Things I never do (but probably should?)

[lithium97]

Does everyone here maximize their playing potential? Surely there are other lazy people like me. I never take the time to do the following things, though maybe I should once in awhile

- raze AI's improvements
- manually control workers (rather than automate them)
- cycle injured units in and out of battles. Usually I just let them keep fighting 'till they get killed
- make full use of spies
- listen to any advisors other than the military advisor
- pay better attention to filling in specialist slots

what are some other things you should do, but don't?

[wpfossil]

- raze AI's improvements I don't do this often as you then need to rebuild it if you conquer the city
- manually control workers (rather than automate them) early on I use manual control, in the late game I sometimes control a worker or two if I need a tile improved that the AI is neglecting
- cycle injured units in and out of battles. Usually I just let them keep fighting 'till they get killed I cycle them, especially if they are vets - although there are times when a sac is necessary
- make full use of spies there's always a good use for a spy, I keep a close eye on mine
- listen to any advisors other than the military advisor economic adviser will alert you to a civ that needs one of your lux resources
- pay better attention to filling in specialist slots I don't do this much either

[nefloyd]

I will sometimes try to use a fast unit or sneak one behind enemy lines in order to raze strategic resources, if I think I can kick out enough of them and that AI has been using a lot of sword/horse units. They have so many happiness bonuses that razing luxuries doesn't really help imo. Taking out anything else just makes me spend time fixing it once I've captured the city.

I manually control workers to hook up all the resources in the area, drain marshes, and create my road network. I have very specific road needs. I refuse to allow 3 mutually adjacent hexes to share a road, I hate the triangle-looking road split instead of a fork or Y. I refuse it!

I definitely cycle units to keep them alive, I hate losing nicely promoted units. I will sacrifice a fresh recruit though if it lets a vet get a kill / capture.

I use spies all the time, but usually on defense or theft, rarely on CS's.

I pay no attention to ANY of the advisors, they are useless garbage.

What I don't do is min-max or exert any control whatsoever over citizen allocation or specialists. I just let the cities do whatever. I'll only insist they work a NW if I settle one. Or assign every desert tile to a city with Petra that has other cities nearby.

[Harv72b]

I can honestly say that I haven't automated a worker since Civ III. And even then only to build roads. With all the AI shortcomings we gripe about, why on Earth would you want to leave your tile improvements up to it?

As far as the main question:
-I don't specialize cities in most games; I get too caught up in trying to get my national wonders.
-I get lazy about spending money/selling excess luxuries once I've hit the mid-game.
-I jump around too much in my research, instead of working consistently towards a specific goal.
-I often stop expanding too early in the game & don't re-start my expansion later.
-In many cases I'm guilty of bending a civ to my playing style instead of adapting to each leader's strengths & weaknesses.

[SalemSage]

Let's see, what do I not do?

Well, I'm insanely peaceful, to the point where even though it might be best to declare war (such as to stop a runaway from getting more powerful, or to protect a city state) I won't. I won't declare war on a city state for a worker or bully them for it.

I also don't expand nearly as much as I should, and I focus wayy too much on wonders and buildings rather than military.

[Dogmouth]

I didn't realize that so many people automate their workers. The idea seems crazy to me. I can just imagine the little buggers running into barb camps, building stupidly pathed roads, and laying down farms when I need hammers (or vice versa).

[GhostSalsa]

Originally Posted by lithium97

- pay better attention to filling in specialist slots

I have been, as of my last few games, and it pays off a lot. Here is why:

In G&K as everyone knows, every Great Person you generate raises the threshold for your next great person in all cities. So let's say your capital is running at 21 GA points per turn and 13 GS points, and your second city is running 5 GE and 5 GM points. The second city is probably never going to pop a great person, and you'll just end the game with 1397 unused GE and GM points, because the governors aren't doing anything to optimize Great Person point balance.

Also in that example, you aren't going to pop a GE or GM if that's what you want. Not without reassigning and concentrating your point gain on the kind of great person you need next. I've also learned to pay more attention to point types in wonders, before building.

[HelloGoodbye123]

I do everything in my power so that everything is properly done and executed.

There are some times when Im running up the timer on MP games, and sometimes I will just force end turn "shift + enter" to not keep the other guys waiting, usually i only do this when it tells me to move a warrior, or archer, something that isnt very important and im not at war..

[arieltal]

i don't really use the pillage option only on rare occasion when i am facing swordsman's
army and i get can a horse to pillage iron and come back unharmed..
i do my best to keep my units alive, a promoted unit is very important to keep!
i almost never use the advisor's screen..
i usually don't automate my workers, since they don't do what i want them to, until
late game where i let them run around.
i don't pay attention to specialists, though i think i should. hard to break a bad habbit.

[bigjim1]

Interesting to see I'm not the only one whose lazy about micro-managing cities; I always plan to, but lose interest after the first few turns.

However, I always leave my workers on manual in the early stages, to link up luxuries and build roads. In mid-game, when things are peaceful I automate a few, but as soon as I am planning a war (or get attacked), I de-automate a handful and build roads up to the cities I take (amateurs worry about tactics; professionals worry about logistics, according to a US Army adviser quoted in today's paper). Similarly, manual workers are vital when new resources appear (esp. coal, oil, aluminium and uranium), and when railroads are discovered.

Haven't listened to the advisers since Civ 1 for DOS (God am I old...), when the military adviser suggested I build a chariot to attack my enemies when I'd not made contact with any other civilization.

I always sell luxuries whenever I have them, even if I get 109 from a hostile Civ; you can never have too much money (bribing my enemies CS allies to desert them is particularly satisfying).

