Tips for playing this game on Prince and above - Anyone got any?

I suck at this game on a higher level.

Do you know of any tips to give to people who can play this game but not master it?

I seem to run into untenable positions or at least positions that I consider undesirable.

Post a game + screenshots and always wait for advice 'til you play rhe next 20 turns.

Other option: Read the S&T forum + subforum, they're full of tips.

Without knowing where you have problems, it's impossible to give any suitable advice.

How do you upload a save file?

To give an Idea I am playing on continents against two other AI and both Declared War at nearly the same time.

Click on “go advanced“ or similar and then, you can attach files below the text box.

And when I wrote post a game and screens, I ment a 4000 BC one. Telling what has gone wrong from a i.e. 1000 AD game is also impossible, because the first 100 turns are the important ones.

Triewd said:

To give an Idea I am playing on continents against two other AI and both Declared War at nearly the same time.

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Regarding this i. e. I'd answer that the problem is, that you didn't kill both AIs before they could declare war on you. Dead AIs cannot declare war ^^ .

Though this is logical, it unfortunately doesn't help at all .

Addition: When you post that game, take a non CRE noN PHI nom FIN civ, like i. e. Toku or Mao. The mentioned 3 traits all change the game too much, so you wouldn't learn things that work with all civs!

• 
  Install the BUG mod as it is very handy to have and keep track of diplo, production, trade, etc.

• Learn to utilize whipping as it is a very effective way to turn extra food into hammers. In the early game try to whip settlers/workers as they each STOP growth in the city while being produced. That downtime can add up quick.

• Speaking of which don't be afraid to chop trees to pump out settlers/workers or key buildings (monuments in newly laid outer cities).

• Open borders to increase income from partners as you get gold income for having open borders.

• Trade technology! This was one thing I never did and for me made a big difference in doing better. Hovering over a tech will show the science needed to research it so you can quickly attribute the "value" of that tech compared to others and see if you're getting a decent deal.

• Keep an eye on religion into your routine as it can play a very big role in diplo. By this I mean join a religion if you see valuable allies with the same religion or you want to keep peace to others around you with said religion. Pay attention to what religions others have as if there are mixed religions expect war between differing civs. You can even use this as a military advantage and sweep in when the time is right!

• Check resource trading often as your extra resources can get you valuable (happy resources). Do you have excessive health? Trade that fish for an available happiness resource someone else may have. Be careful trading out strategic resources however as you don't want to accidentally give out access to units to people you don't want having them. If you can't get a resource try Gold Per Turn. I think average GPT for a health resources is about 6-12GPT. This adds up nicely if you have 2 or more trades for GPT. This helps keeping your science going.

• Speaking of science don't be afraid to lower you slider(s) to zero and build up some wealth and then switch the slider to 100% and finish out a tech. You never know when you might need that gold and it doesn't really hurt to zero out the sliders as long as you remember to set them back to full to finish out a tech.

• It's situational but try to always bring siege with you if going to war. An exception to this can be really early on wars or if you can get to cavalry quicker than anyone else and just whip out a ton and steamroll the map.

• Speaking of war if an opponent is getting badly beaten and you have researched Feudalism you might be able to capitulate them meaning they become your forced ally and ending the war. This can be super helpful as they are really an extension of your empire. You can even tell them to research certain techs so you can split research and trade.

I'm sure there's more but with the tips above you should be able to get up to Emperor like me.

Reactions like that always amaze me .

Seraiel said:

Click on “go advanced“ or similar and then, you can attach files below the text box.

And when I wrote post a game and screens, I ment a 4000 BC one. Telling what has gone wrong from a i.e. 1000 AD game is also impossible, because the first 100 turns are the important ones.

Click to expand...

Oh Ok Ill start another game Seraiel and knight508

Thank you for your tips.

