Let's Learn Civilization V

Recorded Games

Venice - Archipelago - Standard Size - Standard Speed - Prince
Zulu - Small Continents - Small Size - Standard Speed - King
Brazil - Large Islands - Standard Size - Standard Speed - Warlord
Venice - Fractal - Standard Size - Standard Speed - Emperor - One City Challenge!!
Polynesia - Small Islands - Standard Size - Epic Speed - Immortal

Recorded Losses
My Civ V Losses

Non Recorded Games
Mongolia - Pangaea - Standard Size - Standard Speed - Settler
Celts - Arborea - Standard Size - Epic Speed - Chieftain
Japan - Shuffle - Small Size - Standard Speed - Prince
Korea - Shuffle - Standard Size - Standard Speed - Prince
Babylon - Fractal - Standard Size - Standard Speed - Emperor
Siam - Rain Forrest - Standard Size - Standard Speed - Emperor
Huns - Continents - Standard Size - Standard Speed - Prince
Portugal - Small Continents - Huge - Epic Speed - King
Huns - Great Plains - Duel - Quick Speed - Prince

This will be a running log and discussion of my efforts to learn Civ V, one game at a time. I plan on using old Gauntlet matches for my playthroughs so that I can stream live and record my session on Youtube. Time to get some hours under my belt!

I realize that a new player learning Civ V 5 years too late isn't terribly interesting. But, if you do drop by here or pop into a stream to give advice, it will always be appreciated.


My YouTube Channel

Live Stream Channel

Started a game of Civ V Gauntlet G-Minor CXXIV.

Settings are:
Expansion: Brave New World
Victory Condition: Science (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
Difficulty: King
Map Size: Small
Map Type: Small Continents
Speed: Standard
Leader: Zulu (Shaka)
Opponents: Any
Version: SV8
Date: 2nd to 16th July 2016

This is my 1st King difficult map. Due to the Small Continents, started alone with 1 city state on my continent. Due to the science victory requirement, rushed all sciences and technologies to get wonders related to science and to get observatories at my 2 main cities. The only issue I think is that I only have 2 cities as I need to find a better continent for the 3rd...

A loong session where the Zulu's were practicing patience and bulking up on science. Finally, we took our first city and are now up to 4 cities plus a Maya capital. Now to race to the Nuclear Age and make sure I keep the others in check

I'm the most pitiful military Zulu Empire ever. Spears against cannons. Still working through the techs, killing spies and Elizabeth plotting against me. Launched a preemptive attack and realized how behind and weak I was. She demanded alot for peace, bargained her down but her friendly smile speaks volumes that an attack is looming...Need to prepare for the next attack while still pushing to the atomic age to level the playing field. On another note, very proud of my 1 frigate that took on 3 British ones and lived to tell the tale!

In the last 2 episodes, I have 2 things happen I had not seen before. Lost a spy in action and had to change ideologies due to the unhappiness it caused as Greece's influence was too strong. Managed to slip in another science agreement and get my military to a point where I could take a city from Elizabeth with some good science potential.

Episode 4
Episode 5

Austria and myself launched an attack on Elizabeth and I did it purely for diplomatic reasons. And to negotiate for peace, she gave me one of her secondary cities. I couldn't take London because Austria had it sieged. I am now plagued with unhappiness that I am having a hard time shaking to the point that I shed a weak city to the weakest civ the Mayans. Then with a science agreement in place, buddy Alex decides to denounce me!! I don't know if it was due to one of the millions of city states I was trying to get back from him, but he started building a huge armada and I followed it approaching me with my smaller fleet. With all the unrest and the looming threat, I managed to pay him off to attack Austria....I feel slightly dirty turning on them...

On another note, I have 3 atomic bombs being built and a carrier ready to transport them as my gift to Athens. Hope they like them!

Going to try to keep the Greeks at bay. Have bad feeling I'm going to loose to them prior to the Science Victory

Live stream to help me...

Live Stream Channel

Had a major happiness issue, resolved it. Nuked Greece 3 times. Felt very satisfying, especially that everyone was afraid of me. But it didn't really set him back it seems, maybe slowed him down. Built the space factory, ready to start building components. But Greece has nukes, this is going to be tough...

Wow, that was an intense end. Rushing everything to finish the shuttle hoping that the cultural victory didn't come from Austria or Greece. Didn't get nuked by Greece but he was threatening me. Last turn was the worse waiting if I could move my last rocket to the pad for launch.

Pathetic time to win of 2032 AD but my first King victory so I'll savor it.

Crap, it's 02:20 AM....need to go to bed!