Research paths are always vital. Fairly early on I decide on a strategy, based on starting position and initial scouting. E.g. in my current game as the Maya, I have enemies on 3 sides, but my back to the ocean (Pangea) map. So, a quick dash for luxury resources (mining, pottery, calendar), then defence and improved production (archery, masonry, construction). By this time I'm able to withstand the early rushes from Rome, Carthage and Netherlands. Get them to waste a few units and some time, keep building pyramids, libraries, granaries and (selected) walls and barracks. Once I'm up to machinery and physics, take out the closest enemies, etc. Then peace while I get education and astronomy, build national college, universities, observatories and Oxford University. That way I get gunpowder and chemistry before anyone else, another quick burst of expansion, then another peaceful research break, then another assault with artillery and riflemen. Final research leave before final assault with air power and WWI infantry, machine guns, etc.

[wpfossil]

Originally Posted by Dogmouth

I can just imagine the little buggers running into barb camps

They never run into barb camps and rarely get captured by barbs. Just the opposite. If they're anywhere near a barb, they'll stop working on an improvement and hide in a city.

[Bakspatel]

Originally Posted by lithium97

- listen to any advisors other than the military advisor

Does anyone ever do that? I even rarely listen to my military advisor. Otherwise I would have lost a whole lot of games for unfair peace treaties, rather than keeping the war going, building up my forces and retaliate.

[lithium97]

Originally Posted by Bakspatel

Does anyone ever do that? I even rarely listen to my military advisor. Otherwise I would have lost a whole lot of games for unfair peace treaties, rather than keeping the war going, building up my forces and retaliate.

I only use him to give me an idea of who has a weak army. He's usually correct when he says stuff like "we should absolutely crush [AI ___] with our numbers". I ignore him when he says dumb things like "we should research Navigation" when I'm on a Pangea map.

[shaglio]

- raze AI's improvements
I never do this. In fact, I think I've only pillaged once in all the Civ games (recently in G&K).

- manually control workers (rather than automate them)
I've only recently begun manually assigning my workers now that I've jumped up to King level. But I find it gets tediuos pretty quickly and I eventually just automate them.

- cycle injured units in and out of battles. Usually I just let them keep fighting 'till they get killed
This I always do. I'm a unit miser.

- make full use of spies
This, too, I always do. It doesn't seem that hard to me.

- listen to any advisors other than the military advisor
I never listen to any advisors and have shut off the pop-up messages.

- pay better attention to filling in specialist slots
I usually just use the City Focus options and let the AI control it.

what are some other things you should do, but don't?
- I rarely manually assign the city workers. Like the Specialists, I usually let the City Focus take care of things.
- I never "specialize" my cities. I'm not observent enough to determine if a city would be best for "growth," "Production," "Science," etc.
- I'm terrible about timing things properly. I'll usually wind up accidentally building the University wonder (Newton's University or something EDIT: Oxford University) with 1 turn left on the tech I'm currently researching. D'oh!

For me, a lot of these tasks are like flossing: I know I should do it, but I just don't feel like it. Maybe that's why I've only now made it to King level. Of course, it probably doesn't help that I usually will play while I'm watching TV, so my attention is divided.

[hobbsyoyo]

I don't micromanage anything, which keeps me from being a stellar rather than mediocre player.

Basically, if pressing a button doesn't build something or blow something up, I don't bother.

[LostInTime]

Originally Posted by lithium97

I only use him to give me an idea of who has a weak army. He's usually correct when he says stuff like "we should absolutely crush [AI ___] with our numbers". I ignore him when he says dumb things like "we should research Navigation" when I'm on a Pangea map.

Don't listen to him. He uses AI numbers and they are all bad. You can kill AI waves of units forever with properly upgraded range, and they will still think they are winning the war.

Unless they are actually threatening to take your cities in a couple of turns (and you should know that), the war is going fine. If they want me to pay to end it, I will only pay very small amounts of gold (deplete your treasury before suing for peace), and only if I can sell luxes to earn money back after. If not keep sending cannon fodder

[Civologist]

1. Go to War - When I have a military/science advantage. I'm not sure what it is but I find war exhausting. Unless the AI has really ticked me off or the capitol/land is super enticing I don't desire war. I also have to get up from the computer or save and come back later after a major war has ended/reached a peace deal.

[Babri]

Trying to remain peacful throughout the game.

Well I always get bored so I sign DPs in hope that someone will declare war on my friend so I can teach their enemies a lesson.

Just wishful thinking that maybe one day there will be a mod for expanded colonization & revolution mechanics so there is actually something to do which uses about as much brain as war tactics.

[Yzman]

Does everyone here maximize their playing potential? Surely there are other lazy people like me. I never take the time to do the following things, though maybe I should once in awhile

- raze AI's improvements I rarely do this unless it is a strategic resource. Its just more I have to do when I take over the city.
- manually control workers (rather than automate them) I always try to start out doing it, and then grow quickly bored with it.
- cycle injured units in and out of battles. Usually I just let them keep fighting 'till they get killed. I always cycle them out, so I can get strong promoted units.
- make full use of spies I have grown quite fond of using spies and try to use them often.

- listen to any advisors other than the military advisor. The advisors are idiots, listen to nothing they say.

- pay better attention to filling in specialist slots. I never do this either, but should. I usually just prioritize something and the governor does the rest.

[wpfossil]

Originally Posted by Yzman

- pay better attention to filling in specialist slots. I never do this either, but should. I usually just prioritize something and the governor does the rest.

Are there any good guides or threads that explain the best way to do this? This is one thing I'm not good at but would like to learn more about it