I used to play a LOT for few weeks, but now I play about 3~4 hours / week max. Sometimes none. However, I check out the forum often to just read other people's thought. what do you guys think?

Guilty as charged as well.

Well, most of the active members write well thought-out posts, take the time to describe their strategies in detail, and publish their own games so you can learn from them.

Add to that entertaining series such as Mad Scientist's RPCs or Sisiutil's ALC and you have a recipe for an even bigger timesink that the game itself.

I just wanted to add that at times too I didn't feel like playing, since the amount of information is sometimes overwhelming. It's sometimes hard to have a read on a particular situation and keep focused on a specific goal, and suddenly the game feels much less fun. I guess that's what CFC is for : to remind you how great the game can be (if you're ready to read a lot and experiment even more, that is). :mischief:

I agree that discussion about the game can often times be way more fun than the game itself. That is why a lot of people participate in succession games and diplo games. http://forums.civfanatics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=324 Is really fun if you like discussion about the game(multi team diplo game, sorta like merge between sgotm and pitboss).

I do large amounts of both. Both contribute to its draw...

yeah i've joined month ago and am reading so many posts, i hardly play or comment stuff.

This belongs in the "why my games take FOREVER!" thread, its perfect! Or, we could start a new "Why I never finish 3/4's of my games" thread!

I do it constantly, pop in and out of a game to read. I spend a LOT more time reading some days, in fact, much like the OP, I may not even play more than a couple turns some days.

I agree 100%.

I love reading the forums and reading through the ALC's. The tactics, stratergy and thought that go into peoples games enthrawls me.

Often when I start a game I'll get bored or frustrated in the 1400's and return back to the forums. I hope to learn the game enough to be able to contribute to the community games, I have only had a handful of wins on Noble, am keen to learn, but get bogged down in game.

Depends on my mood. Last night I went to boot up Civ, then thought - y'know, I'd rather read an old ALC instead. Ended up reading an old aelf posted game instead - highly recommend looking them up if you haven't yet.

Similar to the difference between watching sports and playing sports, I guess. Sometimes, it's just more fun to put your feet up, relax, and criticise other people who are better than you.

Last night I went to boot up Civ, then thought - y'know, I'd rather read an old ALC instead. Ended up reading an old aelf posted game instead - highly recommend looking them up if you haven't yet.
I like this point. In fact, I have taken it a step further many times. When I am in that learning-mood, I actually download mid-game saves and play a few turns. It makes what they write become much clearer when you can see it in actual gameplay.

Another favorite pastime of mine is to go to page 2 or 3, and find an RPC or playalong I havent looked at, and do a "through 500 AD" start, with no intention of actually playing further. Then, you can compare your choices with those who actually played the game when it was on Page One.

[delurk]

I rarely ever post, but I've been reading the various game report/cookbook/ALC/RPC etc threads for months. I barely play, either. Sometimes after I read a particularly good thread I'll fire up Civ4, but invariably by the time I hit about 2000BC I remember how tedious actually playing Civ is. I love these forums though.

[delurk]

I rarely ever post, but I've been reading the various game report/cookbook/ALC/RPC etc threads for months. I barely play, either. Sometimes after I read a particularly good thread I'll fire up Civ4, but invariably by the time I hit about 2000BC I remember how tedious actually playing Civ is. I love these forums though.
See, this is exactly where the technique I mentioned in the previous post comes into play. Pick a game where there are saves posted at various intervals. The Cookbooks, the Immortal U's, etc etc. Then, PLAN to play only a small portion of the game, to try and "live" through the eyes of the person who posted it. Even though I am an Emperor level player, I have done this with Deity games and Noble games, and its a lot of fun. That feeling of tedium doesnt really get a chance to build up.

This belongs in the "why my games take FOREVER!" thread, its perfect! Or, we could start a new "Why I never finish 3/4's of my games" thread!

I do it constantly, pop in and out of a game to read. I spend a LOT more time reading some days, in fact, much like the OP, I may not even play more than a couple turns some days.

I play pretty consistent 3-6 turns per day from playing in pitboss games, if i have more time left over i use it on the forum not on playing SP...

Nope playing is better.

CFC is more a Civ subsitute whilst at work and unable to play due to 'management'

Nope playing is better.

CFC is more a Civ subsitute whilst at work and unable to play due to 'management'

:lol: So True!

Hey I'm glad to see I'm not alone. I do start playing about 1ad then quit and start reading. i just deleted about 20 saves I'll never finish.

I still dont play past the first 100 or 200 turns, not even after getting my shiny new fully gameworthy laptop. I just find it too tedious going through the same motions over and over.

Well, I am also guilty of this. (Obviously -- and breaking new years resolutions). Maybe what we are saying is we are ready for Civ V?

I do like Bleys idea though; might give that a try too . . .

