Condensed tips for beginners?

Krishna said:

ONCE again: this tip only holds true if residual flasks are lost when a technoldy is developed. ANYONE know the answer?

Click to expand...

I do: It is NOT true. Residual flasks are carried over. In fact, some folks suggest maximizing the slider to 100% with one turn left to research a technology for which you have the prerequisites (and thus, are researching with a bonus) and plan to research a tech for which you won't gain a bonus. The bonus residual flasks are applied to the non-bonus tech you research next.

When a building becomes obsolete because of a new technology, does it become obsolete when I get the tech or when any civ gets the tech?

Technology is all about money! Build Cottage! Cottages! and More Cottages! Cottages make money! And don't forget to Protect those Cottages! Build a picket fence around your empire! Use your workers behind enemy lines and build forts on their there resources like horse, ore, iron and cottages. Make them come to you. Cut their roads in open areas like plains and grass land. Make killing fields. Concentrate on killing their units in terrain thats advantageous to your units, before attacking their cities! Work on attrition of there forces. Attack with defensive posturing on their territory. It will drive them crazy. Your goal is always their capital.
Bypass lesser cities. Punch holes in their area of control. Once neighboring production builders are eliminated. Make a bee line for thier capital. Send wave after wave of attacks. Don't let them breath until you get all their technology. Then make peace and forget about it.

norrecan said:

When a building becomes obsolete because of a new technology, does it become obsolete when I get the tech or when any civ gets the tech?

Click to expand...

when YOU get the tech
meaning that if you have built stonehenge, you don't want to beeline to calendar

Hey there guys, I never knew about this, until yesterday... The sun shines so much brighter now, and the birds whistle as they never whistled before. Probably has been mentioned before, but I'll do it anyway

If you are chopping, you can 'choose' to where the trees go if they're in the big cross of 2 cities by making that very square unfogged in the city screen.(so if it can be worked by that city, the trees go to that city as well) This was quite a handicap, because I never knew where those trees for the wonder went... But now I do

ElJoepo said:

If you are chopping, you can 'choose' to where the trees go if they're in the big cross of 2 cities by making that very square unfogged in the city screen.(so if it can be worked by that city, the trees go to that city as well) This was quite a handicap, because I never knew where those trees for the wonder went... But now I do

Click to expand...

HOw do you unfog squares in the city screen? That could be quite helpfula t times.

thanks

You'll have to go into the city that is currently working that tile, and then click on the tile, so that it is no longer being worked by a citizen.
Then go into the cityscreen of the city you want to get the hammers, and click on the tile, to make sure that it is being worked by a citizen in that city.

Hey I thought I would post you guys a quick note:

I got my first victory on Prince this evening, and it was done in large part to the tips in this thread (I actually got one before, but it was a time vic)

It was a large world, I played Ghandi, didn't found any religions, but managed to score a a cultural victory!

The tips on specicialization cities were very helpful. I decided fairly early on (still in BC) which three cities I would be going for legendary culture in. And chopped-built wonders (in addition to the national ones) in two of them, my capital city was a little weak on hammers (flood plains), but produced tons of gold (lots of cottages), so I focused on getting engineers and artists through the wonders. Almost all my wonders were chop built early in the game. It was amazing what a few SS engineers can do for a city with lagging production. In the early game artists went into one of my three lengendary culture cities as super specialists since the extra 14 culture would add considerably over time. In the late game they went in for the 4000 point cultural boost

I should also say I found the ability to switch between civics with no anarchy to be useful. I would spend some time in and out of vassalage and bureaucrazzzy and then free speech and nationhood (if I was getting attacked which happened quite a bit). unfortunately since I did not found a religion I was unable to reap the benefits of theocracy and organized religion (at least until later in the game)

Once I got free religion (1850s), I adopted it, waited for some religions to hit my cities and then downshifted in organized religion so I could build tons of missionaries and focused on spreading as many religions around the empire (while building temples) so I could add padgodas, cathedrals, Confu academies and the stuppa in all the cities I wanted to hit legendary culture. Once I got their relative cultural rates equalized at a around 200-275 per turn(while burning a couple artists for the 4000 culture in the one that was lagging) I turned down my research, got the culture slider up to 90 percent switched back to free religion, triggered a golden age I had on standby and by 1986 I had won (six turns later in Mansa musa completed the space race visty condiditons)

I stopped advancing militarily once I had infantry and cannons which I was cranking out boatloads of from my productions cities. I did have to fight several wars in the last 50-60 turns against technologically superior AIs, so I would burn a lot of cannons before sending in the infantry to mop up the gunships and armor. My GP producing cities were buried in my heeartland which was a little bit more removed from the invasion zones (which is were some productions cities were) so when improvments got destoryed there was little long term penalty. I had to sit behind my city walls alot and wait for reinforcments since I didn't have railroads it would take awhile for the cannons to arrive (I was getting attacked on multiple fronts so would have to move pieces around quite a bit)

Anyway, this thread was immensely helpful as I have only played Civ 4 6-7 times. Thanks a bunch!

