A callout to the experts! A basic for n00bs...

[capnvonbaron]

To all those experienced civ-whiz kids out there on the forum:

In an effort for some consolidation, i humbly request those of you civ fanatics who are bored with warlord, rock the monarch, and are fiends at diety, to create a top 5 list (or more! please be generous) of things that us n00bs should know to up our game. Thus far, hints are so largely scattered that it has taken me months of forum membership just to uncover a sliver of expert tips and tricks that made my game go from meager to hella!

A short list is all I request. An example, from what I learned, may be:

1: City placement, specifically CxxC or CxxxC
2: Tech research, specifically slider usage and city building/science farms
3: Governments... the most recently researched is not always the best
4: Mix it up... don't always play a std map with 3 opponents!
5: Worker automation... DON'T!!

Feel free to put in links for threads that best cover your points! Feel free to create specialized lists, even, like... I dunno... top five n00b combat mistakes, or best government for your win condition goal. Like I said, an effort for some consolidation of information. Maybe even the experts will learn something that they missed thru the million or so forum threads!

 

[vmxa]

I think you have summed it up nicely. Those 5 points will take someone a long way.

 

[rysingsun]

I'll make an effort at a top 5:

1) don't automate workers or cities.
2) build mainly settlers and workers until all land is grabbed. If all space is not fully improved before you get steampower then next game build more workers. workers are almost always higher priority than infrastructure.
3) trade for technology.
4) use alliances to dogpile the ai and avoid getting dogpiled by them.
5) bombardment units, especially artillery, to minimize combat losses. this is critical in any war where you are technologically backward, which is frequent on higher levels.

 

[Northen Wolf]

1) Every city does not need EVERY improvement.
2) Early exploring - create few warriors (or scouts) (few= 2-4 IMO) and send them to explore .
3) Always connect cities with roads, then do the improving tiles.
4) Keep 1.5 - 2 workers per city.
5) Read: "
Civilization III: War Academy "

 

[anaxagoras]

My list would be this:

1. Build enough workers and manage them yourself.
2. Pay very careful attention to the first hundred turns. Efficiency is key, and most games are won or lost in the opening. Cracker's Opening Plays is a must-read.
3. Build improvements only when and where you need them.
4. Understand and use the concept of specialist farms.
5. Offense and bombardment for war, minimal defense and garrisons. Don't underestimate the power of even the lowly catapult; don't overestimate the power of the spearman, regardless of the legends.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Mine would be:

1. Research left to right, then use those techs to trade for the other techs.
2. Contact as many AI tribes as possible to get the most of trading opportunities.
3. Make a plan as to how you want to win before you hit the space bar to end turn 0(4000 BC)
4. Build mostly offensive units, even if you don't plan on war. It will come, and wars aren't won by playing defense.
5. Use programs like MapStat or CivAssist 2, it's like having an extra set of eyes.

 

[capnvonbaron]

some very good stuff, guys and girls! So far these lists cover probably half of all the stuff I took forever to find out on my own. It'll certainly give newbies something to start with. Keep it coming...

 

[Spoonwood]

4. Understand and use the concept of specialist farms.

I've beaten Deity a few times here and there with little to no war and rarely used a specialist farm in any game. Many newbies probably could win an OCC or 5CC 20k game if they read the civilopedia on wonders and played on the right level for them. No specialist farms there. Plenty of people also win upper-level games with few cities, so they don't work out as all too crucial. They definitely have their benefits, but other things come as more important.

1. Have a goal victory condition before you start the game.
2. Read and re-read the civilopedia.
3. Manage your workers and use them intelligently, and then more intelligently as you learn more about what you can do with them.
4a. Use a helper program like CivAssist 2 or MapState if you can.
4b. Barring that you don't use such a program talk to every other tribe you've met periodically, like every 5 turns or something.
5. Trade for technology when appropriate.

No matter what type of game you play 1, 2, and 3 will help a lot. 4 becomes less important for some 20k games as does 5, since tech speed matters less than shield production (using workers intelligently).

 

[Lord Emsworth]

0. Check the option "Always wait at the end of the turn."

1. Food is by far the most important in the early game. As a general rule of thumb, just try to grow as quickly as possible early on. Everything else is secondary.

2. Carefully select what to build, when to build and where to build. This holds for improvements, units and wonders. You don't need every improvement everywhere at all. You don't need (many) defenders - attackers are more important. And if you build a wonder, it should be an integral part of your game plan.

3. Explore and make contacts. The quicker you make contacts, the sooner you can trade for techs, or even play tech broker.

4. When you attack, send stacks and not streams or trickles.

5. Don't be intimidated. Most of what you see of the AI is façade with nothing much behind.

 

[anaxagoras]

I've beaten Deity a few times here and there with little to no war and rarely used a specialist farm in any game. Many newbies probably could win an OCC or 5CC 20k game if they read the civilopedia on wonders and played on the right level for them.

I doubt that many true newbies would be able to win an XCC right out of the box. Obviously, anyone CAN do it, if they have read enough and are careful enough, but if you've read that much before you begin to play, I'd argue your aren't really a newbie.

The concept of specialist farms can cut literally centuries off the winning time for any non-conquest VC (and can save quite a few turns off a conquest VC, too). It is a very important concept IMO, even though it is quite possible to win without it (as is the case with many of the options that make the various lists).

But that's why more than one person is posting. There are many opinions out there, and we can argue at great length about the "best way" to approach the game.

It is what makes this such a great game.

