Bogustrumper
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
- Messages
- 4
Many writers have mentioned how vitally important it is to build the Pyramids. And granted, the Pyramids are wonderful. The boost they give both to Science and Happiness (via Representation) really slingshot the player into a powerful and almost winning position right out of the box.
There is just one problem: In the upper difficulty levels (Emperor and above), building them is nearly impossible—or just not worth the effort.
First off, you absolutely must have Stone. Without Stone, you can chop Forests to a fare-thee-well, and some other Civ will pile up those Quarry blocks faster than you can. All you’ll end up doing is permanently denuding your landscape (which doesn’t do your Health any good), and ruining squares which could later run Lumbermills.
Even with Stone The Pyramids are hard. Oh, you might manage them all right, but unless the map is virtually perfect, you’ll expend so much time that other Civs will shoulder into your vicinity, plop down Cities, and steal other, more critical resources. If you don’t play your cards exactly right, your troops will be standing there admiring their newly-built megalith—just before they’re crushed by invading hordes of Axemen or Swordsmen.
To get the perfect map, i.e., one with close, workable Stone, Forests in just the right places, and ready access to either Copper or Iron for defense, you’ll play at least ten—maybe twenty—openings before you finally get the right set-up. This is enormously time consuming.
Here’s another way: Forget the Pyramids. Let some other Civ build them. There are other, easier ways to get what the Pyramids offer, i.e., Science and Happiness. Let’s start with Science:
The Pyramids (via Representation) promise three extra beakers of research for every Specialist you run. But you can’t run too many Specialists in the early phases of the game without seriously impeding your growth. Excess growth is better used hurrying improvements and/or defenders via Slavery. So the Science boost doesn’t really start to kick in until the middle game.
Money you can use immediately. Rather than setting your heart on Stone, plot your first Cities with either Gold, Silver, or Gems in mind. If you don’t have at least one of these in easy reach, you might as well forget the map and start over. Without the Pyramids, you need gold.
The next time you’re playing, try selecting and deselecting a Mine square (via the City Screen), and see how it changes the research bar. Often the operation of a single Gold Mine can reduce research times by a third or more. In the early phases of the game, this is key. As the game wears on, augment these monies by building Cottages. As the value of those first Mines begins to diminish, your Towns and Villages will start to come on, keeping your Science humming.
But Villages and Mines can only go so far. To really kick your Science into overdrive, you need one more thing: The Great Library. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to get. All you need is Literature, a Library, and the energy to build it. If you’ve got Marble, more’s the better, but Marble isn’t nearly as critical to the Great Library as Stone is to the Pyramids. With a little advance planning, you can either chop-rush it, or pop it, and still have time to spare.
Literature’s a pretty cheap tech; other Civs rarely research it first. If you’ve gotten your Mines and settlements working right, steal up on it at an opportune moment, and then build that Library. The Great Library gives a City three free Science Specialists—which is huge.
Build the National Epic in the same City as the Great Library, and not only will you be pumping out enough Science to at least keep pace with your rivals, but that City will generate a constant supply of Great Scientists, which you use to build Academies. Once those Cities build Libraries, Universities, Observatories, etc., they become little Science powerhouses.
It’s a given that even with the most careful play, you won’t be the tech leader until very late in the game. That’s ok. All you have to do is more or less keep up. If you’ve planned your growth properly, by the time you enter the end game, your Science will be coming on like a lion, and you’ll finally earn the appellation of “The Worlds’ Most Advanced Civilization.” From then on it’s a cakewalk.
Pyramids also bring Happiness. This loss is much easier dealt with. Just move along the tech tree and either research or trade for The Monarchy. Change over to Hereditary Rule, and then stock your Cities with soldiers. This is more than enough to pacify your citizens until you’ve either conquered or traded for Happiness resources such as Sugar, Furs, Wine, etc.—or built Happiness improvements, such as Markets, Temples, Cathedrals, and so on.
Playing the game this way demands more concentration. Rather than relying on a one-trick pony, such as the Pyramids, you try to orchestrate the growth and expansion of your empire so that all phases of your Civilization work in harmony.
I usually play with only the Cultural, Time, and Conquest victory options selected, because I play Civilization IV for keeps. My aim is to conquer the world.
Building a Space Ship, or trying either to Dominate or Diplomate the globe—is for weenies, and I don’t bother with it. A Cultural win sounds like fun, but I’ve yet to try it. Nevertheless, I may, because my regular strategy works like clockwork, and I’m looking for a challenge.