Krishna

Who can tell me exactly how line of sight works. Or point me in the direction of a forum that does.

E.g. I only just found out that a unit on a hill with a forest next to it will not see beyone that forest tile.

Also i don't get what you see beyone cultural boundaries. Sometimes you see 2 squares, sometimes one. Do you just see those squares over which you have some cultural influence?

etc etc

Thx

pixiejmcc said:

Who can tell me exactly how line of sight works. Or point me in the direction of a forum that does.

E.g. I only just found out that a unit on a hill with a forest next to it will not see beyone that forest tile.

Also i don't get what you see beyone cultural boundaries. Sometimes you see 2 squares, sometimes one. Do you just see those squares over which you have some cultural influence?

etc etc

Thx

Click to expand...

You can't see over forest/hills/jungle. You can see a square beyond a water tile if the square beyond is land (at some tech you get +1 sight over water, I forget which one).

You can always see within your cultural borders, and I think seeing beyond them is essentially the same as if you had a unit on each tile within the cultural border - thus if there's a hill just inside your border, you'll be able to see out two squares from it, assuming no hills/forest/jungle in the way.

(at some tech you get +1 sight over water, I forget which one).

Click to expand...

It's Optics that allows this.

Play as Huayna Capac to get Aggressive and start with Mysticism. Found either Hindu or Buddism (I like the Hindu soung better) and put all cities on auto until there is no more room for expansion. Pyramids is must-have and use Heredetary Rule but switch to police state during war time.

Hi, folks. Very frustrated noob here. Particularly frustrated because my husband and I got the game just yesterday, and he's already managed to win in one day on the second level up.

I played with Civ III and Conquests, and usually sucked. Never could get off Chieftain, and usually lasted till Steam Power and would be on my way to totally steamrolling with a cultural victory....then everyone would have formed a military alliance against me and I'd be ganked from all sides.

I didn't like fighting other civs, because I didn't know how.

My problems - never having enough money to really *fund* a military, not understanding how to arrange what troops I did have to effectively wage a war...sigh. Pretty much everything. I just don't get this game (in any of its incarnations) at all.

I can't even get through the first city in IV without throwing up my hands in frustration. And I do want to play this. Really.

1. Where the heck do you BEGIN with this? I feel like I'm spinning my wheels in the first city and getting nothing done. Should I just start with Workers, or build a second Warrior Unit, or what? Should I dive straight for religion? Scarily enough, it's looking like it's turning into One True Way To Play (tm)

2. Problem I had in Civ III that maybe you can answer - when should I trade techs with other civs? I could never tell when it'd be advantageous, because I wouldn't want them to have the ability to catch up with me, so I wouldn't. I think that's what had them all go "Yo, China. This civ over here's ticking me off by not giving us anything. Want to hook up?"

What'm I doing wrong here?

(and yes, I am reading the guide, but it's not being too much help. guess I'm not tactically minded.)

alexandria2000 said:

Hi, folks. Very frustrated noob here. Particularly frustrated because my husband and I got the game just yesterday, and he's already managed to win in one day on the second level up.

I played with Civ III and Conquests, and usually sucked. Never could get off Chieftain, and usually lasted till Steam Power and would be on my way to totally steamrolling with a cultural victory....then everyone would have formed a military alliance against me and I'd be ganked from all sides.

I didn't like fighting other civs, because I didn't know how.

My problems - never having enough money to really *fund* a military, not understanding how to arrange what troops I did have to effectively wage a war...sigh. Pretty much everything. I just don't get this game (in any of its incarnations) at all.

I can't even get through the first city in IV without throwing up my hands in frustration. And I do want to play this. Really.

1. Where the heck do you BEGIN with this? I feel like I'm spinning my wheels in the first city and getting nothing done. Should I just start with Workers, or build a second Warrior Unit, or what? Should I dive straight for religion? Scarily enough, it's looking like it's turning into One True Way To Play (tm)

2. Problem I had in Civ III that maybe you can answer - when should I trade techs with other civs? I could never tell when it'd be advantageous, because I wouldn't want them to have the ability to catch up with me, so I wouldn't. I think that's what had them all go "Yo, China. This civ over here's ticking me off by not giving us anything. Want to hook up?"

What'm I doing wrong here?

(and yes, I am reading the guide, but it's not being too much help. guess I'm not tactically minded.)

Click to expand...

maybe it's just not your kind of games?

cIv is easier for those who succesfully played previous versions, so no wonder you don't seem to get forward, since you already didn't too well with cIII.

Did you go through the tutorial?
Did you read the manual?

Do those 2 things first, then check sissiutil's beginner guide (go through the strategy forum, links in sissiutil's signature), then read through one or more of the ALC games.
After that, if you're still in a reading mood, go through some GotM spoilers.
My best improving option was to play the GotM 2 (without submission of course) just like hendrickszoon did. Only got about 1/4 of his score, but it was my first prince win and was my highest score for a while.

