by forgetting to tell my worker to stop chopping, meaning that I end up chopping hammers for something that I don't really want (or at least don't want to build quickly). Must be about 80% of my "pre-chops" end up as actual chops through forgetfulness and stupidity!

Chop, cancel in the same turn. Your worker will chop one turn's worth, then ask for an order next turn. This way you have to tell him to chop every turn, but you can't forget about him and finish the chopping by mistake.

You know i've got to say that i never chop. I like the health onus, and the fact that you can build lumbermills in those cities. Plus you get that extra hammer of production the entire game, and not just 90 or whatever to build the oracle. I only play on noble so far, so maybe it is more useful in the higher levels, but I just can't do it.

One of the overlooked benefits of chopping: When there's a forest immediately adjacent to your city, an attacking enemy will usually put his troops there. That's a 50% defense bonus, which may well be better than the bonus you get from your city! If the enemy is sitting in the forest, your counterattacks are substantially weakened. This doesn't say anything about chopping in the outer circle around the city, but I'll never leave a forest adjacent to my city. Especially not a forest on a hill!

I create Every single religion in Washington or Moscow usually...Just because I like seeing "Washington, Holy city of Christianity/Taoism/Confucianism/Judaism etc...

1st - I begin by changing the Leader's name and Civ:
Leader: Lakas Lawin (Eagle's Strength in Filipino)
Civ: Dakilang Lahi (Great Race, also in Filipino)
I usually choose either Shi Huang Di or Frederick

2nd - Build 1st city, get both warriors to explore, build 1st warrior, build Stonehenge (gotta have it ALL the time for culture benefits), then build settler.

From then on, it depends on what the resources are and which civs are nearby...

A lot of the time I rename America as Slaybackia led by President Slaybac:D :rolleyes:

I don't really know why...

1.) I usually try to preserve the natural enviroment to certain degree. Even the mostly useless jungles. I especially never build roads through forests and jungles unless its absolutly critical. I always must get a UN vote to ban nuclear weapons so as to prevent their use and the risk of global warming. Having a interesting and pretty landscape gives me more motivation to build the ultimate civilization. I like to imagine that my citizens take walks in the woods and stuff. Being eco friendly while running a good game winning strategy is much easier to do in Civ 4 than in Civ 3. In fact i never won a Civ 3 game because of this.


2.) I also try to be friends with Isabella and to not hold grudges against her if she is causing trouble and to help her out if she is in danger because she is pretty.

3.) I must always build at least some of the the entertainment wonders. Or at least aquire the products they provide through trade. No matter the cost.

4.) If i'm the americans i must always build malls in every city.


5.) If i'm defending a ally and i capture one of their cities they lost. I have to return it to them.

6.) I must always build the U.N and get elected. I need to feel as if my civ is the center of the world.

7.) When deciding where to build a new city if i have a choice between a perfectly good land tile and a perfectly good coastal tile i choose the coastal tile. Especially if its by a river.

8.) I must alway play at marathon. Anything else is not natural



9.) I must always have a at least one resource in great abundance. So that everbody can only get it via me. It makes my civ feel unique.

10.) I must always build Chariots and elephants as i love chariots and elephants.

11.) I must always have access to clams and crabs as love to eat them. Preferably a source directly under my civs control.


12.) I must always build the great library as i love libraries.

13.) I must almost always play with the sound off.
















I

One of the overlooked benefits of chopping: When there's a forest immediately adjacent to your city, an attacking enemy will usually put his troops there. That's a 50% defense bonus, which may well be better than the bonus you get from your city! If the enemy is sitting in the forest, your counterattacks are substantially weakened. This doesn't say anything about chopping in the outer circle around the city, but I'll never leave a forest adjacent to my city. Especially not a forest on a hill!

The 4 tiles directly adjecant to your city is the only one prviding health. I tend to keep them - screw counterattacking.

BTW, is it a bad idea to settle unguarded in a Greatplains with ragingbarbs? Ooooops!

Leaders I hate:
Izzy, Bizzy and Monty - also Peter (both because he is an aggressive moron and because when hes in the game, Catherine isnt, and shes fantastic.

I have only one game where I like the aztecs, and thats the random game where i play Monty.