Gearing up for my next learning experience which will be trying to achieve a cultural victory. Never tried it, know little about it except that 2 Civs were close to achieving it against me in my science victory playthrough with the Zulus. I read a bit on-line that tourism is a later game occurrence and is feed by culture as well as Great People and Works, certain Wonders and Religion can play into this. Seems alot more complicated to figure out the balance but I should learn alot from a game.

Will try the current Gauntlet G-Minor CXXV which is Brazil on Warlord, Large Island, standard map. I figure the difficulty will help me and Brasil seems to be a good tourism civilization so likely a good scenario to learn from. Even though I am starting this match in the submission period, it is not likely to be completed by Aug 1. I would really like to get more sleep than yesterday

Will likely start playing and stream tomorrow. If any of you have advice how to play a culture game and willing to share, I'm open to tips and suggestions.

Had played many hours last night, hard to figure out how I feel on my game situation. 2 cities on my island, one south of it with a good cultural wonder with some desert and a forth city TBD, need to find a location. More play tonight.

Still recovering from last night. A 5 hour session. Still no war, seem to be moving nicely in the cultural and tourism front. Austria, my closest neighbor, still eyeing me suspiciously...

Some more play this morning, Austria dared to denounce me. So I took their capital. Culture and influence is looking good...

Wanted a little mindless fun. Khan on Settler Pangaea map, domination of course. It was a old Gauntlet as well. Got 4 Steam achievements and another Veni Vidi Vici submission.

G-Minor XXXIII
Victory Condition: Domination (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
Difficulty: Settler
Map Size: Standard
Map Type: Pangaea
Speed: Standard
Leader: Mongolia (Genghis Khan)
Opponents: Any
Version: SV8
Date: 16th July to 1st August 2012

Seems like I'm avoiding continuing my Brazil culture game. I've enjoyed playing on the laptop without being on the desktop in the basement (the computer that can record my session). So another laptop Gauntlet game in session...

G-Minor LIV
Expansion: Gods & Kings + DLC
Victory Condition: Domination (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
Difficulty: Chieftain
Map Size: Large
Map Type: Arborea
Speed: Epic
Leader: Celts (Boudicca)
Opponents: Any
Version: SV8
Date: 2nd to 16th June 2013

It's slower progression as it's on Epic and with lot's of forest, but I wanted to play the Celts...so giving it a go.

Sloooow starting, lots of forest and and deer so started with Animal Husbandry and Trapping and quick to get a Pantheon so took faith for Camps, which seemed to make sense, going to need to make this religion work for me. Visibility being poor in the forest, barbs are being a real pain. Went Liberty a popped out 2 settlers, one which I had to get back from a barbarian hoard! Water to the North, 2nd city to the east with the Iroqouis east of that (my 1st targeted victim), no one on the west side but no unique resources, so haven't settle there yet. Other discovered civs are a good distance south, recovered my settler from the barbs down there, just looking for the right spot for my front line city with a new unique luxury items or two...

Expanded...took the Iroquois Capital...plotting against Brazil...must go to bed...

Domination complete, 1368AD, pretty poor compared to the top 3, amazing how they do it so fast with the standard map and forest. I think next time I need to send way more scouts and prioritize ship earlier. Also a Civ that moved quickly in the forest would do much better.

Started another game avoiding the Brazilian Culture Playthrough. Playing Japan on a small shuffle map on Prince. Shuffle is alot of fun, not really sure what your going to get. In my case, lots of oceans with islands and small continents. I ended up on an island and settled 3 cities on it and a strategic one nearby. I was getting really frustrated loosing out on wonders to the point that I was getting ready to quit. But, I somehow managed to get 3 civs as my friends and all warring against the Aztecs and even the Indonesians next to me are leaving me alone even though they covet my land. 3 science agreements going now, I think I may just win a science victory. I can now see why playing above Prince where the AI has a head start is so demoralizing but with steady building up of the cities, you start to pull way.

Frig...everything was going so well...we all attacked the Aztecs but I seemed the only one there, wiped them out, keep their cities because they had good luxury items. Indonesia doesn't like warmongers, Inca denounced me after defensiveness pact and science agreement ended and then Catherine stabbed me in the back. The Persian are remaining steadfast allies. Science victory seems a long way off with such good friends looking to be attacked! Needed aluminum, so I attacked my neighbor Indonesia who I spared early on. I actually had soldiers on their border and pulled back to give us a chance to live together in peace. Took 2 of their cities with aluminum and left their worthless capital city. When I get nukes, they are all gonna wish they played nice with me! Except the Persians....