Hello, I have always turned to this site for some Tips and Tricks. Ive never really got real deep into Civilization. But as i sat down last week, to read the manual, i found the game getting more and more interesting. I decided to play a couple of games. I think i did fine in them, but i feel like something was not right about them. I hope one of you "Pro" players can jump into a game with me and point out some things that i did wrong. I would greatly apprecciate it if someone could help.

Thanks
-Qain Harvey

Play along in the nobles club/PYL games! Post saves or screen shots, and we can help!

The question here as it stands is far too broad to have any hopes of being answered, and is in general a bad way to approach improving, IMO. My advice is to pick one or a couple things, improve on them, then rinse&repeat with other things. Trying to get better at all aspects of the game at once can get overwhelming, and also may wind up being slower than focusing on aspects...

TheMeInTeam makes a good point. Nevertheless, posting a saved game file and a couple of screenshots from the mid-point of one of your games will usually get you a lot of helpful advice. Just be prepared to "drink from the firehose"!

What you could do to narrow the focus a bit is post the above, but then ask for help with one particular element of your game: city placement or city specialization, for example, or diplomatic relations, or military, etc., etc. As TheMeInTeam said, reading some articles in the War Academy first would be a good first step, as it might help you identify the area where you want help with applying in practice what you've read about in principle.

Mind you, there are vastly better players around but...

1) Try to work improved tiles. First thing build should be a worker or work boat a lot more often than not

2) Don't be afraid to expand; having to drop science to below 50% doesn't matter if you can keep up by sheer volume. You will also increase your production base which makes warfare easier.

3) Siege units make war a lot less costly; 1/3 to 2/3 of your main attack stack should consist of these.

4) Occasionally, play with self-imposed restrictions to learn alternative paths. No wonders, no religions, no cottages etc. People have won the most bizarre games.