-Diamondeye:lol:

I rename my Great Generals, and give them numbers.

http://img1.putfile.com/thumb/4/11717501932.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=5333691)

Even the mostly useless jungles.Jungles actually HURT your civ. They take one food away from the tile they are on. I always get Monotheism (which comes after Polytheism and Masonry) and then beeline for Iron Working to KILL THEM!!!
And that screenshot is also in Funny Screenshots

Chop, cancel in the same turn. Your worker will chop one turn's worth, then ask for an order next turn. This way you have to tell him to chop every turn, but you can't forget about him and finish the chopping by mistake.

Great tip! I'll definitely make good use of it ;)

It seems that i always must do a slight dance when ever i hear the hinduism music. Some times i try not to but i end up doing it anyway. I can't let the AIs sneak citys between my gaps in my territory or on little strips of land behind my empire.

I never use promotions that protect against a certain unit type.

And every time I attack any unit, I yell, "DIE, BIATCH!!!!!"

I can't let the AIs sneak citys between my gaps in my territory or on little strips of land behind my empire.

I try to absorb those using culture when possible.

If I can help it, I won't attack unless I have better that 85% odds.. Unless I am desperate of course.
The few times I am not playing the English I always try to help them etc. Today I got into a costly war 'cause I had a defensive pact with Victoria. And she wasn't super powerful, and it was against the #1 guy (Capac) and he had quite a few techs on me. (Just started Prince).
And after I made peace with him, I gave her half my fleet and air force so she could stay alive.
I saw other people before mention they cannot make themselves fight wars by themselves easily. Same here, boy I have a very hard time actually pulling the trigger..

And every time I attack any unit, I yell, "DIE, BIATCH!!!!!"
A picture comes to my mind. Thanks a lot! :cry:

Originally Posted by Slobadog
I can't let the AIs sneak citys between my gaps in my territory or on little strips of land behind my empire.




Orginally Posted By WingedPaladin
I try to absorb those using culture when possible.



I do that too. But it was easier to do in civ 3 where one could build new cities extreemly close together, pump culture in them, absorb a city, then abandon any excess cities i didn't want.

2.) I also try to be friends with Isabella and to not hold grudges against her if she is causing trouble and to help her out if she is in danger because she is pretty.



That's pretty funny. :D I feel the same way about Hatshepsut. She is just such a friendly, understanding gal. :love:

Yeah, for some reason Hatshepsut always ends up being my best friend. I JUST WISH SOMEONE HOTTER WOULD!!!!! :joke: Or is it? :mischief:

Isabella was the only civ leader at friendly status with me in my first civ 4 game so first impressions always help.

Whenever a unqiue unit becomes obsolete i like to keep 1 or 3 around for ceremonial purposes.

Well for one I don't need to bother with resistance, since every who can resist is dead. I can preserve cultural unity without having to integrate diffrent religons or nationalities. I simply purge the land clean of my enemie, and then I resettle the barren areas with my own settlers. Besides I like to play in characther. If I am the Arabs I burn the cities of all infidel relgions. If I am the Mongols I burn all cities in general. If I am the Germans I burn some cities. The only time I don't burn any cities is if I am India, or France and such. It really depends which nation and which leader I choose to play as. Saladin for instance, Genghis Khan, and Napoleon lend themselves when to conquest and massacre but I refrain from that when I play as say Ghandi, or Elizebeth.

That is a very interesting comment. I used to think the game does not allow you to fight well as Gandhi since he is supposed to be a peaceful leader but right now I am playing as Gandhi and I seem to fight other civs pretty well. I don't think the game puts Gandhi at a disadvantage as a fighter though one may just go by what everyone thinks of Gandhi and not fight when playing as one.

But building wonders is best if u r Gandhi and have access to marble / stone

This is actually a very interesting discussion. Here is what I do:

1. I try to build EVERY SINGLE wonder and feel quite cut up if I miss the race for any. I find that wonders build faster if you play as Gandhi and have access to stone / marble. I thought this should be true for any industrious leader but somehow as Gandhi I find it faster than I did as Roosevelt (also industrious I thought). Is it just my imagination ?