So, if you want to become Grand Poobah of The Entire Civilized World, the accompanying .pdf file contains Bogus Trumper's tried and true strategy for doing just that:
There is just one problem: In the upper difficulty levels (Emperor and above), building them is nearly impossible—or just not worth the effort.
First off, you absolutely must have Stone. Without Stone, you can chop Forests to a fare-thee-well, and some other Civ will pile up those Quarry blocks faster than you can. All you’ll end up doing is permanently denuding your landscape (which doesn’t do your Health any good), and ruining squares which could later run Lumbermills.
Even with Stone The Pyramids are hard. Oh, you might manage them all right, but unless the map is virtually perfect, you’ll expend so much time that other Civs will shoulder into your vicinity, plop down Cities, and steal other, more critical resources. If you don’t play your cards exactly right, your troops will be standing there admiring their newly-built megalith—just before they’re crushed by invading hordes of Axemen or Swordsmen.
To get the perfect map, i.e., one with close, workable Stone, Forests in just the right places, and ready access to either Copper or Iron for defense, you’ll play at least ten—maybe twenty—openings before you finally get the right set-up. This is enormously time consuming.
Here’s another way: Forget the Pyramids. Let some other Civ build them. There are other, easier ways to get what the Pyramids offer, i.e., Science and Happiness. Let’s start with Science:
The Pyramids (via Representation) promise three extra beakers of research for every Specialist you run. But you can’t run too many Specialists in the early phases of the game without seriously impeding your growth. Excess growth is better used hurrying improvements and/or defenders via Slavery. So the Science boost doesn’t really start to kick in until the middle game.
Money you can use immediately. Rather than setting your heart on Stone, plot your first Cities with either Gold, Silver, or Gems in mind. If you don’t have at least one of these in easy reach, you might as well forget the map and start over. Without the Pyramids, you need gold.
The next time you’re playing, try selecting and deselecting a Mine square (via the City Screen), and see how it changes the research bar. Often the operation of a single Gold Mine can reduce research times by a third or more. In the early phases of the game, this is key. As the game wears on, augment these monies by building Cottages. As the value of those first Mines begins to diminish, your Towns and Villages will start to come on, keeping your Science humming.
But Villages and Mines can only go so far. To really kick your Science into overdrive, you need one more thing: The Great Library. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to get. All you need is Literature, a Library, and the energy to build it. If you’ve got Marble, more’s the better, but Marble isn’t nearly as critical to the Great Library as Stone is to the Pyramids. With a little advance planning, you can either chop-rush it, or pop it, and still have time to spare.
Literature’s a pretty cheap tech; other Civs rarely research it first. If you’ve gotten your Mines and settlements working right, steal up on it at an opportune moment, and then build that Library. The Great Library gives a City three free Science Specialists—which is huge.
Build the National Epic in the same City as the Great Library, and not only will you be pumping out enough Science to at least keep pace with your rivals, but that City will generate a constant supply of Great Scientists, which you use to build Academies. Once those Cities build Libraries, Universities, Observatories, etc., they become little Science powerhouses.
It’s a given that even with the most careful play, you won’t be the tech leader until very late in the game. That’s ok. All you have to do is more or less keep up. If you’ve planned your growth properly, by the time you enter the end game, your Science will be coming on like a lion, and you’ll finally earn the appellation of “The Worlds’ Most Advanced Civilization.” From then on it’s a cakewalk.
Pyramids also bring Happiness. This loss is much easier dealt with. Just move along the tech tree and either research or trade for The Monarchy. Change over to Hereditary Rule, and then stock your Cities with soldiers. This is more than enough to pacify your citizens until you’ve either conquered or traded for Happiness resources such as Sugar, Furs, Wine, etc.—or built Happiness improvements, such as Markets, Temples, Cathedrals, and so on.
Playing the game this way demands more concentration. Rather than relying on a one-trick pony, such as the Pyramids, you try to orchestrate the growth and expansion of your empire so that all phases of your Civilization work in harmony.
I usually play with only the Cultural, Time, and Conquest victory options selected, because I play Civilization IV for keeps. My aim is to conquer the world.
Building a Space Ship, or trying either to Dominate or Diplomate the globe—is for weenies, and I don’t bother with it. A Cultural win sounds like fun, but I’ve yet to try it. Nevertheless, I may, because my regular strategy works like clockwork, and I’m looking for a challenge.
So, if you want to become Grand Poobah of The Entire Civilized World, the accompanying .pdf file contains Bogus Trumper's tried and true strategy for doing just that:
. Also, good point on the mids...I hate relying on wonders. I'd much rather take wonders from other civs. That way, I have the wonders AND an army...
, I was 2 turns away from education by then.