I'm sure you lack one or more of the following:
- knowledge of the game mechanics (are pop rushing and chopping teling you anything?)
- knowledge of the tech tree (what techs do you need for a cavalry?)
- ahead planning (what are your long term goals? what are the short term goals you need to achieve for this long term goal to be possible)
- commitment (long term goal shall dictate your short term goals = techs, buildings)

If you lack none of the above, you may just be a buildaholic. There is a thread about that.
Repeat after me :
"i don't need wonders to win"
10 times!

Then start a game with a golden rule : no wonders (not including national wonders). What should you build? depending on your long/short term goals, it could be culture building, missionaries, units, ...

Alexandria, in addition to the fine suggestions that cabert has made, look for some of Sulla's game stories. There are plenty of pictures and discussions to let you know how warfare is properly conducted in Civ4. Then go kick some of hubby's butt all over the map.

I know if I position troops on an enemy square that that city can't use the food, shields or coins, but do I also deny them of resources, or do I have to pillage the improvement? I'd rather leave the iron mine alone because I'm sure the city will be mine sometime.

[edit: ok nvm. I used world builder to check it. I put someone on my marble quarry, but I still had marble]

alexandria2000 said:

Hi, folks. Very frustrated noob here. Particularly frustrated because my husband and I got the game just yesterday, and he's already managed to win in one day on the second level up.

I played with Civ III and Conquests, and usually sucked. Never could get off Chieftain, and usually lasted till Steam Power and would be on my way to totally steamrolling with a cultural victory....then everyone would have formed a military alliance against me and I'd be ganked from all sides.

I didn't like fighting other civs, because I didn't know how.

My problems - never having enough money to really *fund* a military, not understanding how to arrange what troops I did have to effectively wage a war...sigh. Pretty much everything. I just don't get this game (in any of its incarnations) at all.

I can't even get through the first city in IV without throwing up my hands in frustration. And I do want to play this. Really.

1. Where the heck do you BEGIN with this? I feel like I'm spinning my wheels in the first city and getting nothing done. Should I just start with Workers, or build a second Warrior Unit, or what? Should I dive straight for religion? Scarily enough, it's looking like it's turning into One True Way To Play (tm)

2. Problem I had in Civ III that maybe you can answer - when should I trade techs with other civs? I could never tell when it'd be advantageous, because I wouldn't want them to have the ability to catch up with me, so I wouldn't. I think that's what had them all go "Yo, China. This civ over here's ticking me off by not giving us anything. Want to hook up?"

What'm I doing wrong here?

(and yes, I am reading the guide, but it's not being too much help. guess I'm not tactically minded.)

Click to expand...

As suggested, try Sulla's walkthroughs here:
http://civ4info.com/Sullla/

Make sure you understand game mechanics before you start reading strategical guides.

For your first question, this includes knowledge of city management and how do the terrain tiles work, what are their attributes, what improvements may be placed on them and what effects they have. This will help you manage your cities (especially your first city) to work efficiently.
As to what to build in the cities... consider defence your priority in both single-player and multi-player games. Anything else is considered as secondary goal and depends on situation. I'm sure there are plenty of guides about what to build in your first cities...

Now to your second question. I trade techs whenever I can, with a few exceptions.
- Don't trade alphabeth early in the game, as this allow civilizations to trade techs among each other.
- Don't trade off advanced military techs which grant new units. Keeping your opponents from these techs will keep their power down for a little longer.
- Don't trade techs, which allow you to build wonders, which you intend to build yourself. They may have great engineers and build it instead of you. Trade it on the same turn, when you finish the wonder.
- If you're trying to be the first to research a tech, which gives you some bonus (such as Liberty - 1 free tech), don't trade the techs, which lead to it.. unless you are certain they can't beat you.
The advantage you gain by trading techs is that you're trying to trade YOUR ONE tech for SEVERAL techs from your opponents, assuming that you are the only civilization who possesses this tech, but you lack several other techs.

I'm sure the best what you can do to improve your gameplay is to ask your husband to explain you. It's better and faster then reading through tons of text in the forums..

@Alexandria2000

Another good source of ideas for managing your empire is the succession game forum under the Civ4 Stories and Tales. Not only is it not as dry as some of the strategy articles, but there are a variety of playing styles and viewpoints to instruct and inspire your play. Some of the more colorful and instructive examples of all of the victory conditions can be found there.

And don't ask your husband. He doesn't know anything.

Vizzini said:

The two most important things you can do for both the Civ newcomer and the die-hard Civ fan...

1. Read the manual. (Seriously, READ it. Very important)
2. Read the manual a few more times.

Click to expand...

Great tip. I am huge advocate of the RTFM movement

Query:
What if, like myself for instance, a player got his copy from Direct2Drive? How do I get a copy of the manual?

Also: Is there an online version of the civlopedia[sp?]?

Nufuhsus said:

Great tip. I am huge advocate of the RTFM movement

Query:
What if, like myself for instance, a player got his copy from Direct2Drive? How do I get a copy of the manual?

Also: Is there an online version of the civlopedia[sp?]?

Click to expand...

you should have a pdf version, don't you?