2. I found 5 cities and then add 2 - 3 more in industrial age if someone attacks me. Napoleon and Montezuma are the usual attackers.

3. I hate razing cities and don't unless they are small. Being Gandhi !

I try not to raze cities that have wonders in them, if practical. Sometimes the line between practical and non practical gets blurred though.


Wonders are part of what makes the world unique. I hate conquring clones.



I have a tendency to make bold and risky combat actions. Usually involving seperating a unit from the saftey of my stack to go attack some seemingly isolated unit hiding in the woods. To my mind this kind of stuff is part of decisive, confident, clever combat manuvers that will win the war. When in reality its just another RNG encounter.

Mine are rather silly:

I almost always shoot for Christianity... the only time I go for a different religion is if I am the Arabs, and then I try for Islam.

I hold a grudge for a long time. If someone betrays me, I get them back in due time. If someone takes a city of mine, they are in for a world of hurt. I will pursue them to hell and gone if I must.

If I feel benevolent I won't wipe out a civ, I will merely reduce them to one town and ensure they are neither destroyed by another Civ, nor expand beyond one city.

I tend to build larger navies than most players. Though navies aren't quite as useful as they were in Civ III, I still got in the habit of building large navies once frigates are available. You'd be surprised how much your power projection increases with a sizable naval force.

I always build nukes. You know, just to have em.

My units that distinguish themselves in combat get special titles. These units get first crack at upgrades if I have the cash available. And they are usually my shock units during wars.

If I capture enemy towns, I always rename them.

That's all I can think of for now.

I'm highly xenophobic, I don't like other civs being too near my core cities and if they are.. I'll just take or remove their cities.

I like keeping my borders neat and closed up with Forts and garrisons.

I don't like filling every square with roads, only where I have to and/or where it's aesthetically pleasing.

I will not only never give in to tribute demands, I will always immediately demand a tribute from them instead. This works surprisingly often.

I always raze Ethiopian cities no matter their usefulness. It's how I handle this fraud of a civ tainting my game experience.

I tend to shoot for ICBMs before anyone else has them and thus nuke my leading rivals into fallout hell with impunity.

I never take Hinduism and actively prevent it's spread by annihilating civs with it, I'll do this until they stop having Hinduism represented by that vulgar little man in a diaper who ruined India.

If I see Mao or Stalin I will do everything in my power to make them miserable.. but I won't wipe them out. Making them suffer is more fun.

I'll place cities in bad locations just because they have outside the box strategic importance, like panama canal type stuff.

This last game I started as the dutch with a coastal start, it was in the shape of a crescent, there was a river mouth three or four tiles to my east connected to the coast so I put a city right at the head of the river even tho it overlapped my capital pretty bad just to get a near unbreakable trade route going, the river then went east for a couple miles, I rexed and put down a city along the river all the way down keeping them connected to the capital/sea by that first river city then the river started going north and a second river cut east some more going south/east and connected to the coast, so I put another city along the northern end of the river and one right inbetween the two to connecting the first river with the second one and then another city at the end of the second river at the coast where it connected to the sea..

They were alright cities mostly jungle nice grassland underneath with some resources you'd expect to find in the jungle, it prob would of worked too and given me a wicked foundation to build an empire off of but because I rex'd so bad and I was playing aggressive AI I lost one of the cities and just got upset and quit like a lil girl ;)

I'm also a perfectionist, but I hate micromanaging heh

Also if I play the earth map I *have* to replay history, I'll try and get all the greek wonders in athens or I'll expand just like mongols did and raze demand everything, just a lil roleplay I guess, and if I'm egypt and don't get the pyramids I'll start over lol :lol: nothing pisses me off like playing an earth scenario and not getting the pyramids when I'm egypt.

I usually try and play like the leaders personality in general, I guess that is kinda odd, it's fun tho. Specially when your playing Genghis Khan, I'll have -10 on every civ lol, I just go around demanding anything I want and if they say no I attack them and wont stop till I get gold every turn as tribute and when it ends I demand it again :) and if they say no we go back to square one.

I always have to own my home continent. By that, I mean so long as I can have no one else on my continent but my team or vassals, then I'm fine. I also don't like pillaging cottages on particular, because when I fight, I fight to wipe out.