In my case i think turn based games just bore me. A realtime civ would probably be quite a bit more interesting... i mean imagine if the settlers was turn based, who the hell would play it? Only reason i ever spent time on it was because its fun to look at how my little anthill was going about its business. Civ just seems... dead.

well, When i first joined this forum, i had played civ4 for a year and was struggling at noble, but after a month of reading through these articles, ive managed to move up to monarch( just barely though!) so i guess its not just fun but also highly educational

I'm guilty of this too. In fact I do this for nearly all the games I own. I read somewhere that gamers spend roughly 1/3 of their time browsing the internet to stuff related to the game. The inverse is probably true for me.

After 2+ years (I think that is how long we have had Civ4) I am bored with it. Tried just about everything and it has finally reached a point where it all blurs together. I am definately ready for Civ5. But definately not a real-time game. There are swarms of those on the market and i hate them all. Though a turn based game with real time combat would be cool. Similar to a game I used to love called "Lords of the Realm".

I do that too. I always check these forums, on almost a daily basis, yet I just finished a game as Catherine of Russia on Prince, that was the first game I played in like 6 months! Maybe I'll play another one soon. When I'm really not into Civ, there's the unrelated forums on CFC, at the bottom...

But like many have said, am ready for Civ 5.

Yeah, browsing can be a lot more fun. I haven't completed a game of civ in nearly two months. I've played yes but I if I get pulled away for more than a day or so I just lose interest in that game and start a new one. As SimonL mentioned, it's even better in the non civ forums like OT and forum games. Speaking of forum games, you should all join NotW next time it rolls around. Tis incredibly fun. Link in my sig

Though a turn based game with real time combat would be cool. Similar to a game I used to love called "Lords of the Realm".

I had that game too, fun game, but became a big boring after you figure out the food growing, and castle defence, I love some of the voice over for the charaters "too the MOAT"..."MY LORD", etc, Might have been LOTR'S 2 I had.

Great battle graphics, and I loved the boiling oil from the Castle.

I had that game too, fun game, but became a big boring after you figure out the food growing, and castle defence, I love some of the voice over for the charaters "too the MOAT"..."MY LORD", etc, Might have been LOTR'S 2 I had.

Great battle graphics, and I loved the boiling oil from the Castle.

LOTR2 is what I had as well. Also it lacked in the replayability area. I would love to see something of a tactical layer added to the combat system of Civ. The current rock paper scissors is really disappointing. I think it is due to the programmers not having much in the way of military tactical knowledge.

Guilty as charged here too.

Although as opposed to most other posters here, I get annoyed with the very early phases of the game, mostly because I need to work on city placement skills and initial builds :p Once I have the first REX phase covered, I have a lot of fun playing up until possible modern-era wars. Those can become a bit dull. But I always finish games where I make it past the initial expanding phase.

Guilty as charged, but only because once I get home from work, get to the gym, do errands, cook/eat, and meet social obligations it's almost time for bed. I get my Civ playing in on my days off - which another one of the reasons why my games take me over a month to finalize. :)

My problem is that, if I start playing the actual game, that's 10 hours gone right there. Usually I don't have a block of 10 hours to use, so if I only have like 30 minutes until I need to do something, I'll get on the forums to get my civ fix.

I too spend a lot of time here. I like the warmth of other people sharing my addiction. And although I know I'll most likely never get to actually meet any of them, it seems like I can feel their personalities.
Furthermore, most people here are educated, have a good sense of humor, signatures pointing to interesting sites, etc. Browsing these forums is an addiction in itself. At times, it does beat playing the game.

Right, I would imagine that the average education level of hardcore Civ4 players is perhaps slightly above the average (consider how Civ4 is a rather complex, analytical game, and how it is likely to draw history buffs to it...even more than series like Age of Empires, which just doesn't seem to have the depth that Civ does, or the sense that the programmers designed the game specifically with a demographic in mind that has greater patience, attention span, and historical interest than most. SMAC really exuded that feeling, with all of its philosophical facets and such). And conversing with intelligent people is always enjoyable, I've found, regardless of the subject.

Right, I would imagine that the average education level of hardcore Civ4 players is perhaps slightly above the average (consider how Civ4 is a rather complex, analytical game, and how it is likely to draw history buffs to it...even more than series like Age of Empires, which just doesn't seem to have the depth that Civ does, or the sense that the programmers designed the game specifically with a demographic in mind that has greater patience, attention span, and historical interest than most. SMAC really exuded that feeling, with all of its philosophical facets and such). And conversing with intelligent people is always enjoyable, I've found, regardless of the subject.
And I would agree. The intelligence of your average player probably isn't any higher than normal but the intelligence of most posters on this site that post regularly, especially in OT, does seem to be above average.

I read and post in this forum because of the nature of my work, which gives a lot of little 3 minute time slices out of the day that aren't big enough to take on more work, but are big enough to pop into a forum and post.

On intelligence level, I think the game Civ4 in general appeals to more intelligent players versus "uh duh point and shoot" FPS players. Or the more socially-oriented players of MMORPGs.

Nope playing is better.

CFC is more a Civ subsitute whilst at work and unable to play due to 'management'

This. 10char