Civ IV - New Player

First off, loving this forum, I am a complete noob to Civ in general, but I have been around since the first one came out.. but I was a wee lad and had no interest in "turn-based" games *shudders*

But anyways.. still learning everything there is to know about Civ in general, but I started with Civ IV and all expansions and see where I can go from there.

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but loving all of the info that is here..

Oh and by the way.. Isabella is a jerk.. started out on Prince I believe or noble, not sure which one.. but.. demands gold without anything in return.. sheesh.. like the real life

Anyways.. maybe one day I can get to Deity level haha..

Welcome to the forums .

You definitely started with the right version of CIV.

And yes, this site really is great. It's the best community, I've found in my whole life, everybody here helps everybody. The only thing I don't like is, that there are 10-20 times more lurkers than registered users, but there's no adequate means against that, most people are just too lazy to register and don't care about the greatest game of computer history staying alive, good that you're different.

Have a good time here .

Yeah I really have no idea what I am doing.. I don't want to play on the gimped levels, I actually want to feel like the computer AI will actually declare on me if they feel like it.. But.. I was playing on epic and Japan said Hey! Let's go attack Spain.. so I said sure, not a problem.. 3 turns later he negotiates peace, unfortunately for me.. I can't do that and I get steamrolled by the AI.. I hadn't lost at that point, but I felt like I was just trying to make units and not flop around..


The other thing, I had some swordsman and warriors with 89% chance to win and they both lost to an already damaged axeman.. I was like huh?

But anyways, all a part of learning the game

TheCox said:

Yeah I really have no idea what I am doing.. I don't want to play on the gimped levels, I actually want to feel like the computer AI will actually declare on me if they feel like it.. But.. I was playing on epic and Japan said Hey! Let's go attack Spain.. so I said sure, not a problem.. 3 turns later he negotiates peace, unfortunately for me.. I can't do that and I get steamrolled by the AI.. I hadn't lost at that point, but I felt like I was just trying to make units and not flop around..


The other thing, I had some swordsman and warriors with 89% chance to win and they both lost to an already damaged axeman.. I was like huh?

But anyways, all a part of learning the game

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Be careful with diplomacy, AIs are notorious for their trickery. Just because they're pleased with you doesn't mean they still don't want to invade you Don't underestimate, or overestimate , the power of slavery. Don't underestimate the power of specialists. Beware of "death stacks", the AI will steamroll you with an army of 40 or 60 units too.

Welcome to the forums! Always great to see a new player discovering the fun of Civ IV.

Your situation with Japan is very typical, in my experience. AIs just love to ask you to go to war, then negotiate a separate peace themselves. Treacherous, back-stabbing so-and-sos.... <grumble, mutter, grumble> They are useful as allies and trading partners, but I never actually trust them. Just too many examples like the one you described....

Good luck, and happy Civ-ing!

Work your way up but in this case play your way up. Taking it easy in the lower levels that are passable and then passing it 2 times at that level. After you passed the current difficulty level 2 or 3 times, you will be more confortable when you move up to the next higher level.

Yeah, I'm trying to play on warlord now instead of settler/noble until I get the hang of it..

I'm scouring through sullas let's play video of the Dutch which is super helpful. Reading all of the strategy guides here as well.

Really hoping that I can get decent at this so I can maybe play some pbems or something with other people and not drag the game down.

Rome wasn't built in a day... Well, maybe in civ 4 it was a built in a day haha

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Sullla's videos are a good (and entertaining) resource. He also has some excellent written game reports on his website. Lots of useful information, I learned a lot from them. The strategy articles here include some fantastically useful stuff, and I would also recommend checking out some of the old games of the month/succession game threads. Plenty of useful info scattered through them, and entertaining as well to see how top players have handled various scenarios and situations.

If you get in an allied war situation make sure your ally is actually sending troops to attack the target once the enemy gets some kills it is harder to break off the war.
The best thing can be to tell Tokugawa no untill he is embroiled in the war (especially if he bogs down) then offer to jump in.
You are going to get a better offer from Tokugawa to join up and he will find it difficult to pull out.
Remember to keep a reaction force concentrated somewhere inside your territory in case of surprises.

TheCox said:

The other thing, I had some swordsman and warriors with 89% chance to win and they both lost to an already damaged axeman.. I was like huh?

But anyways, all a part of learning the game

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Yeah, it happens all the time. Somebody loses a string of 90-99.9% fights and bam, irate post on the forum within 5 minutes. Everyone loves these posts because they sympathize! Damn right.

Tristan_C said:

Yeah, it happens all the time. Somebody loses a string of 90-99.9% fights and bam, irate post on the forum within 5 minutes. Everyone loves these posts because they sympathize! Damn right.

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Speaking of which, I just lost a Praetorian with 99.9% chance to a barb archer in a grass forest. Sucks, but you gotta learn to live with the rng.

Tristan_C said:

Yeah, it happens all the time. Somebody loses a string of 90-99.9% fights and bam, irate post on the forum within 5 minutes. Everyone loves these posts because they sympathize! Damn right.

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Really. In a recent Warlords game Tanks (strength over thirty with promos) kept losing to SAM Infantry (usually around 24) about half the time. Plus I didn't realize tanks don't have any withdrawal chance, even though I'd been playing off and on for years ! Old habits from Civ3 die hard...

What is strange, about a STR30 unit losing to a STR24 unit in 50% of the times? They're almost equal in strength, ofc. the winning-chances won't be exceptionally high...

If you promote your Tanks to CR btw., you'll have much better chances. A CR2 Tank (STR 24) against a C2 SAM Infantry (STR18 + 20% for C2 -45% for CR2 from the Tank = STR 12) should be above 80% winning chances.

I thought that way about tanks untill recently (promote Cr line)
Then I had a revelation If you are going to let the game linger on that long anyway, play Bismarck Build Panzers Cut lose like Guderian Man schlägt jemanden mit der Faust und nicht mit gespreizten Fingern

I have absolutely no idea, what you're trying to say with that german quote, and Panzers are a weak UU imo. They only work well against other Tanks, my enemies won't have them, and if they have then, they'll have few of them. They're probably much better in MP.

I've never played an MP game that got to tanks, except for maybe the last couple of turns.

You hit somebody with your fist and not with your fingers spread one of Guderian's famous quotes.
I tossed up going with "Logistics is the ball and chain of armored warfare" due to CivIV conveniently doing away with Logistics giving your panzers unlimited range/endurance But decided to go with his second most quoted phrase. His most famous being out due to being Usurped like so many things of the time.

Panzers are a weak UU imo. They only work well against other Tanks

Yeah I have come to understand your opinion if you have tanks you should have won sooner they are so late it makes them week. And bee-lining them screws up your tech path

But they only work well against other tanks?
Had to do a quick load of the game to double check but you are totally right +50% Versus only two other units #1 that blows, at least Cossack's +50% Vs Mounted gives them a bunch of targets.
I never noticed that because I was just having so damn much fun launching my own mobile war. Scrapping others tanks, wasting Mech Infantry and fighting Modern armour Pah! I don't even get a bonus vs Mech Infantry it must just be the promotions I earn before it becomes available that makes then squishy.

#1 3 in BTS assuming Mobile Artillery is classed as unit type armour and not unit type siege

Well as a new civver, welcome. Civ 4 is great, here one can find many information about it and most importantly, discuss it, particuarly the most difficult levels of it.