I like to shoot for Chirstianity. If I get the oracle then theology is the tech I choose.

I'd rather wipe out a civ if I get most of its cities than let them live so my nationality stays the same. Not that I want pure cities, but then they don't get the hapines penalty

I always used to made a new map if I got a coastal start, but now I realise they aren't so bad.

I like to have units lead as a warlord. Then I name them pluraly and put McGee at the end. Like Explorers McGee, Horse Archers McGee(It fits), Tanks McGee, Knights McGee, Helicopters McGee. Those guys (Aside from helicopters McGee) were all name I called my warlords units.

When trying to rush an enemy, I am biased towards those with worser leader music, even if they are more powerful. :D

If I build a city and then notice that there might have been a better arrangement I sometimes consider reloading a few turns back or perhaps altering the landscap back through the world building (though I try to cut back on this since it is like a freebie). Sometimes I don't want to take very long examing the potential city location sites and become more prone to take "rectifying measures."

I try very hard to put cities on deserts or other panels that cannot be improved (they automatically become much better with a city on them) without bringing too many mountains/deserts/other non-usable or barely usable panels into the city radius.

I try very hard to avoid building cities on top of hills. I strongly seek to make the city productive and will skip the defense bonus every time. If I would have to go way out of the way to avoid building on a hill I will sometimes use the world building to add a mine on the city radius (sometimes I give mines to cities controlled by others civs which are on hills).

I find it hard to build massive amounts of units until I have developed my cities to a certain extent (especially when factories appear) although I am gradually finding it easier. I like to have very high production cities.

I try to get a certain amount of cities (does not have to be huge) that were built by my civ into the game world. I rarely raze cities (mainly if they are crammed next to another one or if I have very few cities and they block expansion).

Well for me i MUST GET Shedgwan Paya Temple of Artemis and the Pyramids
:p

One of the overlooked benefits of chopping: When there's a forest immediately adjacent to your city, an attacking enemy will usually put his troops there. That's a 50% defense bonus, which may well be better than the bonus you get from your city! If the enemy is sitting in the forest, your counterattacks are substantially weakened. This doesn't say anything about chopping in the outer circle around the city, but I'll never leave a forest adjacent to my city. Especially not a forest on a hill!

A drawback is its easier for 2-movement units to attack tho... something to remember against players who like chariots/horse archers.

I like to play 'gotta catch 'em all' with religion and wonders all in one city. Though that is only possible in settler level for me. In the beginning of the game, i regenerate and regenerate and regenerate map just to get all that is needed to build all the wonders in one city: river and coast. I usually only build my second city when all religion is found in my capital, that is not until 1AD - 400AD. But the benefit is the capital generates so much money and great person point that 2 national wonder i build there is none other than National Epic and Wall Street. Coooooooooooooool! Well, not so when you don't have no more place to build your second city.

Several quirks of mine have been noted here...

1. I have to see everywhere. Revealing the world with satellites doesn't give me any more information than I already have.

2. I have to build roads everywhere. Then railroads when they become available. Even if they're not useful. Sure, I'll try to build them in useful places first, but sometimes not.

3. NEVER automate the workers. Micromanage them. I'm starting to do that with the cities also - "No, don't work THAT tile, work THIS one."

4. Always give archers and longbowmen the "Defend city" promotion. All of them. Even if it makes more sense for them to have some offensive capabilities, they only get the "Defend city" promotions. That's all they're good for.

5. Always chop around the city. ONLY chop around the city. There are never any forests next to my cities. I hate having enemy units protected by the forest next to my city. Chariots/horses/fast-moving units ... fine, have forests and hills TWO spaces away or forts or whatever to slow them down, but never next to the city. (Hills, you can't do much about, but forests you can chop down.)

6. Related to #5 ... never give the enemy time to attack your city. Don't bother counter-attacking, attack FIRST! I hate having the enemy pillage my land. Since I play the longer games, it makes me feel like I just wasted oh-so-much time.

--WC

I hate the tech Divine Right. Simply HATE it.
Dunno why though - I just steer clear of it until I need it for some other tech.

