Anyone want to help a stagnating player?

[sercer88]

Well, here goes. I'm attaching my game log with my save. It is usually around this time when I begin to lose focus, maybe? I begin to have no idea what to do. Here is where the builder in me tells me to begin building every single building available, but when I do that, my game starts hurting. Help would be greatly appreciated.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/101488/vikings_game_log.rar

http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/101488/Vikings_1000BC.SAV

 

[Turner]

Lots more settlers, and lots more archers. Settle the land to your north-east, and use the archers to take over those cities that you don't get.

You might want to tighten up your city placement too, but that's up to you.

I'd also try and make a few boats, and see if you can't find any land to your north and northwest.

 

[sercer88]

Thanks, Turner!! I was hoping an experienced player (like one I THINK you are) would comment.

Funny, I was thinking people would say exactly what you have. Remember, I just got out of Despotism. I will be rapidly expanding from here until I meet Greece's borders. I definitely feel I need more units, though, but as it is, I am losing a bunch of science. I could actually have a better economy in Despotism than what I have in Republic.

The city placement will definitely tighten up from here on out.

Are you saying I should begin building boats now, or finish expanding. I don't have enough cities yet to do both, I fear.

 

[Turner]

Thanks, Turner!! I was hoping an experienced player (like one I THINK you are) would comment.

Aww...flattery will get you everywhere! (I do alright )

Funny, I was thinking people would say exactly what you have. Remember, I just got out of Despotism. I will be rapidly expanding from here until I meet Greece's borders. I definitely feel I need more units, though, but as it is, I am losing a bunch of science. I could actually have a better economy in Despotism than what I have in Republic.

Very common when first switching to Republic, especially early. Build more workers, and road those tiles they're working! That'll make up for it.

The city placement will definitely tighten up from here on out.

Are you saying I should begin building boats now, or finish expanding. I don't have enough cities yet to do both, I fear.

I would build at least one, and start finding out where the sea tiles are, and hopefully the ocean tiles. Build it from one of your cities on your western border, where it wouldn't be as effective to build a settler (unless you've got a good settler factory going there) since it would take so long to get to the other side of your empire. Of course, you could build settlers on your west coast, and have boats ferry them over to the eastern area. Again, try and build at least the one galley so you can start to find out where the different areas of coastal/sea/ocean tiles are. Remember, you're a seafaring civ, so you get bonus' to movement, and a lesser chance to sink in sea/ocean tiles. So it's definatly worth it to build a boat or two.

 

[sercer88]

I wasn't trying to come across THAT way! I figure, surely someone who has been playing for almost 5 years, and has posted almost 20,000 times(!!!!!) in this forum probably is pretty experienced. Yeah, I guess experienced was the word I was looking for.

Back to the game:

OK, so after I expand as far NE as I can, what should I be building, then? I really don't want to war with Alexander's Hoplites, at least until maybe I get knights, so what should I do until then? (besides finding the other continent(s), that is)

Do you think I need more workers do get that done? Should I avoid building mines/irrigating until I have a road in every worked tile? Since the barracks are so cheap, I find myself building them if I don't have anything else to build...is this a good idea?

Thanks, again, for your help so far

 

[Turner]

OK, so after I expand as far NE as I can, what should I be building, then? I really don't want to war with Alexander's Hoplites, at least until maybe I get knights, so what should I do until then?
(besides finding the other continent(s), that is)

Build horses, then when you aquire/research Chivalry you can get a bunch of knights en masse.

Do you think I need more workers do get that done? Should I avoid building mines/irrigating until I have a road in every worked tile? Since the barracks are so cheap, I find myself building them if I don't have anything else to build...is this a good idea?

First rule of building workers: You can never have too many. As far as mining/irrigating, I wouldn't say not to do it. But make sure that any action you take on a tile, when that worker is done with it it builds a road on it before moving off. Or conversly, it builds the road first (so you can move in more workers to finish that mine on a mountain) so the other workers and move and work on the same turn. You still want growth, so mining and irrigating is still a good idea. Just make sure the worker builds a road on that tile before leaving it.

Thanks, again, for your help so far

You're welcome. It's what we're here for, after all.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

Took a look at the 1000 BC save. You seem to be doing well.

You have 1 curragh out, and have explored a lot - that's good. Getting another out is probably a good idea.

Not sure why you are building a temple in Reykjavik - I think either a harbor or a galley might be better.

You can probably dump all the reg warriors - that will help your economy.

I'm not sure why you are mining a hill near trondheim when there is a BG near there, as well. I'd mine that first.

You have land that is both great and not so great. Lot of food, a *LOT* of strategic resources... no luxes. Your continent seems to have ivory and silks, plus some dyes. you need to get some of those, either by settling or by trade. It's 36 worker turns, plus the 12 turns to move to the tile sto get a road to the nearest ivory, then another 15-20 to get to greece if you want to trade for silks.