I always play leaders like Elizabeth, Darius, Frederick, It might be a bad habit but I do, I think looking at my strategy it may be a holder over from playing Galactic Civilizations 2 and before that Empire Earth 2 Basically I would throw everything into tech and once I had a sufficient technological edge overpower my opponents with quality.

This has mixed results In civilization, I only win 1 out of 5 games I usually end up giving up due to getting myself in situations I don't like (getting sandwiched between two hostile civs one of whom switched religion from mine to the other civs and two turns later Dows on me I kill his stack 8 Units for 3 of mine and send mine after his cites then the other civ comes in with a stack and I turn my troops around then realize this is a lost game) or mass sea invasion from another continent you get the idea....

A couple of games I played as the Incas although its not my style I wiped out another Civ early then consolidated my position using that I was able to easily win several games In fact I have played on Monarch Level as the Incas - basically its just the art of the early rush followed by consolidation you just have to time the Incian UU Unit right about 5 does it most of the time.

EDIT: Just attempted to upload a save - could not find looked in Computer> Local disk> Program files X 86 >2K games >Firaxis Games> Civ 4 complete Civ 4 Saves

Won’t let me open the save files shortcut

Open the beyond the sword link no saves in there

looked in my documents > my Games > civ 4 complete

Save folders are empty makes no sense since it loads up in game

I think I will have to just upload a you tube video when I get the time.

Ok I think it worked this time.

This save is from turn 20 I have just got Hinduism.

I am playing as the Incas and things look alright from my perspective.

Oh I am using Civ version 317

2nd EDIT:

Sorry Seraiel just realized the Incan guy is Financial want me to start again?

You need to attach screenshots for me, because I'm currently online with my handy. I'll also notify a mod to move this to S&T. Attaching the savegame didn't work.

Seraiel said:

Addition: When you post that game, take a non CRE noN PHI nom FIN civ, like i. e. Toku or Mao. The mentioned 3 traits all change the game too much, so you wouldn't learn things that work with all civs!

Click to expand...

And read this again plz. Incans are the most powerful civ of all and play completely different. Choose a leader that's nearer to normal, we'll make you able to win Prince with any leader there is, if you choose a weaker one, you'll learn more. Maybe even create the game on Monarch, as Prince is actually too easy and can be won at 2000 BC with Warriors sometimes.

And playing starts at T0. I'm quite sure, that you already made some decisive faults when playing 'til T20.

Triewd said:

This save is from turn 20 I have just got Hinduism.

Click to expand...

If this means you founded Hinduism, you have already made a mistake, because you shouldn't go for religions early on. The most important is to research needed food techs, like agriculture, mining and AH. Founding a religion doesn't really do anything for you. It's better to let others do that and spread it to you. You don't want to be spamming missionaries anyway.

I'd recommend another leader as well. Huayna Capac is the best leader in the game, so playing him probably won't teach you all that much.

Edit: A very fine list of tips by knight508 btw

Ok Decided to play as Tokugawa have not played as him for a long while - like years

I have not even founded the first city yet I have touched nothing.

Screeny showing opening position.

My Plan is to found the city on the tile I am sitting on

Start with mining and build a worker as the first thing my City builds I will scout with the Warrier in an increasing cycle around that city - aiming for goody huts

Warrior should imo go 1NE, because sertling 1N could be anoption, as the land that's below the fog in the south looks mostly like Plains. 1N could also have more riverside tiles.

Worker first is correct, however your first tech should always be the one with which you can improve the food, so AH on this case. Food is the most imortant thing in 98% of all cases.

Plz remember to turn on resource-bubbles whem you take a screen, that's Ctrl + R or one of the buttons on top of the minimap.

One other thing--for learning games it's better to play without huts and events. Those can distort the game and cover up for less than optimal play.

Come on, Huts barely speed up the game with their single small techs and the little gold, also, AIs get the same advantage, and Random Events are mostly entertaining and chances are higher that they're negative than positive, just think of that Slave Revolt.