I hate the tech Divine Right. Simply HATE it.
Dunno why though - I just steer clear of it until I need it for some other tech.
Because it gets Islam. But it gets the Spiral Minaret. But I have Free Religion by that time.

only chop for impi/axe rush or when improvement is needed on location

switch out of slavery into CoL asap (and when thing r up 'n running)

only roads when needed, everything has to look pretty

raze cities only when the placement is really bad. i dont start war when i cant keep cities.

but when someass declares war on me...

always turn into some Asoka type of guy: start as a Shaka, but slowly i grow more peaceful since war gets tiresome after a while

must get Sol, CR and Taj.

when i get a GE i always rush a wonder

If I have a wonder that expires with acertain tech, I don't research it as long as possible.
For example Stonehenge: I don't reasearch calendar.
The AI offers it cheap: No.
ONly 2 turns to research it: No.
I rather trade for resources than build a plantation.

Prioritize Science over War...even though War drives Science...>>

Not only that, but leave near-bare garrisons in my cities. Monty/Khan goes on war-path, I'm screwed w/out Draft.

kill the aztecs, mongols, greeces, and japanese as soon as possible :)

Prefer to have 2 defense & 1 offense units in each city, usually built in other cities and moved in asap. Upgrading as becomes available.

Mostly peaceful, with a short offensive conflict as soon as I develop iron, and another after gunpowder.
However, if attacked will fight all-out and bribe as many of the offenders neighbors to attack as possible.

Tend to overbuild in cities, just to build.

NO Worldbuilding, even when I should.

Automate workers with the no clearing woods order. Then go back to raze & rebuild what I don't like.

Been playing the Celts alot, for sooomme strange reason.:rolleyes:

I place all my cities exactly five tiles apart. if there is a moutain in the way I will skip that location and go to 10 tiles apart.

Quote:
Originally Posted by zagaz
In civ 3 I LOVED Fascism, would always used it as soon as I could.


Originally Posted by Swedishguy
Um... Fascism wasn't represented in Civ III. Did you mean Civ II?



There was a cool expansion pack released a few years ago. Called civ 3: Conquests. Not sure if they sell it anymore. But you could just purchase civ 3 complete. Comes bundled with civ 3 and both of its XP packs for only $ 20.00 Might have to go online to find it. Didn't see any at my local walmart. Been thinking of buying complete myself. Family relatives lost my orginal copy.

My favorite game type is when I raze EVERY city in order to make as perfect a grid of cities as possible, all with settlers from my own cities. I also dislike whipping, and this gives me units to create instead. Sure sucks to lose some of those wonders, but if they weren't built by me, they must not be particularly wonderful! :)

uk, exactly...it needs to be a grid

Once I get writing, beeline to alphabet. I always try and get it early to trade techs with other civs.

at times will settle only on mnts. or only on the coast. i will try giant early navies and pure horse armies. (lincoln/prince/standard)

I'll ignore AI diplomacy contacts, even if they're offering something useful. I work on a strict do-not-call policy. If they were offering something useful, I'll still deny their request and then contact them myself to offer the same trade, just to keep my do-not-call in-tact.

The exception is the initial contact with each civ. I usually take that to announce "there shall be peace in our time." Sometimes they rub me the wrong way and I look for a spare pole on which to mount their head...

I never build much of an army, too busy maxing out on buildings... cause I can :D
I keep most of my forest
I always try to play peacefully and never work too hard to acutally acheve a diplomatic (since no one likes someone who never fights) or cultural victory
I never destory or raze enemy city or improvments.
I use my artist to make great works in my recently conquered cities... its not making the city like me as much as I thought :(

I know theres more but I can think of them right now.

I never make friends with the arabs and I do once in a while but I hate to make friends with the Iranians (persians)

not building a single cottage in a game

Works only on prince level, dont attempt it on higher level

Huh? You can do fine without building any cottages, just run lots of scientists, lightbulb techs and trade/extort tech from opponents, it's the food economy/specialist economy. Also read some of Obsolete's walkthroughs where he won space race games on high levels with a no cottage strategy (and no lightbulbing either, which also works because you settle scientists or build academies with them).

I name my first privateer Dread Pirate Roberts