Being in republic may be hurting your economy, but it is helping you expand, and the economy will pick up as you get more cities and more roads. many, many, more roads....

 

[sercer88]

Took a look at the 1000 BC save. You seem to be doing well.

You have 1 curragh out, and have explored a lot - that's good. Getting another out is probably a good idea.

Not sure why you are building a temple in Reykjavik - I think either a harbor or a galley might be better.

You can probably dump all the reg warriors - that will help your economy.

I'm not sure why you are mining a hill near trondheim when there is a BG near there, as well. I'd mine that first.

You have land that is both great and not so great. Lot of food, a *LOT* of strategic resources... no luxes. Your continent seems to have ivory and silks, plus some dyes. you need to get some of those, either by settling or by trade. It's 36 worker turns, plus the 12 turns to move to the tile sto get a road to the nearest ivory, then another 15-20 to get to greece if you want to trade for silks.

Being in republic may be hurting your economy, but it is helping you expand, and the economy will pick up as you get more cities and more roads. many, many, more roads....

Thanks for looking at my game, AT!

I definitely don't like that I'm in a republic (no mp) and have ZERO lux's!

I was building a temple for either some happiness and border expansion (for the fish) or as a pre-build for a library: also to expand borders.

The other things: I'm working on.

What exactly should I be building in my cities right now, though? I know I need more settlers and a few more workers, but I don't know what buildings, if any, I should begin to build, once my borders can't go any farther.

As I said in my first post: around the end of the AA is where I always seem at a loss as to what I should do.

 

[RFHolloway]

What exactly should I be building in my cities right now, though? I know I need more settlers and a few more workers, but I don't know what buildings, if any, I should begin to build, once my borders can't go any farther.

As I said in my first post: around the end of the AA is where I always seem at a loss as to what I should do.

Usual priority to examine would be

Granary - is this city going to be building mainly workers and settlers
Barracks - is this city going to be producing mainly military
Library - does this city produce a reasonable amount of beakers
Market place - does this city produce significant amounts of cash, do I have 3 luxuries or more and could this city use some happiness
Harbour - can this city work enough coastal tiles so that the extra food is worth while
courthouse - is the increase in shields and cash worth the initial investment

once you have examined these - if you have nothing to build - build units and take over the world .

 

[AutomatedTeller]

I think you may be running into one of the problems that a lot of new players run into - which is not having a clear strategy. that's ok, btw - if you don't have a clear strategy, then pick one of two: expand peacefully (by building more settlers) or expand militarily (by building more military)

I used to play that way - now every game has a goal. That goal may change as the game goes - I may try for a space race victory and decide to go for UN or domination part way through, for instance, but I start with a goal.

Then I create subgoals.

For instance, first subgoal(s) might be to create a settler factory and to research to the republic slingshot. after that, it may be to settler all food, lux and strategic resources in my area. Maybe I have a goal to have 1 harbor up, at least, so I can take advantage of trades. Maybe a next goal is to have all land roaded/improved, or to have only veterans in my military.

In the middle ages, I usually plan subgoals around research (getting to education, or gunpowder or whatever) and resources (saltpeter, or finding likely spots for coal) and planning my GA if I haven't had one already.

 

[Abegweit]

Your biggest problem.

Trondheim is a worker factory. Switch to building them there. Bergen is a settler factory. It needs grow and to mine one more grassland. Getting that grassland mined is your highest priority ATM. No other city should be building any settlers or workers or granaries.

Your gotten plenty of good advice on this thread already. Follow it too, although aqueducts seem to have been forgotten from the list of building. IMO, it's the most important one after granaries and barracks.

 

[sercer88]

I think you may be running into one of the problems that a lot of new players run into - which is not having a clear strategy. that's ok, btw - if you don't have a clear strategy, then pick one of two: expand peacefully (by building more settlers) or expand militarily (by building more military)

I used to play that way - now every game has a goal. That goal may change as the game goes - I may try for a space race victory and decide to go for UN or domination part way through, for instance, but I start with a goal.

Then I create subgoals.

For instance, first subgoal(s) might be to create a settler factory and to research to the republic slingshot. after that, it may be to settler all food, lux and strategic resources in my area. Maybe I have a goal to have 1 harbor up, at least, so I can take advantage of trades. Maybe a next goal is to have all land roaded/improved, or to have only veterans in my military.

In the middle ages, I usually plan subgoals around research (getting to education, or gunpowder or whatever) and resources (saltpeter, or finding likely spots for coal) and planning my GA if I haven't had one already.

About the goals thing: yeah, I think I had goals early on in the game (ie: get a bunch more settlers out than I usually do (I did ok) and republic slingshot (success!)) And now that I have reached those goals, I usually don't have a clear idea of how I want to finish the AA and go into the Middle Ages.

So, with that in mind (and Abegweit's comments) I will try to form some goals.

 

[Abegweit]

Don't be scared to up the lux rate to give Bergen what it needs. The payback will be enormous 20 turns from now. Not necessary until you get that grass mined though.