 

[Hasdrubal Barca]

1 - Money is life, keep it coming (barb. huts, sell the same tech to everyone on the same turn, gold hills, AI stealing, conquer cities and sell improvements (plunder)dubius deals, you name it)
2 - Never build something which you can build cheaper and then use the stolen money to upgrade it (30 Vet Warriors to swords/Chariots to Horsemen in 1 turn, go kill).
3 - Irrigate cows, wheat..., road river banks early to increase money for science and food for growth.
4 - Set up sentry nets (Spears/Warriors on mountains, curraghs on sea)
5 - Don´t start an invasion with your elite units, instead use these on reserve to kill wounded enemy units, these are your "leader factories" and should be considered only for that.
6 - Keep your units on the high ground, behind rivers, on forests (terrain is important) and always, but always on roads, take workers and a settler with you to an invasion, you´ll find them priceless.
7 - Never build a road with only 1 worker, if non-industrial, use 3, if industrial use 2, try to make "highways", 6 workers can make 1 road tile per turn in a straight line, 3 make road, other 3 move over to next tile and wait, next turn repeat cycle

8-Never ever ever attack Russia! but if you go crazy and decide you have to, take winter clothing

 

[Exwing17]

I'm a solid regent player, and I never knew to build so many workers! Really 1.5-2 per city?!?!?! I didnt have that many when I was Maya! Although that was my best win ever, *thinks* maybe the amount of workers contributed...hmm. Interesting!

I like the point about Leader factories.

Additionally could someone link to a farms section? I've tried a CXC sci farm, but wasn't sure whether I got it right!

 

[Aabraxan]

Additionally could someone link to a farms section? I've tried a CXC sci farm, but wasn't sure whether I got it right!

Here's Bede's "The Role of the Specialist Citizen." It's a good primer for specialist farming. You might head down to Stories & Tales and Succession Games and watch how some players set theirs up.

Anyway, I guess I'll get in on the fun and make a up a Top 5 List
1) In the early game, food is king.
2) Build (or buy more) lots of workers and do it early.
3) Pick your desired victory condition early in the game and play accordingly.
4) Build only those improvements that you need.
5) Learn to use the sliders effectively.

Wow. I have to say that narrowing it down to 5 was tougher than I expected it to be. I almost had to make a Top 10 list.

 

[Spoonwood]

I doubt that many true newbies would be able to win an XCC right out of the box.

I think plenty of newbies could win an OCC on their first game (especially at Chieftain) if they knew the existence of the 20k game.

The concept of specialist farms can cut literally centuries off the winning time for any non-conquest VC (and can save quite a few turns off a conquest VC, too).

Nope. Specialist farms will NOT and can NOT cut centuries off a 20k or mass-cultural victory game (or for almost all XCC games). That much works as certain.

[It is a very important concept IMO, even though it is quite possible to win without it (as is the case with many of the options that make the various lists).]

The question comes as how important really? I know I've won some games diplomatically sometime in 12th century without any specialist farms. You can check some of those games here http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=122419&page=2 and my personal fastest victory finish here
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=288980 Maybe I could knock some time off in terms of turns with specialist farms, but this just concerns minimizing turn time and not so much winning the game. I *did* use specialists in some cities at some points in some of those games (such as during revolution, before I got some marketplaces/temples for happiness up/could trade for luxuries, etc., late in the game when I irrigated tons of tiles), but no speciailist farms as such. Knowing about and knowing how to use specialists well comes as more important than specialist farms.

 

[Aabraxan]

Nope. Specialist farms will NOT and can NOT cut centuries off a 20k or mass-cultural victory game (or for almost all XCC games). That much works as certain.

Does 100K count as a "mass-cultural victory game?" While I agree that specialist farms don't shave centuries off of the XCC variants (primarily because you don't use them), "culture farms" (rushing culture buildings) would seem effective in a 100K game.

 

[nerovats]

Nope. Specialist farms will NOT and can NOT cut centuries off a 20k or mass-cultural victory game (or for almost all XCC games). That much works as certain.

Yes it will, at least for 20K. If you can keep on researching at 4 turns per tech you're bound to get more SGL's which are the key to getting an ultra early 20K win.

It can also help for 100K as you will be able to sell all those tech's and get more gold per tech researched then you would saved by not researching it. Use the gold to buy culture buildings. But ToA and pop-rushing is faster and that means you can't research that far. But then you need to get it.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

I'm a solid regent player, and I never knew to build so many workers! Really 1.5-2 per city?!?!?! I didnt have that many when I was Maya! Although that was my best win ever, *thinks* maybe the amount of workers contributed...hmm. Interesting!

If you are industrious (Maya?) you can of course get by with less workers. The needed amount of workforce will also depend on your worker management.

 

[anaxagoras]

Whatever. Specialist farms make no sense in XCC variants, clearly. Most newbs don't play variants. For a basic newbie game, I still think specialist farming is a very valuable and non-obvious technique.

As I said, YMMV. I am inclined to focus on the positives in the thread, rather than spending a great deal of time defending against an attack. There are a lot of good techniques here. A newb is free to pick and choose from among them.

 

[Ninja Dude]

1) Every city does not need EVERY improvement.

I have to admit I do this too much. It's too tempting to try and have every city be a giant mass of buildings.

I'd say an important tip is to try and not mess up your rep. I hate not being able to make deals and stuff without paying large prices. Also:

0. Check the option "Always wait at the end of the turn."

THIS! Remember this!

 

[Yilar]

1. Build enough workers, especially early on.
2. Granary is usually very important!
3. Getting contact early is important, as you can control the trades.
4. Don't build spears, a handfull warriors can defend you quite easily, at a much cheaper price.
5. Switch to republic as soon as possible.