What level should I be playing at? BTS 3.18

[odin1981]

Been pretty surprised so far. Kinda wishing I didn't stay on Noble so long also. But I'm up to around 1000 ad so far and the ai is actually keeping up. Got lucky on huts but unlucky in starting spot. But I really like this level so far (prince).

Is it better to ask here or over in S and T for monarch plus guides? Wonder what general ones there are that are good and relevent today as well.

 

[lymond]

Is it better to ask here or over in S and T for monarch plus guides? Wonder what general ones there are that are good and relevent today as well.

Yeah, if you want to get better, spend more time in S&T. Ask questions and post some games (early), so we can get a feel about where your game is right now. Then we can give pointed advice to help you along.

Not sure where your game is now, or what would be best for you to read up on, but certainly follow along some of the games going on over there like Noble Club and stuff. You should soon get a feel for who the really good players are, so follow them.

The S&T sub-forum has some good articles. Sisiutils beginners guide may still hold some valuable tips for you, so you might check that out. The Civ Illustrated guides provide some nice deeper knowledge of the game. There's been guides written over the years, some focused to higher levels, but best practice has evolved as well. So I really don't know what is best to read for advance play.

Besides the coupla things I point out, really the best way to get better fast is to post games over in S&T. We call them shadow/learner games. Post a start and get advice from the start, playing short turnsets. Be patient and stick with that for a bit, and you will quickly leave Prince behind.

Prince is really not much of a step up from Noble. AIs get a slight bonus at that level, but still start with warriors. Monarch is really where it starts to ramp up a bit. Again I don't know where your game is right now, but if you are finding Prince a bit easy right now, you should probably step up to Monarch - even if it means a bit rough patch for success. (no pain no gain ha)

You will probably be amazed a few weeks from now, if you put in the effort, how easy you will even find Monarch once you improve your skills and understanding of the game.

To start you off with some tips, some of which you may be aware of already, here are the following:

1) Early game is crucial - everything in IV is about snowballs
2) Most important Unit = worker (getting better at worker management is key to advancing your game, as well as having enough of them. worker first is almost always the best start)
3) Most important Building = Granary (this is absolute and without argument. once you understand why this is important you will start kicking rear)
4) Great People are important and knowing how to get them and use them
5) overlapping cities is a good thing (this baffles newer players)
6) lymond is the best Civ IV player in history (this is an absolute falsehood)

Just grasping these concepts - with possible exception of #6 - will put you at intermediate level

 

[odin1981]

Yeah, if you want to get better, spend more time in S&T. Ask question and post some games (early), so we can get a feel about where your game is right now. Then we can give pointed advice to help you along.

Not sure where your game is now, or what would be best for you to read up on, but certainly follow along some of the games going on over there like Noble Club and stuff. You should soon get a feel for who the really good players are, so follow them.

The S&T sub-forum has some good articles. Sisiutils beginners guide may still hold some valuable tips for you, so you might check that out. The Civ Illustrated guides provide some nice deeper knowledge of the game. There's been guides written over the years, some focused to higher levels, but best practice has evolved as well. So I really don't know what is best to read for advance play.

Besides the coupla things I point out, really the best way to get better fast is to post games over in S&T. We call them shadow/learner games. Post a start and get advice from the start, playing short turnsets. Be patient and stick with that for a bit, and you will quickly leave Prince behind.

Prince is really not much of a step up from Noble. AIs get a slight bonus at that level, but still start with warriors. Monarch is really where it starts to ramp up a bit. Again I don't know where your game is right now, but if you are finding Prince a bit easy right now, you should probably step up to Monarch - even if it means a bit rough patch for success. (no pain no gain ha)

You will probably be amazed a few weeks from now, if you put in the effort, how easy you will even find Monarch once you improve your skills and understanding of the game.

To start you off with some tips, that you may be aware of already, I note the following rules of thumb:

1) Early game is crucial - everything in IV is about snowballs
2) Most important Unit = worker (getting better at worker management is key to advancing your game)
3) Most important Building = Granary (this is absolute and without argument. once ou understand why this is important you will start kicking rear)
4) Great People are important and knowing how to get them and use them
5) overlapping cities is a good thing (this baffles newer players)
6) lymond is the best Civ IV player in history (this is an absolute falsehood)

Just grasping these concepts - with possible exception of #6 - will put you at intermediate level

Ok thanks for info. Game is pretty good got it to 750ad or so. But had a bad, bad, starting location. Not resource wise or anything stone + 2 food + lot grassland fresh water so it is my GS and GE farm. Got mids, gw early game. Eng'd the Great Lib to my capital also. Missed out on oracle to Inca by 3 turns . But he got that plus collusi + lighthouse so he is my first berserker amphib assult target.

The reason I had a bad starting spot is I was wedged in on my continent by two expansive leaders on my flanks and a aggr one like 8-10 spots to my south. So of course since it is still prince and all from the get go I 4 war rush Mongols out. The flank countries are Washington and Portugal dude. So they are expanding like crazy when I settle in on 6 cities. So I axe rush time USA to keep there pop in check (also same religion as me).

My girlfriend Bouddica gave me Hinduism early and us, america and ethiopia are Hindu bros versus Inca, Carthage, and Portugal who are confusism bro's. She is only at pleased at the moment but once friendly hits we are BFF with PA. So I whittle down US over like 1500 years to 5 cities and I am at 9/10. And Eithopia vassals him. Eithopia is neck and neck with me score wise for the #1 spot. He has 13 cities plus 4 of vassal's.

My plan for the viking invasion is around 1000 ad on Inca is short term goal with ap/culture win long term. I have around 6 axes at 26+ waiting to be made into berserkers. And my 2 navy towns are in the process of making the 2 trieme 3 galley fleet. I plan to sack the collosus+ glh+ chicha wonder right away. I'm planning on religioning away carthage from there group before I hit. And I have a def pact with Celts plus ethiopia to keep Portugal off me while I go to war on Inca. I have founded Tao and Christ religon wise and inca have confuse. So when I wipe them out I will hold the needed 3 number for a building in each great city if I cant convert ap religion other continent quick enough.

 

[s.bernbaum]

You are aware that when you declare war all of your defensive pacts go away, aren't you?

 

[odin1981]

You are aware that when you declare war all of your defensive pacts go away, aren't you?

Ah ok good to know. Didn't end up happening anyway. My continent was the main continent. Hannibal went to war with Ethiopia. He took away the 1 lone us city. When hannibal declared somehow USA switched vassal to him. I went to war with USA 2 turns after and took the last town I wanted off them. Hannibal declared on me but was too busy down south. This meant that outside of Inca and Portugal whole continent was busy with warring each other. I could still tech though at war because of mids. I could at 0 % take down techs every 10 turns or so. But every 6-7 on average if I went to 100% i could get it for around 100 a pop. But I was making 25+ a turn at 0 science.

I popped a GE on my next gpp and popped ap. I then went for optics for ap cheese with my christianity. Got it made 4 with 4 missonaries to go to undiscovered countries. Found all but 1 was theology civic so I needed a spy to slow grow that country (Spain). So I waited for my ap priest wonder to go off and quick grew a prophet to make the spread city as I went for astro and liberalism. Got liberal to give me astro and Trade with spain spread for last vote and won around 1580 or so.